(Although a “public tussle” between Stewart and Carlson may be hyperbolic, as after Stewart’s appearance on “Crossfire,” I don’t think there was much more interaction between the two men.)
Anyway, despite his quotes near the bottom of the article about Carlson’s “career aspirations” vs. CNN’s “programming needs,” I think that Klein knows exactly what he’s doing, and what kind of message he’s sending about his ideas for changing CNN’s “tone.” And I say: way to be, Jonathan Kline. Way to be.
I dunno… I think Jon poked fun at him a bit more on a few episodes. The video of him on CNN made the rounds pretty well on the internet, too. I have it somewhere on my hard drive.
I wish I had cable so I could see Jon deliver the news tonight.
Based on the article, I see this far less as a principled move, and far more simple economics: The show doesn’t sell well enough, as folks who are into that sort of thing get all they want out of Fox. If Crossfire brought in the ratings, Carlson would be their Golden Boy. It’d be nice to think J. Klein is making some sort of sincere stand for substantive political discourse, but the cynic in me smells dissemblance, and I’m guessing it’s all about the dollar signs.
I commend your erudite response, my dear fellow. My objection to Carlson is more viceral. He strikes me as a smug little jerkwad who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the poor and those down on their luck. His prissy bow tie collection is the final straw, of course.
Unfortunately, Jon didn’t get a chance to say anything. According to the story as referenced by Tracy Lord , AP released it around 6:00 pm. The Daily Show films at 5:45 pm - Jon simply didn’t have time to add it.
However, I am VERY MUCH looking forward to tomorrow’s show.
Crossfire has sucked ever since the entertaining &/or truly smart conservatives (like Buchanan & Barnes, respectively) have gone to MSNBC or FOX. It lost its audience when it moved to mid-afternoon. I’m surprised it took it this long to die.
I like (on MSNBC)
Hardball w/Chris Matthews
Scarborough Report
and Lester Holt & The Abrams Report aren’t bad either,
I miss the Bill Press-Pat Buchanan show & Laura Ingraham also
(a smarter nicer prettier GOP blond- get stuffed, Ann Coulter!)
On Fox-
I’m OK w/ Sean Hannity but not a big fan,
I really like but rarely catch the Beltway Boys (Mor-TON Kondracke & Fred Barnes),
and also that panel show that has Cal Thomas, the guy from FAIR & two other reporters, and also Cal Thomas’s solo show.
For me anymore, CNN only has the Capital Gang & occasionally when Larry King has a good guest.
But if they ever do bring back Crossfire, put it in a decent time slot & get B-1 Bob Dornan- I am so there!
Yeah, I don’t really mind the “yelling-pundit” shows, but Crossfire was loud, informationless and basically all around terrible even by the standards set by O’Reilly, Hannity and Colmes and Scarborough. I could never understand who was actaully watching it. Apparently, the answer was, no one.
I’ll be the only one to jump in and say I really like Carlson. I hate crossfire, but I find Tucker to be an independent thinking (he voted Lib this year) guy with a decent sense of humor.
He is great on his PBS show and his book CRACKED me up.
I run hot and cold on Tucker. I think he’s a far more intelligent and interesting pundit than most of the Fox gang, and he’s a good writer with some fairly interesting insights into the political process. But Crossfire really is what Stewart said it was: a debate that’s mostly theater. And Tucker played a part in that theater: taking prepostrous positions just because they were the opposite of other preposterous positions more for entertainment and ratings (which apparently didn’t much work) than serious debate. That can’t help but seriously undermine one’s credibility.
I’m not a big fan of the modern “shout 'em down” political talk shows. I started out watching Firing Line, where they didn’t have to shout, they just cut you to shreds with their razor-sharp intellects, and Agronsky and Company, where at least they shouted with great decorum.
I really detest young Tucker, but just now on his last swing at Crossfire he gave what I have to admit was a pretty classy exit speech. “Crossfire has always been more than shouting to me.”
Big Forehead had a good line, too: “Tucker Carlson: Exit, stage right. Far right.”
