New CNN 'Crossfire' has GOP turning the channel

U.S. News ^ | 04/06/2002 | Paul Bedard

[Pokey78]

Maybe it was Paul Begala's opening comments on the first day of CNN's revamped Crossfire that it was time to "kick a little right-wing ass" that angered Republicans. Or when cohost James Carville kept interrupting GOP Chairman Marc Racicot. Whatever, Republican leaders are blackballing the show. "The word is out: Don't go on; you'll get screwed," says a top Senate aide. Adds a House colleague: "It isn't a total boycott, but the show's last on our list to do." That's a blow for CNN, which has struggled to snare GOP guests as it battles with conservative-friendly Fox News. The complaints: Combative liberals Begala and Carville, both Democratic Party operatives, are too good at what they do, and conservative journalists Robert Novak and Tucker Carlson, who might see a nuance now and then, can't keep up. And they hate the live George Washington University audience. "It's like Jerry Springer," gripes a GOP-er. Says CNN's Ali Weisberg: "Robert Novak and Tucker Carlson are tough and smart on the right, and they can certainly hold their own. ... Crossfire always tries to keep its guests–and now its live audience–balanced."

[aculeus]

Excellent! Let these two thugs "interview" each other.

[sinkspur]

The show is awful. Absolutely awful. The corny music, the lights, the on-cue applause...it looks like a game show. And Carville and Begala are just plain mean and nasty. I flipped over last night and they were talking about the relevance of the British monarchy, as if anybody gives a damn.

I get to watch ALL of HARDBALL now, which has been quite good of late. Chris has been very hard on the Pallie representatives.

[Petronski]

These GOP types should boycott ALL of CNN, not just the new, nutjob crossfire (which is combines the set of Jeopardy, the demeanor of Sally Jesse and a few lefty criminal retreads from the RICO lab experiment known as the Clinton Administration).

[KC_Conspirator]

That's a blow for CNN, which has struggled to snare GOP guests as it battles with conservative-friendly Fox News.

Well if having Republicans on and not instantly trashing them because they are outnumbered 4-1 then I guess they are "freindly". In that sense they are liberal friendly as well.

[kidd]

I will never watch this trainwreck. I absolutely cannot stand "The Smirk" and I cannot think of anyone more annoying than Carville. Novak is ok, but Carlson is a lightweight. This was CNN's idea of "balance"? LOL!

[Pokey78]

I watched about 5 minutes of it a few days ago, and that's all I could take.

If they would just go back to the good old days with 1 topic in the 30 minute time slot, it would be OK.

My favorite Crossfire moment was when Tom Braden, the first liberal host, walked off the set when Cal Thomas insulted him.

[RamsNo1]

They should re-name the show, "The DNC Hit List"

[rs79bm]

Balanced???????????????????

Putting Novak and Carlson up against Begala and Carville is like putting an Elephant up against a mouse. Boycott this show, it is nothing but

Liberal Propoganda

.

[RayChuang88]

And you wonder why Fox News Channel is clobbering CNN despite the fact FNC has way less cable system clearance than CNN. :-)

[Liz]

indexing

[uncbob]

I don't care HOW GOOD the conservatives on any two sides show are
I refuse to listen to the outright lies from the obnoxious left wing creeps. My stomach can't take it

I boycott them all

[Grampa Dave]

Conservatives with a cable system or a satellite system that allows you to lock out various channels should lock out CNN for two reasons:

1. Who needs lying filth like these snakes from the Clintoons in your home lying via CNN.

2. Apparently if we block/lockout CNN on our cable and satellite system, the owners of the system do not have to pay CNN the monthly useage fee. I wished that someone would confirm this.

Regardless, just lock/block CNN from being seen in your home and let the bean counters at AOL, the CFO, know why you have locked out CNN!

[hole_n_one]

The CNN transcript has incorrectly attributed one of the many the ignorant comments made by Begala to Carlson...........

CARLSON: You know what you do have Martin Walker, you have the strongest bravest, wisest, kindest leader in the free world, the real leader of the free world, Tony Blair, why the hell do you need a queen when you've got the finest leader in free world in Blair, who by the way right now is in ...

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: This is basically a treasonous statement by the way.

BEGALA: No, oh, this is -- this is a shock, Blair is smarter than Bush.

[Mike K]

With Carville, Novak, Jesse and Jerry Falwell the other noght, I watched Jesse Jackfool repeatedly address Jerry Falwell as Falwell. How insulting. Imagine the clamor if someone called him Jackson. What at punk.

Watching Novak during the show made me think he was suffering the effects of advanced age.

[Dan Day]

Combative liberals Begala and Carville, both Democratic Party operatives, are too good at what they do,

Only on the sense that "what they do" is to behave like assholes. At that, they are indeed "too good".

[dvwjr]

Looks like the DNC brothers Head, "Fore and Snake" have gotten a sweet CNN deal to get paid and trash Republicans at the same time. The live GWU (read liberal) audience brings nothing to the show. "Forehead" gets to make timed false or derogatory assertions which are unanswerable because of the stupid "bell" which ends the round/response. The format is just set up for GOP bashing with two life-long DNC political operatives vs two ineptly combative conservative journalists. It won't happen, but a single topic for the 21 minutes of show plus 9 minutes of ads in just two blocks worked. This is much worse, and how in the heck do audience questions help in a time-limited show anyway?

GOP HQ is correct, keep all GOP newsmakers, and I mean ALL away from this poor excuse for a "balanced" show. Everyone can see the pre-biased purpose of the show, so let the Demonrats have circle-jerk among themselves. Novak has his column and lonely spot on the "Capital Gang", and let bow-tie man Carlson just fade away... If CNN truly wanted a shark infested political blood-letting every night, keep "Fore and Snake" Head, and go get the modern day GOP "Lee Atwater"s of today. Then CNN can rotate campus setting via the magic of televison to a designated "conservative" campus (a rare find today) to balance the audience factor.

[CGASMIA68]

If CNN was sinking, this be the torpedo to help sink'em.
Saw it for the 1st and last time last night...major hurl...

[Tom Bombadil]

Carville and Begala are not "tougher" than anyone else, they just lie a lot while most conservative's do not. I think blackballing the show is a good move. Let CNN wrestle with their lost credibility and don't loan them any of your own.