It was October 2004.
The show was CNN's 24-year-old political stalwart, Crossfire, then hosted by Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson.
For shits and giggles they invited Comedy Central's The Daily Show host and comedian Jon Stewart. Stewart started with a smile, but began the most uncomfortable, historic dismantling of a political talk show in the history of TV shark jumping. Stewart verbally tore down the set, particle board for particle board imploring that in the midst of 2004's heated political decision that Begala and Carlson were engaging in nonsensical political hackery for theater that had little to do with informing the American public.
"In many ways, it's funny. And I made a special effort to come on the show today, because I have privately, amongst my friends and also in occasional newspapers and television shows, mentioned this show as being bad ... it's not so much that it's bad, as it's hurting America. So I wanted to come here today and say .... Stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop hurting America." (CNN Transcript)
My favorite moment was when Stewart told Carlson, "You're as big a dick on your show as you are on any show."
It was a blow so devastating a few months later the show was canceled. Although that was not entirely Stewart's fault. The show was terrible and its ratings seem to only weaken as it evolved more and more into a three-ring circus. A far cry from the days when Tom Braden, Michael Kinsley, Pat Buchanan and Bob Novak were the regulars sitting in a dark room around a desk as part of the Mesozoic era of vintage Crossfire and McLaughlin Group.
But Stewart made his point -- the Colosseum of political discourse was more like the WWE of political punditry.
But that didn't stop the networks or the numerous reporters, lobbyists, hacks, former politicians, columnists, radio hosts, shock jocks, historians, politicos, legal experts and news junkies from their chosen profession of prognostication and making-shit-up.
To paraphrase the words of another comedian, "Pundits don't die. They multiply."
These are The Black Snob's candidates for Top Pundit 2008 (many submitted by you). Please vote for your pundit of choice in the selected categories for a later, fancy pants awards piece to run next week! (Only pick one except for in the overall punditry category where you can pick five.) Just vote in the comments below! And please, feel free to make comments why you picked which pundit. I'll be using the best quips for the story.
Top Pundit (Pick 5)
Amy Adams
Rachel Maddow
Jamal Simmons
Andrea Mitchell
Gwen Ifil
Donna Brazille
Harold Ford Jr.
James Carville
Patrick J. Buchanan
Michelle Bernard
Ron Christie
John McWhorter
Juan Williams
Glenn Beck
Michele Malkin
Keith Olbermann
Dan Abrams
Laura Ingraham
Michael Eric Dyson
Tucker Carlson
Paul Begala
Ed Schultz
Tavis Smiley
Maureen Dowd
Peggy Noonan
Andrew Sullivan
Christopher Hitchens
Leslie Sanchez
Joe Scarborough
Jeffery Toobin
Roland Martin
Lou Dobbs
Jack Cafferty
Most Insane
Mary Matalin and James Carville
Patrick J. Buchanan
Bill O'Reilly
Michele Malkin
Sean Hannity
Rush Limbaugh
Chris Matthews
Keith Olbermann
Glenn Beck
Lou Dobbs
Jim McLaughlin
Best Looking
Jamal Simmons
Amy Adams
Harold Ford Jr.
Michelle Malkin
Michelle D. Bernard
Kelly Ann Conway
I Hate You
Bill O'Reilly
Patrick J. Buchanan
Amy Holmes
Michelle Malkin
Sean Hannity
Rush Limbaugh
Ann Coulter
Please Shut Up Award
James Carville
Michael Eric Dyson
Tucker Carlson
Tavis Smiley
Ed Schultz
Paul Begala
Al Sharpton
Glenn Beck
Jesse Jackson
Best Lefties
Michael Eric Dyson
Paul Begala
Donna Brazille
Eugene Robinson
Cynthia Tucker
Keith Olbermann
Arianna Huffington
Rachel Maddow
Alan Combs
Mark Lamont Hill
Dan Abrams
Worst Lefties
Bob Shrum
Juan Williams
Dick Morris
Maureen Dowd
Keith Olbermann
Ed Schultz
Harold Ford Jr.
Best Righties
Michelle Bernard
Jim McLaughlin
Alex Castellanos
Andrew Sullivan
Peggy Noonan
Amy Holmes
Worst Righties
George Will
Bob Novak
Armstrong Williams
William Bennett
Tucker Carlson
Leslie Sanchez
Monica Crawley
Joe Scarborough
Amy Holmes
Laurence Kudlow
The Center, Really?
Roland Martin
Michelle Bernard
Juan Williams
John McWhorter
Jeffery Toobin
Christopher Hitchens
Best People Who Will Tell You What You Don't Want to Hear
Christopher Hitchens
John McWhorter
Patrick J. Buchanan
Jeffery Toobin
Jack Cafferty
Bill Maher
Best Satirist
Bill Maher
Jon Stewart
Stephen Colbert
Lewis Black
Best Blonde Conservative Fembot
Laura Ingraham
Ann Coulter
Kelly Anne (Fitzpatrick) Conway
Biggest Bleeding Liberal
Keith Olbermann
Paul Krugman
Rachel Maddow
Alan Combs
Dan Abrams
Best Trainwreck
Michele Malkin
James Carville and Mary Matalin
Glen Beck
Ed Shultz
Lou Dobbs
Bill O'Reilly
Chris Matthews
Laura Ingraham
Ron Christie
Keith Olbermann
Patrick J. Buchanan
On the bubble
Harold Ford Jr.
Gloria Berger
Jonathan Alter
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson
Star Parker
Paula Zahn
David Gregory
Larry Elder
Andrea Mitchell
Tavis Smiley
Vote early and vote often! You have until next Wednesday to make your opinion known! You can also email me your views at blacksnob@gmail.com.
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