Crossfire (TV series)

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December 6 2004 edition of Crossfire. Seated on the outside, co-hosts Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson; on the inside, their guests Congressman Gregory Meeks and Congressman Darrell Issa

Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN.

Contents

1 Format
2 Braden-Buchanan years
3 Later years
4 Demise of the show
5 Hosts
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Format

The show was hosted by two pundits, one of whom was chosen "from the right" and one "from the left," thus purporting to provide both sides of the political spectrum.

The last "left" hosts were Paul Begala and James Carville. Robert Novak and Tucker Carlson were on the "right."

The show almost always featured two additional "left and right" guests on each topic of discussion. On some occasions only one guest was featured. Argument was encouraged, and the show was often characterized as having a somewhat rancorous, though lightly humourous, approach to political discussion.

Braden-Buchanan years

The origin of the show goes back to the late 1970s when Tom Braden and Pat Buchanan cohosted a radio show in Washington. Braden was a liberal newspaper columnist, Buchanan a conservative columnist who had worked in the Nixon White House. The show became popular because of the uninhibited way the pair debated political issues. In 1982 CNN was looking for something to beef up its political coverage and hired the pair to present a no-holds-barred late night political chat show. The show soon became popular and was elevated to prime time.

Braden's style was that of an old-time liberal, who wore his heart on his sleeve. Buchanan was more that of a fire and brimstone preacher, a true believer but with a certain charm and humour that made him interesting to watch. On occasions in 1983, John McLaughlin would fill in for Buchanan.

In 1985 Buchanan left the show for a job as Communications Director in the Reagan White House. His replacement was conservative columnist Robert Novak, who already presented a chat show on CNN and was at the time also a regular on The McLaughlin Group. His style was more rough than that of Buchanan and he was more likely to be involved in heated arguments.

In 1987 Buchanan returned to the show, replacing Novak. In 1989 Braden, who was regarded as an uneven antagonist for Buchanan, was dumped from the show. His replacement was Michael Kinsley, a liberal columnist for Time, and magazine editor for The New Republic. Kinsley combined a wry wit with a nerdy demeanour and lawyerly ability to tear apart an argument.

The years of the Kinsley-Buchanan partnership were considered by some as Crossfire's best years. Both were good debaters, strong interviewers, with wit and neither felt obliged to reflexively defend the Democratic or Republican side of the argument. In these days Crossfire would usually debate an issue, often with real experts on the issue at hand, in an informed but entertaining way.

Later years

In late 1991 Buchanan left the programme to pursue the Republican Party nomination for the Presidency. His replacement on the right was John H. Sununu who had just resigned as White House Chief of Staff after questions were raised about his use of White House travel allowances. Sununu was witty and tremendously informed on issues and a worthy opponent for Kinsley.

In 1993 Buchanan returned to the show, alternating in the right-wing seat with Sununu. In 1995 Buchanan again left the show to pursue the Republican nomination for the Presidency. Novak returned to the show alternating with Sununu on the right. At about the same time, CNN began a weekend edition of the show, Crossfire Sunday. The initial hosts were Bob Beckel on the left, a Democratic Party political consultant and manager of Walter Mondale's 1984 campaign for the Presidency, and Tony Snow on the right, a former speechwriter for the first President Bush. After a few months Snow left for a slot on rival cable-news channel Fox, to be replaced by Lynne Cheney a writer and educationalist and wife of Dick Cheney. Beckel and Cheney worked well together but the programme was not a ratings success and after three years was canceled in early 1998.

Kinsley left the show at the end of 1995 and in early 1996, CNN selected two hosts to alternate on the left against Sununu and Novak. Both were Democratic Party partisans. Geraldine Ferraro had been a Congresswoman and vice-presidential nominee on Walter Mondale's ticket in 1984. Her style was lawyerly and to act as the voice of reason. Bill Press had been a California Democratic Party chairman but had more broadcasting experience. He was a stronger interviewer than Ferraro, but less likely than Kinsley to produce the heated argument for which Crossfire had become famous.

In 1997 Buchanan again returned to the programme, replacing Novak on the right. At the end of the year Ferraro left the programme and Press became the full-time representative of the left. A month later Sununu left the show, and Novak returned alternating with Buchanan.

In 1999 Buchanan again left the show, this time for good, and Mary Matalin was his replacement, alternating with Novak on the right. At the time, Matalin was probably the best known Republican Party strategist in the country, and she was regarded as a good selection. But she proved uninterested in issues other than partisan politics and her interviewing style consisted of making speeches prefaced by "don't you think?" The show began to lose its audience, with the increasing popularity of alternatives like Hannity and Colmes on the Fox News Channel and Hardball on MSNBC.

In 2001 Matalin left the programme to join the White House staff and she was replaced by Tucker Carlson, a conservative journalist and wit, famous for wearing bow ties.

In 2002 to try to rejuvenate the show's ratings, the length of the program was increased to an hour. There was more argument between the presenters and the show was broadcast live from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and featured a live studio audience. Novak and Carlson retained their slots as alternating hosts on the right, but Press's polite style was seen as wrong for the louder version of the show CNN was trying to push.

The new hosts on the left were probably the two best-known Democratic Party political strategists, Paul Begala and James Carville. The show now seldom discussed issues, rather it was straight politics and political strategy with a rota of party consultants and strategists reading their party's talking points of the day. The show was looking less like a lively debate, and more like an extension of the two parties trying to promote their policies and strategies - and attack their opponents.

The new style did not rate well, and in April 2003, Crossfire was reduced back to just half an hour and moved from prime-time to an afternoon slot.

Demise of the show

Many credit Jon Stewart's appearance on Crossfire with the show's cancellation.

In late 2004 comedian and Daily Show host Jon Stewart appeared on the program and, in a heated argument with Carlson and Begala, bashed the format and the political toadying it led to. In Stewart's words: "It's not so much that it's bad, as it's hurting America [...] Stop, stop, stop, stop hurting America." Stewart's main criticism was that the program failed its responsibility to the public discourse and indulged in "partisan hackery". Following his appearance, transcripts and live stream footage were released on the Internet, resulting in a massive response on online chatrooms and discussion boards.

In January 2005, CNN announced that it would not be renewing Carlson's contract. In a news release containing the announcement, CNN CEO Jonathan Klein indicated that he wanted to change the tone of shows on the network. Shortly thereafter it was announced that it would be cancelled as a freestanding series, possibly to become a shorter, "gentler" segment of Inside Politics [link]. Its last episode aired on June 3, 2005 and the Crossfire pundits began appearing on Inside Politics the following Monday before relocating to that show's successor, The Situation Room. However, the GWU Crossfire set remains in use for the CNN weekend series On The Story, which has an audience interaction format.

Hosts

References

David Bauder (January 5 2005). CNN Lets 'Crossfire' Host Carlson Go. Associated Press. Retrived January 5 2005 from [Yahoo! News.]

External links

[Crossfire website (CNN)] (Now redirects to the Situation Room home page)
[Jon Stewart's appearance on Crossfire] provided by IFILM
[Transcript of Jon Stewart's Interview from Crossfire] on About.com

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