Andrew Sullivan on the Sunday morning chat shows:
My view of Sunday morning is that it should involve sleeping. But as for TV shows, what’s needed, I suspect, is a reinvention of them. Real questioning of people in power; discussion of issues, not process; fewer Beltway hacks; no predictions; no sports-journalism masquerading as a serious discussion of politics. You know: what a serious version of the Daily Show would do. Its possible; just not without disturbing the balance of power in Washington.
I’d add breakfast to his view of Sunday morning, but otherwise I pretty much agree. I’m not sure anyone would accept an invitation to come on a show like the one he describes, though.
(But while we’re on the subject, what’s with the veneration of Jon Stewart as an interviewer, anyway? Stewart is a great comedian, but he’s really not much of an interrogator. He gets in a few good licks sometimes, but most of the time he’s only tolerably prepared (remember the John Yoo and Betsy McCaughey debacles?); he routinely talks over his interviewees; and he rarely asks very penetrating questions. To his credit, he doesn’t play a lot of gotcha games, but he usually doesn’t challenge his guests very hard either.)
