As we know, CNN has been running behind MSNBC, the liberal lectern, and Fox News Channel, the conservative pulpit, during prime time. It recently fired its top executive, Jon Klein, to signal their dissatisfaction with the ratings’ status quo. We get that, as well as the lamentable trend of opinion shows morphing into partisan, pandering, profit-making sounding boards for those who want show-bizzy conflict and political validation–not a meaningful discussion of the issues.
First indication of how CNN, often criticized for its relatively non-partisan approach to the news, will handle the post-Klein era is already manifest. It’s now countering MSNBC’s Chris (“Hardball”) Matthews and Fox’s Bill (“The O’Reilly Factor”) O’Reilly with the 8:00 p.m. pairing newspaper columnist Kathleen Parker and former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Yes, THAT Eliot Spitzer.