Political Talking Heads: New Matinee Idols of Cable TV

Pat Buchanan’s strong showing in the New Hampshire Republican primary this week certainly gave some added glitz to the world of cable TV.

Especially to those contentious, boisterous political talk shows such as his old stomping ground, “Crossfire,” as well as “The Capital Gang” and “Evans & Novak,” where the unlikeliest new stars of TV have emerged.

Buchanan was one of them.

The practitioners of this often rambunctious and engaging art of argument--among them Michael Kinsley, Rowland Evans, Robert Novak, Mark Shields and, of course, John McLaughlin, who has carved out his own TV arena--do not pose a ratings threat to “Roseanne.”

Journalists, pundits and political pop-offs by trade, they are, however, a new breed of matinee idol, particularly suited to an election year and a television medium that is more open than ever to blunt talk.

And with ABC, CBS and NBC relinquishing election coverage more and more to such channels as CNN and C-SPAN, the no-holds-barred cross-fire of these cable series of political gab is surely one of the most appealing attractions of TV as the presidential campaign unfolds.

This is a talk-show arena where you don’t need such glamour-pusses as Oprah and Donahue. Much of the chatter is straight off the Washington Beltway, and, for aficionados of these heated but cordial shows, the effect is as bracing as a shot of Jack Daniel’s, straight up.

Buchanan took a leave of absence from “Crossfire” recently when he decided to challenge President Bush. On March 2, Buchanan will be replaced on “Crossfire” by Bush’s former chief of staff, John Sununu, who will be the conservative co-host, joining Kinsley, a liberal.

It’s no secret that Buchanan has “an open invitation to return” and that Sununu “is aware” that his tenure on “Crossfire” may be brief, a CNN spokesman said late this week.

Of course, if Buchanan should get elected President, that might complicate an awful lot of things and Sununu conceivably might have a steady job.

“Crossfire,” “The Capital Gang” and “Evans & Novak” are on CNN. McLaughlin, the long-running high priest of rowdy political television banter, is all over the place, a gruff master of his format, goading his panelists with a trace of a smile that Barnum would understand.

His much-imitated show, “The McLaughlin Group,” is on PBS and other stations, including KNBC Channel 4, where it is seen at 9 a.m. Sundays. He’s also on cable’s CNBC, which airs his “McLaughlin” show at 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

And starting Monday, McLaughlin, a former Jesuit priest, debuts as a regular on CNBC’s daily 5-7 p.m. series “The Real Story,” with his own segment.

A lively lot of folks, these pundits--seemingly a political repertory troupe who travel this unique TV circuit, sometimes appearing on several series.

It is also, by and large, a heavily male troupe, although it also includes such journalists as Eleanor Clift and Mona Charen. Other well-known names who have emerged as TV personalities on this free-for-all circuit include Fred Barnes, Jack Germond, Clarence Page and Morton Kondracke.

OK, so it’s not Ted Danson and Candice Bergen.

But with cable definitely the new center of political coverage--CNN and C-SPAN will carry the political conventions gavel-to-gavel this year, while the Big Three will not--”Crossfire” and its companion shows are perfect accompaniment.

And the aggressiveness of cable as part of the political mix increases steadily.

Consider, for instance, the new CNN series “Both Sides With Jesse Jackson,” which airs at 6 p.m. today as part of the channel’s lively political debate each Saturday. “Evans & Novak” is broadcast at 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. And “The Capital Gang” is presented at 4 and 8:30 p.m.

With all these egos and opinions afloat, it is no surprise that Buchanan--who invites controversy like a lightning rod--has been skewered as well as praised by his former pundit colleagues on the TV circuit.

But no matter what their views, his political splash has unquestionably benefited all of the cable talk shows and experts that he has--at least temporarily--left behind by making them seem just a bit more important, and bringing a brighter spotlight to them.

“Crossfire,” which airs daily at 4:30 p.m. and midnight, figures in particular to attract special attention when the high-profile Sununu, the butt of endless gags in the Bush Administration, takes over as co-host.

And should Buchanan return to his old job on “Crossfire,” the show itself will have a much higher profile.

C-SPAN, meanwhile, is showing its own election-year aggressiveness. On Sunday at 5 and 8 p.m., for instance, Richard Nixon will be interviewed in the first half of a two-hour interview on the “Booknotes” series by the channel’s founder, Brian Lamb. The second half is set for March 1 at the same times.

By election day in November, cable figures to be entrenched once and for all as the nation’s most complete TV resource for political coverage. Despite the addition of overnight news shows by the Big Three, their staffs have been cut mercilessly.

While the traditional networks will be on hand for regular reports from the Democratic and Republican conventions, their approach was probably best summed up by CBS’ Dan Rather:

“If, for example, there turns out to be a hell of a floor fight over abortion, whether abortion’s going to be in the platform or if there’s some doubt about who the presidential nominee or vice presidential nominee is going to be--and that breaks into a real convention battle--then we will expand our coverage.”

Otherwise, CNN and C-SPAN will be the places to be as New Age TV takes hold.

And we’ll also know pretty definitely by then, if not before, whether Buchanan is headed back to “Crossfire.” If he is, Jesse Jackson will know just how he feels.