Can the Sunday morning political shows get any better? How could they get worse?
The beginning of the problem isn’t even identified by Paul Waldman. The beginning of the problem is that the programs are basically an extension of Sally Quinn’s living room. For the most part, the regular and recurring commentators have been making the rounds of these shows for more than 20 years now. But they are all friends with each other and with the hosts and with whomever stocks the hors d’oeuvres trays in the green rooms. No one outside the Beltway gives a great goddamn what George Will or James Carville thinks about anything.
Add to that problem the fact that they just keep recycling the same politicians and party hacks through a nauseating and enervating loop. We get it, John McCain and Lindsey Graham want to bomb something. Can’t we move on?
It should be possible to do something more akin to what MSNBC is doing on weekend mornings, but without a partisan slant. But that would involve the close-knit community that peoples the Sunday shows giving up their face-time in deference to someone who actually knows what the hell they are talking about.
I will say one thing for certain, though. I understand that the name of the game is ratings. George Will ain’t getting you ratings.
