MSNBC's Carlson Discusses Politics

Tucker Carlson, former co-host of CNN’s “Crossfire” and MSNBC’s “Tucker,” discussed political issues, including his evaluation of the Obama administration thus far, as well as his own confrontation with Jon Stewart in 2004.

In an event hosted by the Lecture Fund, Carlson, known for his libertarian political views, began with remarks on the current administration in Intercultural Center Auditorium Wednesday.

“I’m not an Obama hater; I am a disagree-er,” he said. He recalled the first time he met President Obama at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in which Obama gave the keynote address.

“I liked him from the second I met him,” Carlson said. “Those core perceptions of someone who is thoughtful, intelligent and likeable remain to this day.”

However, Carlson expressed disappointment with the current administration in several regards.

“I personally thought ... that he would be a moderate consensus-seeking president. I think the last couple of months have proved that prediction tragically wrong,” he said.

Carlson criticized what he described as unrealistic and excessive federal spending coming from the White House. He also said that the Obama administration is viewing the current crisis as an opportunity “to remake American society.”

Carlson did admit that Obama’s initial political appointments impressed him, particularly that of Hilary Clinton to Secretary of State. He said that appointing someone whom Obama personally disliked spoke to a certain type of maturity on the part of the president.

“[This act] more than anything made Conservatives, Republicans [and] Libertarians ... [feel] better when Hilary Clinton was appointed,” Carlson said.

Moving away from talk of the administration, Carlson discussed where he thought the Republican Party had gone awry. He cited three primary problems, including an extremely unpopular president, confusion as to the party’s core beliefs and a crumbling political coalition.

Carlson said that Republicans regaining power primarily depends on how Obama performs.

“We are not going to become a country governed by Republicans in any way ... until [Obama] blows it,” he said.

Speaking about D.C. in general, Carlson described Capitol Hill as fundamentally opposed to change and defined by an antagonistic political system.

“Political parties are held together by shared hatred,” Carlson said. “That’s what political movements are about.”

Carlson also spoke about his 2004 encounter with Jon Stewart on “Crossfire,” in which Stewart severely criticized the show and made accusations that it was “hurting America.” Subsequently, Carlson left CNN and his show was cancelled. According to The New York Times, Carlson stated that he had made plans to quit his position at “Crossfire” months before hosting Stewart.

Carlson said the encounter “was pompous; it was weird. I didn’t understand then; I don’t understand it now.”

“I have never been partisan — ever,” Carlson said, responding to Stewart’s accusation of Carlson and Paul Begala, the other former “Crossfire” co-host, as being “partisan ... hacks.”

Carlson continued to discuss other issues, including the troubled newspaper industry. He stated that he was going to launch his own news Web site in three weeks as a response to the decline of small-town news outlets, which he said initially produce much of the reporting that big-name media giants like The New York Times end up covering.