Gibbs: I Thoroughly Enjoyed Watching Stewart Skewer Cramer (VIDEO)

Robert Gibbs, who has thrown his share of punches at the CNBC brass, said he took thorough enjoyment in watching Jon Stewart's skewering of CNBC's Jim Cramer during Thursday night's much discussed "Daily Show" interview.

At Friday's White House briefing, Gibbs was asked to respond to the "serious journalism" displayed by Stewart, who ripped apart Cramer for enabling market manipulation through both participation (in his hedge fund work) and analysis (at CNBC).

"The president and I talked yesterday about watching it," Gibbs replied. "I don't know if he has seen it. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Even as Mr. Stewart said that it may have been uncomfortable to conduct and uncomfortable to watch. I thought [he] asked a lot of tough questions and I'm not surprised that the video of Mr. Cramer's appearance doesn't appear on CNBC's website today."

Watch:

Gibbs, of course, has sparred with Cramer and other CNBC voices, notably Rick Santelli, over their dour takes on the president's economic package. So his response to last night's exchange, while humorous, was hardly shocking.

Somewhat more surprising was the fact that the reporter who asked Gibbs about the Cramer interview referred to Stewart's work as "serious journalism." That it was good reporting by the "Daily Show" host is indisputable. That professional journalists are in awe of a comedian is telling.

UPDATE: TVNewser reports, via an anonymous tipster, what Gibb's alluded to: "MSNBC producers were asked not to incorporate the Jim Cramer/Jon Stewart interview into their shows today."

Comments

[sarahmp]

calling it "serious journalism" was simply to qualify the contrast Jon Stewart displayed with Cramer compared to his usual comedic style. It was "comparatively serious". Period.

why must you read into it so deeply? Tucker Carlson doesn't need anyone feeding him lines.

[kenp48]

The media could have done a better job and screamed louder about this economic mess coming at us.That said, the WSJ and CNBC did have articles and did report of it's happening.­Heck, I saw this a couple years ago, a house in Birmingham­,Mi.,40-50­years old,2,500' was then going for 750K. That had to end, how could those inflated prices continue? Jim Cramer didn't cause this mess.It goes back to the Carter Administration and the Community Reinvestment Act. It was furthered by every Administration since.Our Politicians have the biggest footprint in this mess and most are still in Congress.F­annie and Freddie were leveraged 35 to 1, the Congress who oversees them just got out of the way and let lenders greed take over.Our Government did this to us and will now end up having to tax us, our children, and grandchildren to pay for their incompetence.

[Inthon]

CNBC has major issues with intellectual honesty.

Thankfully, Stewart was there to point them out.

http://inthon.com/intellectual-honesty/cnbc-and-intellectual-honesty

[dontvote4him]

The gerbel unleashed

[F150]

Jon Stewart (Liebowitz) should be at Pravda. Attacking his boss's "enemies" for the good of the State.

[JonW]

Most of the CNBC commentators are Wall Street prostitutes and pimps. Incredible that the Daily Show
showed them what they are.and not the Main Stream media. Dan Rather would have exposed these phonies.

[FrankenPC]

If you are craving some real reporting, watch Dan Rather Reports. That is some seriously in depth stuff.

[thetruthseeker2]

Dan was skewered by the Bush Admin. Now we have Cramer skewered by Gibbs. Next we have Obama on Leno. What is going on. The left learned from the right. Scary!

[Read Books]

FrankenPC, read _Bias_ by Bernie Goldberg for a much different take on Dan Rather and his reporting. The book is about media bias.

Cramer had it coming from Jon Stewart. However, Gibbs shouldn't lower the office of the President by picking on private citizens. What's next, Gibbs commenting on Bristol Palin?

[FrankenPC]

I'll check it out. Thx!

[dontvote4him]

Dan Rather real reporting? Turn of the crack burner please.

[yhgtup]

I'm glad Gibbs is not some stiff, arms-length, speaker for Pres Obama. I was surprised when he jumped on Santelli, but that's what he needs to do. Let these clowns know that "he ain't no punk" & will dish it right back at them! You can't fight with kit gloves on with Rethugs. By the way, where IS Santelli? I guess Gibbs shut this loudmouth up.

[apduncan1]

Where is Rick Santelli???

[UpstateNY]

The Stewart/Cramer interview was awesome! Stewart really asked the hard questions - it was uncomfortable and he was doing what we expect real journalists to do. And too often they don't. Journalists have become too close to the people they cover.

I also have to give a kudo to Jim Cramer - it can't have been easy sitting in that chair - but he did and he took the questions and promised to change. Let's see if he does. First up would be to change that slogan "In Cramer we trust" - we're watching.

[mmsaretasty]

Jon Stewart embodies what every reporter, pundit, and analyst wishes they could be themselves.

And the irony is that he makes a living satirizing the media for wanting to be more like him.

It’s not their job to be like him, it’s their job to report the #(%*@& news and to hold those in power accountable through journalistic investigation!

I love Jon Stewart because he knows how to exploit and expose the narcissistic self-righteousness that so many reporters nauseatingly exude.

In return, we as viewers are treated to scenes like the interview with Cramer and (I'd say even more memorably!) the one with Tucker.

Tucker stopped wearing his bowtie because Jon Stewart made fun of it! How pathetic can you possibly get?

Keep on keepin’ on Jon. Those you spite may be cowed into actually doing what their profession demands.

[ozamerican]

I never saw Cramer look so humbled...­.

I wish a lot more of those CNBC idiots would get called on the carpet.

[Joy Chastain]

I loved seeing Stewart dress down the idiotic Cramer; he did it so very well it was just great!

[berrycooda]

Stewart sounded so bitter, I wonder if he followed some of Cramer's advice
and lost a pile of his own money....

All of a sudden he doesn't want to be a comedian anymore.

Maybe he is worried he will lose his job as a comedian and is trying to
take over Cramer's job or a news program...

wah...wah.­..wah...

[Bruupo]

You've been crying for months now.

But I'll still enjoy it.

[zer0ne]

Whatever you're smoking must be illegal. Stewart wasn't bitter, he just asked the questions the real media should have been asking. But if you want to cry like a baby and embarrass yourself in public by posting nonsense, than by all means please do.

[ozamerican]

Stewart did say that his mother lost money... that's enough to make a person bitter.

[-swift]

He's not bitter. He's angry. There's a subtle difference. Being bitter is just about resenting things. Anger is about injustice. He said in the interview when he watched the clips of Cramer, "I can't tell you how angry that makes me."

I'm really angry, too, and I haven't lost my 401k. If I had a show - any kind of show - I'd be doing the same thing. He's not thinking about his show, his ratings, his advertisers, or any of the other things famous people usually worry about. He's thinking about what's right and wrong, and *putting aside* all that other baloney to do what's right. If the "real" media was more concerned with doing their job instead of going for the glam and nasty sound bites, we'd all be better off, and Jon could be free to make us laugh. I hope to live long enough to see the day. Until then, I hope Jon is relentless.

[Moderatenation]

It was uncomfortable, but Stewart was not going after Cramer, or CNBC, as much as he was going after the MSM/Free Press. CNBC had been promoting the views of Wall Street without doing any in-depth investigation of that information. They accepted the information and passed it on as fact. The Free Press has become a promoter of the institutions, and policies that they cover. They are rarely critical. People were coming forward with the real story on Madoff for over a decade but the Free Press did not investigate this. When the Bush Administration decided to invade Iraq, why didn't the Free Press do their job and question the fabricated intelligence? Questioning power must be the role of the Free Press. They have to be the critical eye that asks the hard, uncomfortable questions. They must demand answers and accountability. The worst thing about the Stewart/Cramer interview is that it had to be done by a comic on Comedy Central. The MSM/Free Press are not doing their job. This is not the Free Press that "Spoke to Power" of past generations. The Free Press and CNBC in particular should be ashamed of their roles in the economic crisis facing our nation. The job of the Free Press IS NOT to entertain. THE JOB OF THE FREE PRESS IS TO INVESTIGATE, INFORM and be the WATCHDOG OF DEMOCRACY. If the Free Press doesn"t do its job someone else needs to. Bravo Jon Stewart!

[Openyermind]

I agree. It was somewhat uncomfortable to watch. It amazes me that we get better interviews out of a comedy news program than we do from normal journalism. Jon Stewart did an amazing job. Most of the MSM/Free press have disappear in favor of entertainment only. I love the irony of a comedy news program doing a better job than a 'traditional' news agency.

[lynettema]

If you recall, it wasn't until The View skewered McCain that the MSM started expecting more from him than his POW story.

[morrisab]

You're absolutely right. The WSJ still hasn't explained why they passed on the Madoff story. I mean, we know why, but now every time I see their paper (my husband brings it home) with their claims to "knowledge" about the economy/Wall Street, I just snicker quietly and wonder how many other Madoff stories they've quashed over the years.

[feliznavidad]

Exactly! And the CNBC/GOP mantra that the "selfishness" and "stupidity" of poor people caused this mess is exactly parallel to the claim that the Jews caused the inflation of the 1930s in Germany. Those that don't know history are doomed to repeat it -- the GOP and CNBC have revealed themselves -- beware.

Thank you Jon Stewart -- you and Colbert may be the only actual journalists remaining on TV. Journalists do independent research and ask hard questiions. Repeating the republicrab talking points over and over again doesn't count.