The Pundit Candidate: How Cable News Networks Are 'Being Taken Advantage Of' By Future Candidates

The New York Times' Brian Stelter Monday examines the rise of the pundit-candidate -- political analysts, hired by cable news networks, who are considering runs for office in the future.

The phenomenon can most recently be illustrated by MSNBC analyst Harold Ford, who recently took leave from the network while he considers a run for the Senate from New York.

But, as Stelter notes, "Fox News has a veritable bullpen of potential conservative candidates" on its payroll � namely Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and Mike Huckabee, all of whom are potential candidates for the Republican nomination for president in 2012. Newsweek's Howard Fineman recently took that fact to suggest that the network's chairman, Roger Ailes, is the true head of the Republican Party.

"It does seem amazing how many are being either discussed as candidates, rumored as candidates, or are actually doing it," MSNBC president Phil Griffin said. Griffin said that his rule is: "If you're seriously examining a run for office, you can't host a show or be a general analyst."

Stelter wrote that the result is "an endless televised political campaign."

CNN has no potential candidates in its host and analyst pool, according to the article, and its Washington bureau chief suggests that's no mistake.

"It's a little awkward," David Bohrman said, adding that the networks "probably ought to realize that they're being taken advantage of a little bit" with the analysts they employ "posturing for election advantage."

Fox News recently ended its contract with Angela McGlowan, who is running for congress from Mississippi.

It is a conflict of interest for networks to house future political candidates under the veil of news analyst? One journalism ethicist thinks so.

"As long as they are still newsmakers, there is a strong potential for conflict," Andy Schotz, the ethics committee chairman at the Society of Professional Journalists, told Stelter.

An unnamed rival network executive added, "Some like to joke that every time Fox puts them on TV, they are making a de facto in-kind contribution to their future campaigns."

Read Stelter's full article here.

Comments

[SansArc]

05:56 PM on 02/17/2010

Their being taken advantage of? We are talking about 24 hour corporate owned "news" channels right?

[Bude]

11:52 AM on 02/17/2010

The rise of the pundit-candidate?

How about the fall of journalistic ethics.

[zest]

10:54 AM on 02/17/2010

Dick Cheney was a pundit canidate all during the Clinton years; best he could do was to appoint himself vice predident to an uninformed dillatant president. Punditry doesn't guarantee success.

[bujudude]

10:19 AM on 02/17/2010

Remeber the mini-flap a few weeks ago when Ed Schultz briefly considered a run for the senate? Faux Noise went apoplyptic over the prospect, including grousing about the same conflict of interest they now ignore when it comes to Palin, Huckabee and Gingrich. No one in their right mind expects Faux to recognize their own hypocrisy so why would they begin now?

Even though their dwindling base cannot and will not see this, a growing portion of the public has begun to tire of their lies, attacks, and double standards. Anyone who appears on Faux is expected to mindlessly parrot the party line at all times and although it plays well with their base, it won't reap the dividends they expect in the primaries, let alone the general election.

[MaryanneAZ]

03:59 PM on 02/17/2010

We saw the same dustup here in Arizona with McCain and Hayseed. Hayseed was using his radio show as a campaign platform. He dissed McCain for a solid year and then raised money to pay off old debts and assess his chances to run for the Senate. McCain filed a complaint, and Hayseed left the radio show. The candidates all know that they cannot use their jobs with the media to promote their candidacy. It is unethical. It is illegal.

[Tags]

09:49 AM on 02/17/2010

Now you know why Sarah left the low profile, low profit Alaska governor's office;

to become the mayor of Shillsville.

[totaldisbelief]

09:10 AM on 02/17/2010

A People get the Government they deserve.

[BeauRadley]

08:08 AM on 02/17/2010

Pundit requires by definition that the person so named be intelligent: That leaves out Palin--as for Newt, his recent factual gaffes suggests that his brain is on hold--where it's hard to tell.

[hischagal]

07:24 AM on 02/17/2010

This is clearly a conflict of interest. This is unacceptable and needs to stop immediately. Of course, the propaganda arm of the republican party, FOX non-news, will continue with this insanity.

[funkyirishdem]

03:25 AM on 02/17/2010

What if ?
Republicans were weaved into famous movie quotes :

''Please Sir can I have some more ? ''
repub answer, '' No , get a job and make it yourself ''

'' I could have been a contender , I could have been somebody''
repub answer '' Well it is your parents' fault for being on welcfare''

'' We aren't in Kansas anymore''
repub answer '' and if you aren't from here also ..get out!''

*' I think this is the start of a beautiful frienship *
Ro ger Ail es to Cari bou ba rbie ....''welcome''

'' It's Alive!''
repub answer , '' Glad you got out of the hospital R ush--welcome back''

''Frankly my dear I don't give a D A M''
repub answer , '' Frankly Americans we don't give a D A M''

''Are you talking to me ? '
Repub answer (Gle n b eck with fingers in his ears ) '' La la la lala la la ''

''We are going to need a bigger boat ''
repub answer, '' Here is a life preserver for you Mitch and John and S arah and ...oh there only seems to be enough for us ...Can you swim B arack ? ''




enjoy ;)”

[GerryS]

10:35 PM on 02/16/2010

wow, those photos, side by side-

yuck.

[conservativelady]

10:23 PM on 02/16/2010

I think in the case of Palin is wrong because she has a reputation for not knowing what she should know, so I think it is unfair for her to get this opportunity to pull a fast one as being someone who is in the know. Don't contributors know the questions ahead of time? Therefore it gives Palin the unfair advantage of appearing to answering questions spontaneously when it fact she isn't. So I think it is wrong, because Palin is clearly posturing to run for President, and her weakness is that she often appears lacking in basic skills, like knowing about what she should.

[dzent1]

08:06 PM on 02/16/2010

Oh yeah, we take these people as seriously as we take Orly Taitz.

I wouldn't give a talking head or Republican icon the attention I give a mosquito...although I wouldn't mind swatting them the same way...

[Whitley2009]

05:19 PM on 02/16/2010

Between Sarah's phony wig, and Newt's tenor voice, they're a cute couple. I am sure they can become the Teabagger Party's candidates whereby they can run on a bull manure platform.

[Bulbul]

04:33 PM on 02/16/2010

Major candidates ? Surely you jest !
Both are nothing but a little tempest in a teapot....

[Whitley2009]

05:16 PM on 02/16/2010

Teabagger's little tea pots.

[grandpaMark]

02:47 PM on 02/16/2010

T-tards, Palinoids and republicans must be encouraged to speak, and speak constantly. These people's perpetually moving mouths will sink any chance they have of electoral viability. Give me video archives of Gingrich and I can demonstrate enough, racism, homophobia, vitriol, and hatred to sink any chance he would ever have in an election. With Palin, it's too easy to assemble a reel of the most inane, vapid and hate-filled statements she's ever made. As pundits on Fox, they will make more and more ridiculous claims. Their egos will sink them, as their gums and jaws keep flapping away.