Politics: Unfiltered
Tucker Carlson
Journalist and Conservative Commentator
Wednesday, June 16, 2004; 11:00 a.m. ET
On Friday, June 18 at 8:30 p.m. PBS will debut "Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered," a new weekly half-hour talk show hosted by the conservative pundit and journalist. Carlson, who regularly co-hosts CNN's Crossfire, will also act as managing editor of the new program which he hopes will be less partisan in tone.
Carlson was online to discuss his new show, politics and the 2004 Election Wednesday, June 16 at 11 a.m ET.
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
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Washington, D.C.: Tucker, many conservatives, including this one, see you as a weak-link in the conservative movement -- someone more interested in being liked in Washington than someone willing to take on the Republican establishment. You're thoughts, please?
Tucker Carlson: You're right, in that I don't consider myself part of any movement. (I'm instinctively distrustful of movements.) I represent only my own views. As for the Republican establishment, I couldn't be less interested. Neither party seems to take its own ideas very seriously. I'm still conservative, though, which is one of the reasons I often have trouble defending Bush.
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Virginia: The public is constantly reminded by right-wing talk show hosts that the main stream media is liberal. They particularly mention public radio and public television as being liberal media. But here you are, a conservative pundit, going to a PBS station. Will you be willing to tell conservatives that the main stream media and public broadcasting is really balanced and not biased toward liberal thought?
Tucker Carlson: I'm hesitant to make broad pronoucements about The Media (whatever that is) one way or the other. I will say that having been around reporters all my life, from childhood till now, I have met very, very few (not even a dozen out of hundreds) who have socially conservative views. There's no question that the press is more liberal than the public on issues like abortion, homosexuality and religion.
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Columbus, Ohio: Why don't you use a more original name for your show? Air America just launched a program titled Unfiltered?
Tucker Carlson: I had no idea Air America still existed. Thanks for telling me.
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Arlington, Va.: My girlfriend adores you. I try to get around this by suggesting to her that you may well be an awful person when not on TV. Help me out here; can you offer any examples of unpleasant personal habits?
Tucker Carlson: I would have thought the bow tie would be enough to extinguish any interest, but since you asked, I'm unpleasant before before noon, and have a terrible Nicorette habit.
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Alexandria, Va.: Tucker, it's clear that your show is directed toward middle America. I mean, do you think that people on the East Coast (especially D.C.) and West Coast will watch something that's not partisan or at least left vs. right? Cheers.
Tucker Carlson: I hope so. If my neighbors don't watch, I'll feel like I've failed.
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Woodbridge, Va.: Did you go to see the opening of Fahrenheit 9/11? If not, do you plan on seeing it? I read a Fox News review that said that it was a must see for both Democrats and Republicans. What is your opinion.
Tucker Carlson: I do plan to see it, mostly because we'll debate it on Crossfire. I think Michael Moore is loathesome, though, not because he dislikes Bush, but because he seems to dislike America. In February, the New Yorker quoted him telling Brisih college students: "You're stuck with being connected to this country of mine, which is known for bringing sadness and misery to places around the globe."
I think that's a disgusting and false thing to say.
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Bethesda, Md.: Assuming you voted for George Bush in 2000, are you embarrassed to admit it now, with all the scandals and failures associated with the administration?
Tucker Carlson: I did vote for Bush. I'm not embarrassed about it. (Do you honestly think Gore would have been a better president?)
I am embarrassed that I supported the war in Iraq.
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Hartford, Conn.: Great point about neither party taking its own ideas seriously.
Are there any politicians in D.C. that you respect for their commitment and belief in an ideology (be it conservative or liberal)?
Tucker Carlson: I think John Kyl believes what he says. I think Jesse Helms did, as did Paul Wellstone. I like the guys who really mean it.
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Harrisburg, Pa.: Your show's website mentions you will have a panel, yet it doesn't list any names. Who will be on this panel?
Tucker Carlson: Major secret.
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Hartford, Conn.: Tucker,
One thing I admire about you is your willingness to admit you've changed your mind, as well as your belief in a set of principles instead of blind allegiance to partisan politics. How can you stand to work in a capital that no longer seems to entertain any genuine exchange of ideas and instead is dedicated to pointless partisan strife?
Tucker Carlson: Because it's a great place to live. I've lived a lot of places on both coasts (including Hartford)and have never been anywhere more pleasant. Washington is filled with smart, interesting, decent peoeple. The restaurants are good. Spring is lovely. No one honks in traffic. And a lot happens here: Washington can declare war; Hartford can't.
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Bethesda, Md.: Tucker:
As for this election, yesterday on NPR's "Morning Edition" Bush's reelection campaign manager admitted, reluctantly and after repeated direct questioning, that no less than "half the country" was anithetical to them. Doesn't the 50/50 split--so extreme in this country today as to practically disenfranchise voters in those "Red" and "Blue" states whose outcomes are foregone conclusions, forcing the election outcome to hinge on the choices of residents in "battleground" states with paradoxically even greater levels of voter parity--pose a particular problem for philosophical conservatives like yourself? Aren't your values (traditional family, personal security, small government) supposed to be the ones so fundamental to voters as to preclude the sort of large-scale divisiveness extant today? Doesn't that speak to a clear failure in the policies of the Republican standard-bearers for conservatism to fashion effective and appealing governance for all Americans? If this is where conservatism gets us (ballooning national debt; misguided foreign policy; tax-breaks for the rich; loss of high-income jobs across broad sections of the country) why should any average American vote to venture further down such a path?
Thanks, and good luck with that new show.
Tucker Carlson: If your point is that the GOP majority hasn't governed very effectively, of course I agree. I also agree with your implication that the average person isn't very conservative on economic issues: No matter what they say in public, most people want more stuff from government. The problem is, the bigger government gets, the less free you become. The is obvious, but I wish Republicans in Congress would point it out more often.
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Albany, N.Y.: I recall reading not long ago that, as a joke, you gave out the number of the Fox news channel's Washington bureau, claiming that it was your own, and that in retaliation the Fox people posted your real home phone number. I also read that as a result of the Fox posting, your wife and children got threatening and obscene phone calls. Is this true? If so, doesn't it bother you that the people who did this have the same views and values that you have? If so, how can you possibly align yourself with such people?
Tucker Carlson: There are haters and morons on both sides, as you know. (In the case of Fox viewers, my impression was that most of them were drunk. No surprise there.)I must say, though, that most of the hate I run across these days seems to be coming from the left. Check out MoveOn.org some time if you don't believe me.
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Long Beach, Calif.: Greetings from California
At this point in time, do you think that Henry Waxman has been ahead of the curve in his cold assessment that the Bush administration is deceitful? I find his research into government malfeasance to be top-notch, in spite of its partisan perspective. I wish more people in both parties would work as hard as his office does.
Your Opinion?
Tucker Carlson: Waxman's smart, but he is such a self-aggrandizing zealot it's hard to take him too seriously. And I've never understood his obsession with preventing other people from smoking cigarettes. Why should he care? Why doesn't he mind his own business? I don't get it.
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Tysons Corner, Va.: What's your view of The Weekly Standard these days? You once worked there.
Tucker Carlson: I saw the Standard staff last night at a book party in Washington. Still the smartest group of peoeple I've ever met, and the best to have a drink with. I disagree with the magazine's position on Iraq, but if I didn't have this job I'd still love to work there again. Excellent place.
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Woodbridge, Va.: Well people always like to kill the messenger. Whether you like Moore as a person or not does not negate the reality of his work. As I see it, this administration and its minions attack anyone that tries to bring the truth out, but can not actually refute the allegations themselves.
Tucker Carlson: Who's attacking the messenger? (And what's a "minion"? I've always wondered.) I'll assess the movie when I see it. For now, I'm repelled by the hostility Moore obviously has for the United States. There are lefties I respect. I don't respect him.
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Falls Chuch, Va.: Kerry needs to be called on his current "economic misery" tour, which flies in the face of the facts and further reinforces doubts about his credibility already established by the Bush campaign. Is Bush showing any signs of rebound in the polls due to recent job growth reports and the UN agreement on Iraq that he won? Also, I think in terms of the personality factor, Kerry will look bad compared to Clinton (with all the publicity the latter's book will soon be receiving).
Tucker Carlson: I find the economic misery tour amusing as hell. I hope Kerry keeps it up.
In general, though, I think the trope that people vote their pocketbooks is tired and probably no longer true. Voters never gave Clinton full credit for the boom of the 1990s. They didn't hold Bush and the GOP responsible for the recession during the 2002 midterms. This election will decided on national security.
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Your Trip to Africa: Anyone who still thinks conservatives don't have a sense of humor should read your magazine story (was that Esquire?) about going to Africa with Al Sharpton. One of the funniest things I've ever read!
Tucker Carlson: It was Esquire. And thanks, though I can't really take credit for the piece. When you travel with Sharpton, Cornel West, members of the Nation of Islam, and the founder of the Church of St. John Coltrane, the story really does write itself. I just dumped my notebooks onto the computer and filed.
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New York, N.Y.: Hi Tucker,
Congrats on the new show. My question is this: what do you make of Bush's trip to the Vatican? Is there any doubt that he went there for the sole purpose of convincing the Pope to "influence" the bishops here. (I am an Independent) and let me tell you, it turned me off. It was a low, cheap, and dirty move. As a Conservative, what is your thought on this -- the tactic as well as what your thoughts are on whether it will make a difference to a large number of voters? Thanks.
Tucker Carlson: As an Episcopalian, I make it a rule never to comment on anything related to the Catholic Church. Not my denomination; over my head. But in general, I hate to see the President of the United States, no matter who he is, lectured by any foreign leader, including the Pope.
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Alexandria, Va.: Tucker,
I loved your comment about Karen Hughes' pathological lying bordering on "mental illness."
Has she, or the Bush campaign ever responded or retaliated?
Tucker Carlson: Funny you mention it. Karen and I were just talking about it over dinner last night.
Just kidding.
Actually, I never had much contact with Karen Hughes or really anyone else from the White House after 2000.
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Boise, Idaho: You have said a few times you regret your support of the war in Iraq. Since this has become such a black eye on the United States internationally and has greatly increased our risk of attack, do you still support President Bush? If so, why? Thank you.
Tucker Carlson: Hard question. Obviously I'd support Bush over Kerry. (I would never vote for someone who has supported legalized late term abortion, as Kerry has.) But that's different from supporting Bush in the abstract. I think the war was a mistake. On the other hand, I do think Bush recognizes evil when he sees it, and that's important. I'm thinking while I'm typing and running out of space. I'll have to get back to you.
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Canby, Minn.: Dear Tucker,
Those of us totally disillusioned with CNN and other media outlets regarding the TRUTH are now listening to Unfiltered Air-America radio --that show you think is off the air. Considering your journalist duty to report truth wherever it is found, does it bother you when the public, myself being a past CNN junkie, turns to alternative media to find the truth in news? Doesn't it ring bells and whistles that maybe the American Public is screaming for the media to expose corruption and protect us? Instead of CNN I now get my news from the UK’s Independent, Guardian, and Telegraph. Isn’t’ THAT a sad statement on the state of our media?
Tucker Carlson: If you honestly think you're getting a more accurate version of the truth from talk radio and the British press, I'm not sure there's anything I can tell you to change your mind. But for what it's worth, you're completely wrong.
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Anonymous: "Crossfire" is a terrific show. What does its future look like? Are you committed to remaining on the show? Is CNN hinting how long they plan to keep it, rather than slicing it in half to half hour and moving its time?
Tucker Carlson: Do you know something I don't? If so, please call me at work this afternoon.
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Kansas City, Miss.: Do you find it troublesome that some would try and connect you with other conservative commentators such as O'Reilly, Hannity, and Limbaugh? (All of whom seem to have trouble with the truth.)
Tucker Carlson: All three of those guys are more talented broadcasters than I am, so the comparison (which I've never heard) would be flattering.
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Greenbelt, Md.: Kerry-Gephardt. Oh man, this is gonna be bad -- Boring and Boringer. Yet another reason to wonder why the Dems even bother anymore.
Is Kerry's ego really so fragile that he has to choose somebody that won't overshadow him? I mean, there are MAYBE six people in the whole world boring enough to make Kerry look like a star, and since Rosie O'Donnel isn't yet a candidate he's got a very short list to pick from. (Lieberman is out too, so that leaves Al Gore, Amy Carter, and one of my neighbors who gardens 16 hours a day).
Tell me something to make me feel better about Kerry-Gephardt vs Bush-Giuliani? please?
Tucker Carlson: It's not going to be Gephardt. My theory is that just about every prominent Democratic consultant has worked for and still likes Gephardt, so they're keeping his name out there to make him feel good. But I would be shocked if Kerry picked him.
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Boulder, Colo.: Tucker,
I enjoy your skewed sensibilities.
Is your new program rolling out nationally? Do you plan to continue with CNN?
Who is your favorite political bowtie, Paul Simon or that late famous New York Senator?
Tucker Carlson: The new PBS show airs for the first time this Friday (at 8:30 in Washington), and every week after. Yes, I am staying at CNN.
As for my favorite political bow tie wearer, the obvious answer is Churchill, so I'll go with him.
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Davis, Calif.: Politics is becoming increasingly polar and hostile, can you offer an opinion on the political pundits and voters at large that vote party, and find no fault in their part or policy? Is there any hope for the parties working together for a common goal, or politics going to remain an Us vs. Them stagnate rivalry?
Tucker Carlson: It seems to me the whole point of adulthood is, you don't have to raise your hand to go to the bathroom, and you get to say what you really think. Some peoeple can't handle that freedom, so they sign up with some movement or party and read someone else's scripted talking points. It's hard to imagine, but some people prefer that. I find it boring.
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Seattle, Wash.: You just proclaimed that talk radio isn't a good source for news. Yet you don't mind being associated with Limbaugh, O'Reilly, and Hannity (all of whom are on talk radio). Does that mean that we shouldn't trust you as a good source for news as well?
Tucker Carlson: No, I think you should trust me. My wife does.
And more to the point, I think you should watch my new show on PBS, launching this week: Tucker Carlson Unfiltered.
Your money back if it doesn't wake you up.
With that, I'm going to work. Thanks a lot for having me.
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