the kicker

Cable Consensus: Starry Night

Republicans like to say the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin — and, specifically, her rousing speech last night — are “unifying” the party. And “unifying” also,...
September 4, 2008

Republicans like to say the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin — and, specifically, her rousing speech last night — are “unifying” the party. And “unifying” also, it seems, those typically Cross-firing cable news commentators. Indeed, in the minutes and hours after the Palin speech there appeared in the oft-cloudy cable news firmament, a consensus:

Wolf Blitzer, CNN, 11:20pm:

What an amazing speech from the Republican vice presidential candidate. Whatever you think about the substance, whether you think she’s right or whether you think she’s wrong, clearly a star has been born here in the United States…

Anderson Cooper, CNN, 11:25pm:

As you said, certainly a star is born for the Republican party. Whether you agree with her or disagree with her, no one has any doubt, especially after listening to that speech, that she was a force to be reckoned with…

Pat Buchanan, MSNBC, 11:33pm:

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You used the term earlier, a star is born. Look, this is a rookie who came in and threw a shutout in the first game of the world series…

David Gregory, MSNBC 12:00am:

Senator [John] Thune, was a star born here tonight with Sarah Palin?

THUNE: I think a star was born

Joe Scarborough, MSNBC, 8:38am:

One of those a star-is-born speeches…

Chris Wallace, Fox News, 11:20pm:

I don’t think it’s overstating it to say being right here on the floor that a star was born tonight. A new star in the political galaxy. Karl [Rove], I’m reminded of that seen from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid where Paul Newman and Robert Redford look at the posse and say, “Who are those guys?” Who is that woman?

Brit Hume, Fox News, 11:27pm:

As Chris Wallace was saying earlier, you saw it happen tonight, you could see it coming from Frriday. A star has been born in the Republican party tonight and perhaps in the broader political realm indeed…

Dick Morris, Fox News, 6:53am:

I think an absolute star was born last night…

So. A communal cable news star-sighting. Perhaps star-is-born is the new thrill-up-my-leg of election ’08. (But: a birthing reference. Really?)

UPDATE: Oh, yeah.

Liz Cox Barrett is a writer at CJR.