Alan Colmes, Fox's token liberal, to step down
Alan Colmes, the straw man liberal set up for arch-conservative partner Sean Hannity to always knock down, will leave Hannity & Colmes after 12 years at the cable channel.
In a press release Monday, Colmes characterized the move as being his decision. He said he approached a senior programming executive earlier this year "about wanting to move on after 12 years to develop new and challenging ways to contribute to the growth of the network."
Colmes, who will leave his post alongside Hannity at the end of the year, will stay at Fox News as a commentator and will work to develop a weekend show. Hannity & Colmes is the second highest rated show on Fox behind The O'Reilly Factor, which precedes it.
My most vivid recollection of Colmes and the role he played as Hannity's foil came during a discussion he had in October with former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove, now an analyst on Fox. It came in the wake of an interview by Hannity with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Colmes dared to disagree with Rove about some matter of Palin's performance, and Rove told Colmes he was embarrassing himself with his foolish opinions.
This is a part-time analyst telling the co-host he's an embarrassment.
And how did Colmes react? Like the good liberal whipping boy that he was. He did not dare contradict the Rove. Great theater -- if you're a conservative. Terrible journalism.
The question is whether this is a singular event or the first of a series of moves as Fox finds itself in a new situation of being far removed from the the people set to take over Congress and the White House in January.
As for Hannity, while no annoucement was made, rest assured that he is going nowhere. He just signed a new contract and is sure to continue in his current timeslot.
(Photo Fox News Channel)
Comments
Yawn. Z..you are so predictable.
Posted by: shannondoodle | November 25, 2008 3:50 AM
That would be interesting if they found an intelligent person with a spine to sit next to Hannity.
Posted by: Corey | November 26, 2008 10:49 AM
I will miss Alan----after being a Republican at the national level for many years---did not vote for Nixon in 1972--otherwise Republican every year since, except in 2008 I voted for Obama with absolute pleasure--he has my unequivocal support-- since Alan is gone, I will no longer watch Hannity without Combs--Hannity without Combs has no balance--Hannity's views are too one sided and to the extreme right--
Posted by: jim | January 29, 2009 6:22 PM
Alan Colmes was fairly spineless, but that was the role Fox had designated for him. Although Fox management may prefer Hannity without Colmes, Hannity will become even more ridiculous if left without some sort of balance. The saddest part of the show is the undeniable popularity of its absurd, bullying, uninformed lightweight
host. Well, that's show business!
Posted by: Charles Hintermeister | July 24, 2009 2:25 PM
Alan was almost invisible. He was overshadowed by Hannity really. I think he could do much better somewhere else.
See you in the morning, I am off to work.
Posted by: Sherry T. | July 24, 2009 9:23 PM