Stephen Colbert had Ted Cruz on last night and the result was a perfect example of why I don't like politicians on talk shows that are focused on entertainment and short segments. Colbert strikes me as better informed than almost anyone who's had that kind of gig and, yes, he did ask a few questions of substance. But anyone who's seeking public office should be asked more than a few questions of substance…and by a questioner whose goal isn't to have the segment end with everyone happy and the guest willing to come back.
These things always seem to me like an unhealthy bargain. The Colbert show undoubtedly got some tune-in last night because of Cruz. Those who love Cruz watched to support him and to hope that he'd slap that Liberal star around. Those who loathe Cruz watched to hope Colbert would nail Cruz with the question that would end the guy's candidacy. Given the limitations of time and format, neither of those things were likely to happen.
What mainly happened is that Cruz got to show the world his human side and to seem like a reasonable guy with a sense of humor. That may or may not be who he is. He got to say he doesn't consider his political opponents "diabolical" without Colbert citing many past statements where Cruz tried to whip up support by insisting just that. He got to make some assertions about the glories of the economy under Reagan and the wrongness of how Gay Marriage was legalized in this country without Colbert having the time (or seriousness of intent) to challenge what he said.
This kind of thing almost always seems wrong to me, whether it's a Democrat or a Republican or Bernie Sanders. Once in a while, it can be interesting. The conversation Colbert had with Joe Biden recently was fascinating…but Biden wasn't running for anything — at least at that moment — and I doubt he made one factual assertion his opponents would dispute. But the conversation Colbert had with Sanders was close to an infomercial and even though I generally side with "The Bern" on most issues, I thought it was a misappropriation of airtime and talk show resources.
Tonight, Colbert has Donald Trump on. That might turn out to be one of the exceptions because it may well be more of an entertainment segment than a political one. But I still wish talk shows would stop doing this.