Hannity & ... Powers?

By Jennifer J. Foster

Published: November 25, 2008

As a follow-up to this morning’s post about Alan Colmes’s departure from the Fox News Channel show that bears his name, Tom Bevan of RealClearPolitics.com has thrown out a couple of names of potential replacements for the bespectacled liberal host.

One is Susan Estrich. The other is Kirsten Powers.

Estrich would be a poor choice. On the up side, her liberal credentials are unquestioned: She clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens, aided U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy and ran Michael Dukakis’s 1988 presidential campaign. But her personality is a bad fit with Hannity. I get a kick out of listening to Estrich, but it’s mostly for entertainment value.

SIDEBAR: When I was working in the Florida Legislature, my roommate during session was another legislative aide who was also a political junkie like me. We were both pregnant, and our babies were due within a month of each other. After long days at work, we would grab take-out, sit in front of the TV and have great fun mimicking Susan Estrich’s voice. It was hilarious. SJ, if you’re out there reading this somewhere, you’re awesome! END SIDEBAR

Anyway, Estrich works as a guest, but she wouldn’t work as a host. Hannity needs someone on the other side of the table who can actually call him on his outlandish statements and articulate a scholarly, substantive response that doesn’t smack of Democratic Party talking points.

Someone ... like Kirsten Powers.

Powers, on the other hand, would be perfect. She’s a proven winner on the set, both as an analyst and host. She’s filled in for Colmes a few times and done well. She has just the right mix of poise, personality and intensity to give Hannity a real run for his money. (And, she’s from Alaska!) Watch her get Ann Coulter all flustered and annoyed in this 2006 clip (shot, incidentally, when Powers was filling in for Colmes).

I’m split about whether I actually want to see Hannity & Colmes become Hannity & Powers, though. Part of me wants it to happen just because the world demands a capable foil to Sean Hannity. But the other half of me doesn’t want to see Powers sullied by sitting across from The Sean every night.

OK, maybe I’m being a little tough on Hannity. He does do great things for veterans, and I appreciate that. But wow, he’s shrill.

Actually, you know what he is? He’s the Paul Begala of the right.

What do you guys think?