Trail Mix

by TED S. McGREGOR JR. & r & & r & & lt;span class= & quot;dropcap & quot; & W & lt;/span & ith the election finally over, let's take a look at the media's winners and losers. It was an odd season, as David Letterman and the ladies on The View dished out some of the toughest interviews. Still, some individual voices stood out.





True to Her Talking Points


If your campaign is left grasping at straws and even the robo-callers are choking on your talking points, you can always count on CNN's Bay Buchanan to regurgitate even the stinkiest stratagems. Good Republican soldier, horrible pundit.





The CYA Man


Over on FOX, William Kristol always worries about his own reputation first. That's why Kristol -- a major Sarah Palin booster from Day One -- blames John McCain's advisers for her not knowing a blessed thing about the world.





Keeper of the Flame


Over on PBS, during TV's least sexy but most informative newscast, The NewsHour, David Brooks consistently serves as the voice of the now-defunct party of Reagan. And he had to skewer a few sacred cows, so thanks for the honesty.





League MVP


Out of all the cacophony on cable, there's one guy who always offers something original and wise. David Gergen, a former White House staffer for both parties, has been one of CNN's big draws -- even though they cut his airtime too much by having too many pundits.





Hyperbolic Machine


The undisputed new star of this election cycle is MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, but is his rise on the power of Bush-bashing -- valid as it may be -- good for journalism? It's the door FOX News created between fact and opinion, but should a news anchor walk to the other side?





The Comeback Kid


Making fun of CBS anchor Katie Couric had become a national pastime, but her must-see interview with Palin proved that behind that perky smile is a very talented journalist. You go, girl!





The Next Generation


It's puzzling how MSNBC pundit Lawrence O'Donnell is given such a low profile. The former writer for The West Wing consistently offers scoops and no-nonsense insights. Let's get this guy in the starting lineup for next election season.