CNN, 'SNL' and TV Critics' Primary Concerns

Fred Armisen and Amy Poehler in the influential primary skit on "Saturday Night Live." (By Dana Edelson -- Nbc Universal)

"You know, the underdog always gets sort of a little easier treatment till the underdog becomes the front-runner and then gets the tough treatment."

Drunk with power, critics then questioned the value of covering the Democratic and Republican conventions before 10 p.m., which is when the broadcast networks jump in. Lots of interesting conversation ensued, from everyone onstage and Wolf Blitzer via satellite from Washington.

"I've done six of these, and this is by far the most consequential election of my lifetime, and if we can't find a way to make that interesting and compelling, well, then I should go back to tending bar," said King, getting more interesting by the minute.

Malveaux noted there's the juicy question in re what's going to take place between the Obama and Clinton camps at the Denver convention.

Blitzer stays up nights wondering whether Clinton will be introduced by her daughter, Chelsea, and when, if at all, her husband, former president Bill Clinton, will speak. Would it be on the same night as Hillary? A different night?

Borger can't wait to see how the GOP confab says goodbye to George W. Bush:

"When do they put him on the stage?" she pondered. "Does he even go to the stage? Does he speak from a remote? Do they decide not to bring him there? Are they going to bring him there? When do they bring him there? What does he say? What kind of response does he get? How do they showcase a president with a 28 percent popularity rating who in many ways is John McCain's problem?"

"And, Gloria, don't forget the other issue they have to work out is how do they say goodbye to Dick Cheney!" Blitzer added.

"What do you do with George W. Bush? What do you do with Dick Cheney? There's going to be a lot of intrigue and drama as far as how they choreograph that."

Just when the CNN newsies were getting to the clapping-their-little-hands-in-excitement stage, one grumpykins critic started chastising them for their enthusiasm.

"Isn't your job to take what they say, to analyze it, to hold it against their former quotes, to show how the policies may change, and screw the drama?" Mr. Crankypants asked. "Isn't your job to help people make . . . their own decision on their votes, instead of just trying to make these conventions interesting?"

"I would argue -- I'm going to cut out of the line here -- I would argue not to screw the drama: Marry and challenge the drama," responded King, who is now definitely our favorite person on cable news.

"It's their convention. They have the right to do whatever they want at their convention and we have a right to cover it," he said.

"To me, the issues -- Iraq, Afghanistan, international relations, the Middle East, climate change, taxes, health care -- the undone list from both the Clinton administration and the Bush . . . neither one could get big things done because Washington is this polarized game of politicians spitting at each other right now. If we don't challenge that, then we're not doing our job.

"I think you can do that within the drama."