RIP Alan Colmes

RIP Alan Colmes February 24, 2017

Alan Colmes has died.  Alan was part of Hannity and Colmes, an early breakout show on the fledgling FOX News network.  FOX emerged in the mid 90s, when even Democrats I knew were a little worried the press wasn’t being on the up and up.  The idea of a press not being honest, even if it was beneficial for a time, wasn’t appealing to people.  Back then at least.

FOX seemed, at the time, to provide an alternative.  Often having interviews with two people, pro and con, FOX established its ‘fair and balanced’ slogan when many networks were increasingly relegating non-liberals to token status.

For instance, during a two week period in the heat of the Lewinsky scandal, I took it upon myself to trace NBC’s TODAY show.  Each day the show had an opening segment at the top of the hour dedicated to the latest in the impeachment trial.  In each segment, the hosts interviewed a politician about the recent developments.  In a two week period, every politician interviewed in that slot was a Democrat except twice, and one exception was John McCain.

Against such slanted coverage, FOX’s one to one format as played out on Hannity and Colmes certainly sniffed of fairness.  Of course FOX turned out to be as partisan as the others, albeit from the opposite side of the tracks.  Sure Colmes was, in some ways, the token liberal.  Compared to Hannity though, he was the good guy.

I’ll admit, I always like him better.  Not to be mean, but Hannity makes me itch.  Between the two, I usually found myself rooting for Colmes, even if I disagreed with him.  Hannity had a knack for getting me to disagree with him even though, on some level, I should have agreed.

But Colmes appeared to be a genuinely nice guy.  At least to me.  And to hear of his sudden death at such a young age is all the more shocking. So rest in peace Mr. Colmes.  God’s peace and strength be on your loved ones in the wake of your sudden passing.  And thanks for being a kinder voice, if not in substance then at least in delivery, in these troubled times.


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