Bill Kristol Goes Off On CNN Anchor Alisyn Camerota For Questioning Third Party Picks

Conservative pundit and anti-Trumpist Bill Kristol got super-snippy with CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Tuesday morning when the New Day anchor asked Kristol questions about the various candidates he’s floating for a third-party run against presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. When Kristol suggested Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse, Camerota randomly pointed out that “he said no,” and when Kristol floated retired Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, she butted in with some gibberish about Coburn having “health concerns,” at which point Kristol lost patience with this whole “interview” business:

Kristol: If you’re just going to say it’s tough to do and no one stepped forward. Yes, no one stepped forward. Do I think someone has stepped forward? Have I been in touch with people? Yes. Do I think the country deserves better? Yes. If you just want to say people so far said, no, can’t happen, great, you guys would love a Trump/Clinton race. Fantastic news every day. Two unattractive candidates fighting stupidly about their personal lives, fighting with the “New York Times.” I’d like someone to run who could really do better for the country.

Camerota: My job is to be a reality check, not a cheerleader for, you know, your effort. I’m interested in your effort and certainly interested in hearing who you’re talking to.

Kristol: What is the reality, Alisyn?

Camerota: In public people have said, thanks, but no thanks.

Yeah, let us know how that “reality” nonsense works out for you, Alisyn.

Kristol is right about one thing, everyone in the news business is salivating like Pavlov’s Dogs at an Alexander Graham Bell museum, but trust me, we’d be perfectly fine with a third wrestler in the steel cage. I know of no one who’s thinking “Ben Sasse campaigning against Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton? What the hell am I going to write about that?”

In fact, that might be part of the reason Kristol is finding it difficult to find anyone to run into that media buzzsaw.