He’s back: Bob Beckel Returns Today To ‘The Five’

Bob Beckel, one of my favorite Democrats, is returning to “The Five” at Fox News.

This is good news. Bob and Dana Perino, along with Greg Gutfeld, Eric Bolling, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, made for entertaining and lively discussion each afternoon at 5:00 until Bob left. The long-time Democratic strategist went to CNN but was missed for his frank, down-to-earth contribution to whatever issue was being discussed.

In 2012, as the panel picked their favorite presidents of all time, Bob chose George W. Bush as one of his two favorites along with Democrat Jimmy Carter, both for humanitarian reasons. At the time I wrote:

But the big surprise of the day was Democrat Bob Beckel. After noting that he had two choices because they never receive recognition, he went on to say that Israel was our closest ally in the Middle East and Jimmy Carter was responsible for the Camp David Accords.

His second choice, Beckel went on, was George W. Bush for the good work and help provided for Africa to fight AIDs. Beckel noted that history will probably recognize this down the road because it is believed Bush helped save millions of lives, something he never receives recognition for. Beckel said, “He’s going to be recognized by this Democrat.”

It will be good to have that bipartisan thinking returned to “The Five.” Welcome back, Bob Beckel.

A look back: Democrat Bob Beckel picks George W. Bush as one of two favorite presidents

Originally published on February 22, 2012.

“The Five” celebrated Presidents Day by choosing their favorite presidents. (See video.) This Fox News Channel show, made up of five rotating panelists, has them sitting around a table discussing the day’s events or top issues. I’ve actually found it to be very interesting at that 5:00 hour of the afternoon.

On Monday, Bob Beckel took the reins to ask each of his fellow “Five” members who was their favorite American president. George W. Bush was chosen by former Bush staffer Dana Perino. Ronald Reagan was chosen by Eric Bolling and Greg Gutfeld. Kimberly Guilfoyle chose Thomas Jefferson.

But the big surprise of the day was Democrat Bob Beckel. After noting that he had two choices because they never receive recognition, he went on to say that Israel was our closest ally in the Middle East and Jimmy Carter was responsible for the Camp David Accords.

His second choice, Beckel went on, was George W. Bush for the good work and help provided for Africa to fight AIDs. Beckel noted that history will probably recognize this down the road because it is believed Bush helped save millions of lives, something he never receives recognition for. Beckel said, “He’s going to be recognized by this Democrat.”

Bravo.

CNN hires Fox News personalities

Fox News anchor Kirsten Powers is leaving the network and heading to CNN as a political analysis. Powers, who will continue as a contributor for USA Today, will join the network immediately.

She follows former Fox News anchor Alisyn Camerota who joined CNN in July. Camerota had spent 16 years at Fox.

Besides Camerota, Powers will find another familiar face at her new network. Bob Beckel, who spent years as one of the co-hosts on Fox News’ afternoon program, “The Five,” joined CNN in October 2015.

It looks like Jeff Zucker, President of CNN Worldwide and formerly with NBC, is pulling in some more-balanced talent. Zucker had recognized that CNN was “a little too liberal” in the past and appears to be rectifying that problem, telling the Wall Street Journal:

“I think it was a legitimate criticism of CNN that it was a little too liberal,” Mr. Zucker said. “We have added many more middle-of-the-road conservative voices to an already strong stable of liberal voices. And I think that we are a much more-balanced network and, as a result, a much more inviting network to a segment of the audience that might not have otherwise been willing to come here.”

WSJ added:

After years of weak ratings, the network is nipping at the heels of Fox News, the longtime ratings leader in cable news, whose prime-time audience has grown 42% to 450,000 viewers, and is roughly doubling the audience of MSNBC, the weakest of the three major cable news channels. which is up 73% at 225,000.

The changes at CNN have been noticed so it will be interesting to see if Zucker is able to lure others from the Fox News stable of personalities.

2012: ‘George W. Bush not endorsing in presidential primary is no mystery’

By Lynn R. Mitchell
[A look back at the 2012 presidential election. Originally published April 13, 2012, at Bearing Drift.]

The media are beside themselves trying to figure out why former President George W. Bush has not endorsed in the current Republican presidential contest. Everywhere you look, there’s some variation of the question wondering why he isn’t front and center. One example of the ink spent on the story is this one from Politico that asks, “Where is George W. Bush?” and accuses him of being on a “self-imposed exile” from the current political season.

George W. Bush carries on humanitarian work in Africa

By Lynn R. Mitchell
Originally published July 2, 2013

After a week of renovating, President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush opened the Mosi-Oa-Tunya clinic, a cervical cancer facility in Livingstone, Zambia. The trip demonstrates their continued commitment to the people of Africa through the work of the global health initiative at the George W. Bush Institute. June 30-July 1, 2013.