How Jon Stewart Ruined America

Jon Stewart took hold of American culture on Oct. 15, 2004. That was the night he appeared on Crossfire, the CNN debate show hosted by longtime Democratic operative Paul Begala and a WASPy young conservative fond of wearing bow ties named Tucker Carlson. Sitting between the two, Stewart unleashed a blistering tirade, charging that Crossfire-style “partisan hackery,” which turned the serious business of politics into a contest of talking points, was “hurting America.”