Washington, DC — When GOP consultant Terry Holt initiated his guest hosting gig in the "Novak" chair on CNN’s Crossfire, it took him a while to adjust to the teleprompter, the studio audience, the folks screaming in his ear, looking for the right camera, and all the rest. He looked a little frazzled and hurried — but who wouldn’t be? My time in politics saw many a TV interview I’m embarrased to look back on today — having just reviewed an old compilation reel for laughs a few weeks ago.
Regardless, Holt is getting his groove back from his days as the Bush 2004 campaign’s primary TV face. His pairing with Donna Brazile, very good on TV herself, is a nice fit, and their dual schtick gets smoother each time they appear.
The key to Terry’s improvement is the calmness and confidence of his manner, as well as the fact he doesn’t appear to take himself too seriously. Combine that with the fact his personality is appealing, he’s not personal in his counterpoints, and that he smiles more than he did initially and you have a quality Crossfire guest host getting better each week.