Cable News War: Jon Stewart vs. Jim Cramer

Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, the only remaining news program that I still “watch”, has gotten into a war with words with CNBC’s stock analyst Jim Cramer. The whole thing didn’t start with Stewart mocking Cramer out of nowhere. It actually started with a guy name Rick Santelli.

It all began with “Losers Home Owners”

Santelli is angry at President Barack Obama for giving part of the bail out money to the “losers home owners”. He said “this is America, no one wants to pay for their neighbors’ mortgage”.

To be fair, Rick, we don’t want to pay billions for banks that keep giving out loans to unqualified home owners either, but we have to do that now don’t we? For what? Oh for the good of the country. I guess even that action can also be considered as socialist-like.  Selfishness is not synonymous with Capitalism, as much as you want that to be the case so you can justify your greed.

“Winner Home Owners” don’t watch CNBC

To counter the attack on Obama, Jon Stewart attacked CNBC claiming that their wrong advices may have something to do with people losing money and not able to pay for their houses. And Stewart pretty much mocked everyone from that network in order to prove a point to Santelli, that NO ONE SAW IT COMING.  Anyway, Cramer was among those  mocked. I don’t know if Santelli gets it or not, but Jim Cramer definitely did not get it.

Jim Cramer got personal

What Jim Cramer didn’t get is that if you are going to start a verbal argument with someone in-say, a classroom, you are better off taunting jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, goths, neo-Hippies, or even the teacher. But if you are sensitive to other people’s words, don’t start a fight with a class clown. No matter how great you think your comment will be, an experienced class clown can make fun of you 10 times better and makes you feel 10 times worse.

UPDATE: Cramer went on the Daily Show March 12th 2009

A credit has to be given to Cramer, the man is not afraid of the camera. He went on so many shows after the incident, including Martha Stewart. I think despite the overall opinion that Stewart “won” the interview on The Daily Show, the whole  thing seems to be harder on him than on Cramer. Before the end of the episode, Stewart remarked: “I hope that was as uncomfortable to watch, as it was to do”. Yeah, no kidding.