One of the traps I want to warn you against is really figuring out the difference between being a good guest and a good host. There are some people in the world who are just great guests. But awful host. You don't want to fall into that trap. Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota is a great guest. Certainly when he was governor every time he was on CNN or any other show, ratings went through the roof.
But when he's hosted shows, nobody wanted to watch it. It seemed a bit weird, odd. He just didn't have it. And the whole idea of asking questions is different than just pontificating. In some ways, it's easier to be a good guest. You just have to be yourself and spout off interesting things.
Being a host is more complex because you have to say interesting things. But you also have to ask questions you have to know when to shut up. You have to know when to wait when to probe for more. You have to put the whole thing together. It's kind of like being a host of a good dinner party. It's more complex than simply coming in being an amusing guest.
If you're a guest, you just show up on time you bring a nice bottle of wine, have a few amusing anecdotes at dinner. And you're fine as a guest at a dinner party. But if you're hosting the dinner party, you got to send out the invitations. You've got to make sure the food is right. The drinks are right. People are talking to each other people are mingling people are sitting next to each other the right way.
It's more complex. Being a host of a dinner party. is the same with hosting a talk show it is more complex. Another person who comes to mind like this for me is newt gingrich now. He was recently a host a co host on cn ns Crossfire didn't generate any ratings and the show is now defunct. He is someone who I believe is a good guest when you see him as a guest on other talk shows he is consistently interesting and provocative.
But as a host, he is someone who exudes the sense that why am I even talking to this person. This person is obviously much stupider and dumber than I am and that just doesn't work well as a host. So I do want you to be aware of this difference between being a good guest and being a good host if you want to be a good host. You have to have all the good things a good guest has and more