 In February 1996 , Ferraro joined the high @-@ visibility CNN political talk show Crossfire , as the co @-@ host representing the " from the left " vantage . She kept her brassy , rapid @-@ fire speech and New York accent intact , and her trial experience from her prosecutor days was a good fit for the program 's format . She sparred effectively with " from the right " co @-@ host Pat Buchanan , for whom she developed a personal liking . The show stayed strong in ratings for CNN , and the job was lucrative . She welcomed how the role " keeps me visible [ and ] keeps me extremely well informed on the issues . " 
