Tucker Carlson's dancing an ‘awful mess?’

Last week “Tucker” senior producer Willie Geist reported that former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay had endorsed country singer Sara Evans on “Dancing with the Stars.”

“We need to send a message to Hollywood and the media that smut has no place on television by supporting good people like Sara Evans,” the letter read. “Sara will be a great representative of the values that we want to see in the media and we should all support her to keep her on the show as long as possible.”

If a vote for Sara Evans is a vote for good values in the media, what then, is a vote for media personality and veteran reporter Tucker Carlson?

“It’s a vote for fun,” said Carlson, who was subsequently endorsed by Rev. Al Sharpton and political consultant James Carville.

The judges agreed Carlson had a lot of fun during his performance on the “Dancing” premiere, for which Carlson temporarily donned the iconic bow tie that once defined his on-air personality. But the compliments stopped there.

“What an awful mess,” judge Bruno Tonioli decreed, comparing Carlson’s dance to sitting on a toilet and punishing him with a score of three out of 10.

Carlson was undaunted.

“I’m going to win Bruno over,” Carlson responded.  “The seeds of affection are there and once he marinates in me a little bit, we’ll be friends.”

Carlson – along with Evans – will need the help of his political supporters and his own “base” if he is to get the chance to impress

With a combined score of 12, Carlson was the low score on the night followed by Evans with a 15.  Jerry Springer, the oldest dancer in the competition, scored a 16.

Mario “A.C. Slater” Lopez led the pack with a 26 followed by NFL legend Emmitt Smith with a 24.

Luckily for Carlson, audience vote counts for half the overall score.

To encourage fans to weigh in, “Dancing with the Stars” host Tom Bergeron read a quote from a letter Sharpton wrote to endorse Tucker at the end of the show: “Voting in celebrity dance contests is not just your right in this country, it’s a privilege.”

Bergeron did not read the first part of Sharpton's letter:

“I don’t have to remind you that we are living in trying and uncertain times. That’s why now, more than ever, we need a strong leader who will stand up for what we believe. Better yet, we need a leader who will dance for what we believe. Tucker Carlson is just such a dancer. I ask you to join me in supporting Tucker as he competes on the ABC program, ‘Dancing With The Stars’.”

To vote for Tucker -- to vote for fun -- click here.