Who should replace Tim Russert? I have been thinking about it, and I am not sure. Maybe Andrea Mitchell?
Katie Couric. It would give her the out she needs and everybody wants to get off the Evening News. And NBC wants her back.
You’re kidding, right? Putting Katie Couric on Meet the Press would lose the show all the respect and credibility Russert gave the show over the last 18 years. One of the softest (and most annoying) interviewers I have ever een.
If it were up to me, I’d say Morbo.
What? You’re maligning the woman who asked Barack Obama whether his feeling about having Hillary Clinton as VP was uccch?
But NBC does want her back. Don’t ask me why. I just want her off CBS.
One doesn’t replace Russert. A person can succeed, but they can’t replace.
To follow… that’s tough. I’m really not sure. He’s irreplaceable - far and above the best interviewer on TV and I thought that well before he died.
How 'bout Keith Olbermann?
I believe the job traditionally goes to the Washington Bureau Chief, so whomever is most likely to fill that post will probably be the new MTP host.
David Gregory perhaps? Chuck Todd? Keith Olbermann, as somebody mentioned, might be a good fit.
David Gregory just started his own show, Race for the White House. I wonder if contractual obligations would prevent it.
Olbermann would be a good fit for MTP, but I’d hope Countdown would continue.
Andrea Mitchell sounds like an excellent choice also.
I think Andrea Mitchell would make a pretty good Washington Bureau Chief. Olbermann and Gregory don’t have the gravitas (yet).
Olbermann tends to wear his biases on his sleeve a little too much for Meet the Press.
Much as I love Olberman, he comes across as too partisan. I don’t know if he could bring the necessary objectivity, although he does seem to have a knack for asking good questions.
Chuck Todd, maybe? He’s their Political Director, after all.
Damn, the guy’s not even cold yet!
I was thinking maybe David Gregory, as well.[ul]
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Olbermann would be awful. The reason why the nation’s highest office holders of both parties were willing to put themselves through the Russert wringer every week was that, even though he could be absolutely brutal in exposing contradictions and hounding his guests for an answer, he was widely recognized as doing so in an impartial manner. Many are not even aware that Russert got his start working for the New York Democratic Party – the man seemed utterly devoid of partisanship.
Olbermann . . . not so much.
Olbermann is as unlikely as Bill O’Reilly. Both have political points of view and the moderator or Meet The Press cannot be seen to be partisan. Also, I doubt Olbermann would give up Countdown – he seems to love it too much.
David Gregory or Andrea Mitchell are potentially good choices.
True, but it’s also true that there will be a Meet The Press airing this Sunday morning. The show must go on.
Not true. Bureau Chief is an administrative/executive position. (Ever hear of Christopher Isher? He’s the CBS Washington Bureau Chief.) Russert is the only Bureau Chief ever to have also moderated MTP.
Andrea Mitchell seems to me like the best choice. David Gregory seems like the most probable choice. But I think Katie Couric would actually be a pretty good choice. If NBC tells her they want hard news and only hard news, she’s quite capable of doing it.
In a perfect world, though, NBC would go after Bob Schieffer, not Katie Couric.
I’d suggest Chris Matthews. He goes hard after both sides and he’s informed.
When I was thinking about this question earlier, though, I was struck by my realization of how singular an interviewer Tim Russert was. I kind of took him for granted, and I think I’m just now appreciating how unique he was. It’s not often I feel like the death of a famous person is a real injury to their industry, but I think that’s true of Russert. This is a blow to political journalism.
In the interests of journalistic accuracy, I correct myself. CBS News’ Washington Bureau Chief is Christopher Isham. ABC News’ Washington Bureau Chief is Kate O’Brian.
I’d go with a new old idea - make it Meet the Press.
In the old days, the interviewee would be grilled by a panel of reporters. This would be a perfect time to revive this format, as there is a lot of press talent in the country from all media formats that could easily cycle through the batting order a few times a year.
Let’s not replace Russert. Instead, let’s craft a new show.
NBC will ask Brokaw back for this, through the election.
Olbermann? Does he interview well? I ask that because I honestly don’t know…all I ever see of him are his rants and commentary (sometimes the same thing), never interviews.