Tina Brown: Give "Meet The Press" To Rachel Maddow

The Daily Beast:

The Meet the Press panel needs fewer David Broders and more Christopher Hitchenses--irresponsible wits who can challenge the B-list senators and warhorse commentators who trundle on and download all that sonorous received wisdom. And for the top spot, how about going way outside the box? How about bringing in the cool forensic skills of a David Boies? Or the fresh intelligence of a web star like Josh Marshall or Glenn Greenwald? Or the political/policy smarts of a journalistic intellectual like the Guardian's Michael Tomasky?

Or how about... a woman? Since NBC has not heeded my last suggestion to appoint either the unsung cable Rottweiler Greta Van Susteren or a reinvented Katie Couric, I say give Meet the Press to Rachel Maddow. She's smart. She's quick. She's witty. She does her homework. And she listens to what the person she's talking to is saying. She doesn't just go to the next question on her list.

If Obama is post-racial, Maddow is post-gender--divested of hair-frosted femininity in the anchor genre and more appealing because of it. Like him, she's a calm, unflappable new era phenomenon. Sure, she's a lefty, and in the past week she's been swinging away at Obama's cabinet choices, but I suspect she's ambitious enough to dial it back if she had to. (She also has that weird TV gene that's so hungry for air time she'd probably insist on keeping her five-day job at MSNBC. Russert himself was on every show except Project Runway.)

Read the whole story: The Daily Beast

Comments

[Yermammy]

That'd be nice, but it ain't gonna happen- ever. The Establishment which is run by corporate America (and you thought this was a "Democracy"! Tee hee) will never, ever put someone as independent as Rachel in that time honored LIE hour. Are you kidding me? LOL.

[ObamaEdwards]

Then they can thank themselves when their ratings decline. TV style is changing quickly, and old farts need to catch up.

[huffyISaHottie]

i'm not sure Rachel has the on screen polish yet..if you know what i mean...i realize i'm kind of nit picking but thats the kind of stuff that network people are concerned about...ha­te to see this rising star shot down by being rushed into something she may not be ready for " at this time"

[huffy2001]

Nah...I vote for John Stewart.

[LeftLeanWing]

No No No Greta....

She doesn't question during interviews she interrogates.

[JonBFertippton]

Maddow/Meet the Press - I had the same idea. This woman is the hardest worker in the media. She reads everything and can ask questions that even Russert couldn't have come up with. She cuts to the quick but is constructive and does not settle for irrelevancies and diversions. It would be a big surprise, however, if NBC/GE actually gave this podium to Maddow - a big and pleasant surprise. No matter what, however, it will be good to see and hear the last of Brokaw, the establishment right-winger with a speech impediment. Why take a boring plodder like Gregory, however, when you could have Maddow? I used to watch Russert religiously but stopped watching because Brokaw was so irrelevant. I'd watch Maddow religiously and will avoid Gregory. I see that Maddow is drawing masses of viewers to MSNBC - maybe that will weigh well with the corporate deciders at NBC.

[Shake-A-Spear]

Maddow is not right for the job. Too many annoying mannerisms. A bit too snide and sarcastic. Too much playing to those who get it with her "wink-wink" shtick when she talks to the already-converted. She, like her mentor Keith "Overboard", is capable of quieting down and getting serious during an interview after the wise-guy stuff, but who needs this sort of bipolarity in the Meet the Press chair? HEY, WAIT A MINUTE: HOW ABOUT YOU TINA BROWN!

[LeftLeanWing]

Witty - Most of the time....
Snide and sarcastic - Never.
Respectful of guest and their opinions - Always

[Shake-A-Spear]

Her serious side is good. It's that other school-girlish shtick that you call "witty" that turns me off.

[EJA]

I think Rachel would be great on MTP (although that show might be too small a box for her opinions).

But they've got to get rid of Brokaw. His brain is moldy.

[Shake-A-Spear]

Brokaw makes MTP DULL. The ol' pro goes through the motions for the good of the team, but his heart's not in it and it's obvious. One of these days, if he hangs in there, we'll be seeing him take a peek at his watch a la George Bush's ol' man. Brokaw as old warhorse is ready for MTP,s glue factory

[SOSfromMA]

Love it! Love Rachel! She's one of the smartest and wittiest people I've ever seen, including my smart spouse!

[Aabby]

I’m Rachel’s biggest fan and I think she can do anything she puts her mind to but I question if this is the best forum for her…She has very strong opinions (which I think are almost always right) but MTP is supposed to be “bipartisan” although Brokaw was an obvious right wing tool…just get him out of there and I’ll be happy. Gwen Ifill would be nice.

[Aabby]

why the ? Does this thing change my ellipsis to question marks? :(

[ashb]

Did you originally type the post in Word, and then copy and paste it into the comment box? Word adds special formatting that results in such issues. Happens with quotation marks too.

[robbor]

i agree, give Rachel the Meet the Press slot. currently her show is too similar to Keith's and it's hurting both of them. she'd be a fire cracker on MTPress.

[Beantownbadboy]

Disagree completely. Their slots are working fine and their ratings have never better and consistently going up. It ain't broke..

[courageunderfire]

I like Maddow, but I have to disagree. Meet the Press has to have someone more like an Anderson Cooper type. I am a liberal, yet, the right person for this job is one that will remove themselves from being opinionated one way or the other. That is my problem with MSNBC, and why I like CNN, specifically Anderson Cooper better. The late Tim Russert was always impartial and that is what I like.
Gwen Ifill is a far better choice.

[kissy kai]

HELL NO

[lynettema]

Sorry. Meant polite to those with whom she DISAGREES!

[lynettema]

Is there a poll somewhere? My vote is for Rachel. Smart. Extemely polite to those with whom she agrees. Has a real impromptu follow up question.

[PowerPridePinstripes]

Really like Rachel, but not for Meet the Press...

[iBlog4Food]

RM has pointed out that she does not like to be a moderator. This is why, if you notice, one will never see a split screen on her show with two guests sparring at each other. She has said she doesn't like the confrontational style and thinks it's disrespectful. So, the MTP;s format of a round-table might not work with RM.

Besides, MTP, I think, is too constraint for her vivaciously, tongue-in-cheek acerbic style.