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

[simplify]

Great idea!!!

[NotBeatenYet]

Glad to hear someone voice what I'd long believed about Tim Russert (RIP). He was very comfortable in the company of conservatives and his idea of a "balanced' panel was four neocons and one center-right liberal. He also never broke a story, never used a quote without permission from the source -- he was never a journalist, though you'd never have known that from the the outpouring of tributes by his colleagues.

It's difficult to imagine General Electric placing such a handy propaganda forum in the hands of someone as intelligent and fair as Rachel Maddow, though I'd be elated. No, my money's on Mrs. Alan Greenspan or the line-dancing David Gregory.

[hardybear]

Andrea Mitchell Is a journalist, one with a long career predating her current marriage.

[pfc1369]

Andrea wouldn't know an original thought if it bit her on her green span.

[haval2]

Rachel would be wonderful and the follow up questions would be asked. seeing those bums mc cain and sarah palin avoid answering questions or just plain lying without follow up questions or video of previous remarks make me want Rachel all the more. Tim would love the choice. This is what he did so well and fairly. She would be the same. Forget pecking order, when you are good and right for the job it should be yours! Go Rachel.

[max]

Aaron Brown is a great idea....

[Archivist1000]

Everyone here is agreeing with 'names' put forth by the MSM out of a pool of faces you are all used to!

Don't you guys ever watch MTP .... it needs a SERIOUS and INFORMED moderator .... like AARON BROWN ... he is the right choice for this show !

[hillaryj]

I totally agree....................she is a class act!

[bayside]

Thats a plan stan..

[Archivist1000]

I really like Rachel ... and I was a regular viewer of MTP .... I miss Russert very much, especially during the recent Palin nightmare, we needed a newsman who had Tim's experience.

I would love to see AARON BROWN (formerly of CNN, before pretty boy Anderson got Aaron's hour) in the MTP chair.

AARON BROWN is a calm, informed and insightful newsman ... he isn't afraid to ask the hard questions, and not afraid to press for answers....

I have written to NBC many times about this .. if you agree, please do the same!


AARON BROWN for MTP .... yeah!

[reliant1]

I like Rachel but she is not a reporter or a member of the press...a single moderator may not be the best format either. There is too much comparison to how Tim would/should/could have for any one person to overcome. A rotating panel of press people may be a better answer. If Meet the Press does choose Rachel then the name will have to be changed...and risk turning it into one more network variety news entertainment show.

I miss Tim but I don't think he would want anyone who had not been steeped in the long years of reporting real political news and coverage of it to take his place. There may be no one at the moment truly ready to take that chair....

[JoanE]

I'd love to see Rachel or Chuck Todd. They're both highly intelligent but down to earth, extremely hard-working and well prepared. Even when I've watched them spend long days during the campaign from Morning Joe through wee-hour discussions of election results, they're both always personable and on their game. They're neither too hot, nor too dull, nor too ponderous for TV. They both have great smiles, know what they're talking about, and are pleasant to spend time with, much like Tim.

[Archivist1000]

I have never heard Todd ask a HARD QUESTION or press for an answer! Rachel isn't ready for this ... her show is just right for her.

Think OUTSIDE the box, not what the MSM tells you to think!

[Quotidien]

NBC better get this "replacement" right or else they will lose their brand.

My suggestion has always been that they return to the "firing squad" format that they used in the '50s and '60s while having a moderator move things along. This way, they can plug in all of the journalists and personalities that they need for that week's topic.

People need to remember that Meet the Press is not only a politics show. Many people think it's a politics show because we are coming off of the most covered political season in history.

Having flexibility with the panel can help them adapt to the week's guest. I'd love to see the "firing squad" interview non-political figures like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Barry Bonds and Warren Buffet.

Tim Russert was a very unique man who cannot be replaced so easily. Meet the Press should play it safe and return to the format that it had in the past.

[Nan2008]

My husband HAS NEVER WATCHED MSNBC or anyother political based program, but NOW HE DOES, HE LOVES RACHEL. She has a special appeal to men and women. I think this is a great idea. But CHA-KNOW, there's the OLD BOY'S CLUB that exists in this field as well, and I'm quite sure they're all hanging around panting, waiting for stage call for this position with they NAME TAG ATTACHED.

[skeeterp]

how about jon stewart

[yodaveg]

Rachel is wonderful but wrong for this gig. I'd go for Chuck Todd or Andrea Mitchell. Juan Williams would be another great choice.

[Archivist1000]

You are spouting the common rhetoric .... headlines only, please!

[kothian1]

She has my vote! It would certainly would be a change from NBC's current Sunday morning stodginess.
Or Olbermann, but Rachel does have a certain tact that Keith lacks. (Please! Please! Please!.... You just can't get rid of Brokaw fast enough to suit me.)