Mad Mark: Or Dennis Miller...

I wish someone would throw him screaming from a helicopter.

/Carlin

Triaxis: Too bad they replaced him with a partisan lib. Russert could be counted on to grill both sides of the aisle.

^^^^^

I'm still intrigued by the idea of Chuck Todd...though I've never seen him interview anyone. He does seem to have facts and numbers pouring out of his ears though, and I've never noticed any real partisan leanings from him (though sometimes he's asked leading questions pulling for partisan results).

I have to say, amidst all of the deification of Russert that has happened since his death, I've never thought of him as a particularly fearsome questioner. He let a lot of the Bush people off the hook during the run up to the war. When Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, etc were trying to scare people into thinking that Saddam was going to pelt the east coast with VX dropped by unmanned aerial drones, why didn't he call bullshiate? Thern again, nobody else did either.

He was always prepared and smart, but he rolled over in the face of Bushco's craptastic warmongering like everybody else.

Both Olbermann and Matthews have publicly stated they don't want the job. And Olbermann even said he's not qualified to take the position.

I find Olbermann entertaining, Matthews somewhat less, but both's talents would be ill served by putting them on MtP.

Five Frozen Fish Fingers: Mad Mark: Or Dennis Miller...

I wish someone would throw him screaming from a helicopter.

/Carlin

When Miller's testicles got up and ran out of the room screaming after 9/11, I lost all respect for him. The days when we needed political comedians of his knowledge depth to be holding the politicians feet to the fire the most, he chickens out and cozies up to the far-right in hopes they will take him and his family to the bunkers with them. The man needs to apologize and quick, before Bush is out of office.

Tom Blowchow is a great replacement for Russert

Peaceboy: TheFoy: I'm still intrigued by the idea of Chuck Todd...though I've never seen him interview anyone. He does seem to have facts and numbers pouring out of his ears though, and I've never noticed any real partisan leanings from him (though sometimes he's asked leading questions pulling for partisan results).

Yeah, I'm a big Chuck Todd fan, the guy's going to be a hot-shot for them, but he needs some more seasoning (uh, experience, not like, you know, paprika). Still, he's going to be key for them through the campaign and has a sick grasp of the electoral system. Articulate, as well.

I've never seen Chuck Todd give an interview though, isn't that what the host of MtP does? He might know the electoral system, but does he know how to hold people's feet to the fire? That I don't know.

Mad Mark: Monty845: My vote goes to John Stewart to take it over... No one would see THAT coming...

Or Dennis Miller...

Yeah...cause he did such a good job on Monday Night Football.

Beelzebozotime: When Miller's testicles got up and ran out of the room screaming after 9/11, I lost all respect for him. The days when we needed political comedians of his knowledge depth to be holding the politicians feet to the fire the most, he chickens out and cozies up to the far-right in hopes they will take him and his family to the bunkers with them. The man needs to apologize and quick, before Bush is out of office.

The man is still an ardent Bush supporter and defends FOX News for christ's sake. He's got as much credibility as Kirstie Alley on a Yoohoo binge.

/see what I did there?

Mellowtrauma: He let a lot of the Bush people off the hook during the run up to the war.


He didn't let anyone off the hook. He asked the questions that made those fearing the truth lie directly or by evasion. He did his job which was to put those lies in the public view.

Five Frozen Fish Fingers: Beelzebozotime: When Miller's testicles got up and ran out of the room screaming after 9/11, I lost all respect for him.

The man is still an ardent Bush supporter and defends FOX News for christ's sake. He's got as much credibility as Kirstie Alley on a Yoohoo binge.

/see what I did there?

Yeah, I know. I used to be a fan of his. I realized he leaned a little to the right, but I was OK with that because he fired shots at both sides of the isle. He stopped doing that and is now the right's darling comedian to help them counteract Stewart, Colbert, & Maher.

Ugh Brokaw
I'm Thhhoooom Bhhhhroookaw Ahhhhhhnd Thhhhhoooday in Thhhee Wwhhestt Baankk anattackoccoured ahhhhhhginst. He lets out a whole huff of air with each word as if he were being pounched in the gut with each word."(with a few schrunced in for good measure)!! Watch and you'll finally notice it and say "Damn, that Farkle was right 'bout this"
I get short winded listening to the old wind bag.

Seriously, enough with Russert. He was a farking TV news host and all this going on and on... you would have thought he found a cure for AIDS or something important like that. These people are not our 'friends that we honor by allowing them into our home each night' to deliver the news! Not sure when newscasters became celebrities. I only watch because I may have been to busy/lazy to read the paper.
Move on, nothing to see here

/I just don't get all the hullabaloooo

shaggenstein: Bill Moyers would be an interesting choice

This is what I was thinking. What will it take to corrupt his PBS morals?

P.S.
WHY do people think Colbert or Stewart are actual journalists?? They are comedy jocks. Colbert is actually the opposite of what you see on his comedy sketch show (He said on Larry King that he is sorry/asshamed he talks bad about Illegals and praises Bush) while people watching the show may actually think he is a conservative or some such.
And John Stewart is a pompus, ignorant, douche. I wish Tucker carlson would have knocked the shiat outta that smug ass farktard.

/Not actual "news" programs but sadly where most people get their information from. Scary.

IT'S COMEDY CENTRAL FOR CRIPES SAKE - THE SAME NETWORK THAT HAS A TALKING TURD AND CARLOS MENCIA(I guess he is a talking turd too)!!. IT IS NOT REAL NEWS!!! Jon Stewart has even been quoted saying as much. Try a few other news outlets. Print and otherwise. gather different view points then you may have half the story becuase I guess when you look at it, all media is a joke. If you have seen 'regular news'lately they report that we will be out of gas in five years and that people will be killing each other and eating the flesh to survive.

Abox: Mellowtrauma: He let a lot of the Bush people off the hook during the run up to the war.


He didn't let anyone off the hook. He asked the questions that made those fearing the truth lie directly or by evasion. He did his job which was to put those lies in the public view.

I guess that was my problem with his approach. Putting lies on public view is different than blowing them up. When you have a press corps that is laying down because they're afraid of being seen as unAmerican, it seems to me that you have an obligation to call bullshiat when you have the biggest megaphone in news television. Russert didn't do that, not his style to be sure. But that is what we needed from him.

The media in this country is pathetic, they're bought and paid for by special interests for the most part. We really need to implement a system like the UK, where political leaders grill EACH OTHER on TV on a regular basis. They are the ones in the best position to expose the other side's bullshiat. But Americans for the most part are tuned out and don't care what the government is doing, either for or to them.

I'll miss Tim Russert, but I love Tom Brokaw. For as long as I can remember, I've had the biggest crush on him.

mikaloyd: FarkleMatter: P.S.
WHY do people think Colbert or Stewart are actual journalists??

Bu bu bu but Olbermann is real! Right? RIGHT???

He is still real to ME frog dammitz

I'm just saying I don't understand why people are getting their undies in a wab over something so trivial. Considering we are going to hell in a handbasket and all.

Wish I had the time to be preoccupied by who is reading me my eveing news. Nobody asked nobody 'hard hitting' questions. they are all corrupt. Grow up, it's true. Absolute power corupts absolutely and no one in DC or in power is immune to it.
A a farking person reading the news or pretending to "get the truth" out of somone.
Don't worry, I'm sure they all have a laugh over their Lobster and Steak dinner about how they pull the wool over the eyes of the stupid American public. hey all we have to do is like the talking head and we put all of our faith into them.
Suppose we all deserve what's coming to us. We let the foxes guard the hen house just because they had charisma

How about an old curmudgeon like Jack Caffery? I like him when he gets riled up about some political idiocy.

Putting Olberman or Matthews in the MTP chair would be the same as putting Limbaugh or Sean Hannity in there.....horrible choices as they are shills for the their respective parties.

MTP needs to be balanced.

It's obvious by the "until November" aspect that after the election, David Gregory will be taking over.

"Race for the White House" will obviously finish its run in November, which would leave NBC with a talented journalist, interviewer and moderator without a gig.

I'm just relieved they are waiting until November. Hopefully November will see Rachel Maddow hosting her own show to replace some of MSNBC's interminable reruns of "Lockup". (Maddow on Meet The Press would be fantastic, but you need someone with a shadow of bipartisan credibility. She doesn't have it, which is part of the reason why I love her.)

I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting Olbermann, I'm not sure why people are getting so worked up about him.

TheFoy: I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting Olbermann, I'm not sure why people are getting so worked up about him.

Because he's hated by conservatives like Rush is hated by Libs.

I think that there should be two moderators now that Russert is gone. He was that big. Literally.

Vinz_Clortho: TheFoy: I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting Olbermann, I'm not sure why people are getting so worked up about him.

Because he's hated by conservatives like Rush is hated by Libs.

Yes, but (and I just scanned again to make sure) not a single person in this thread has suggested that Olbermann would be a good replacement. Even people who say that they like Olbermann say that he should not/will not do it. Getting all up in arms about him when there's a unanimous consensus that he's not the guy (or gal) just makes people look a little crazy.

I think Brokaw will be good in that spot. He did a great job interviewing a number of world leaders, including Gorbachev.

Olberann has too full a plate to do the prep work for MTP. But he shows "good upbringing" when the situation calls for seriousness.

Olbermann, Bill Maher, and Dave Ross -- a smart & balanced (new window) Seattle radio talk host (new window) -- all came out of Cornell in the late 1970s. They speak well for that school by the breadth of knowledge they bring to broadcasting.

(Keith has been looking for Bob and Ray in the news long before focusing on anti-administration outrage. If we get a Democratic administration, I'd like to see him give it thoughtful criticism. Malkin/Rush/FoxNews will just go for the shallow gotcha.)

libbynomore2

You don't want truth, you just want someone who will beat up those you don't like, and candy-ass those you do.

Damn, that is probably the single best summation of the political threads on this site! Kudos to you,sir!

rewind2846

We need MORE outrage, not less.

On an opinion driven show, hell yeah. On something like Meet The Press or Face The Nation, hell no. Something like that needs a level platform, not a message forum. Like it or not, there is more than one side to an issue and those sides deserve at least an attempt at equal time. Not this "I'm right and if you don't agree then you suck" crap that I read on here or see on the cable opinion shows.


Beelzebozotime: Five Frozen Fish Fingers: Mad Mark: Or Dennis Miller...

I wish someone would throw him screaming from a helicopter.

/Carlin

When Miller's testicles got up and ran out of the room screaming after 9/11, I lost all respect for him. The days when we needed political comedians of his knowledge depth to be holding the politicians feet to the fire the most, he chickens out and cozies up to the far-right in hopes they will take him and his family to the bunkers with them. The man needs to apologize and quick, before Bush is out of office.

His viewpoint sure did seem to change a bit, but I've heard him say several times that he was changed by September 11, believe him or not. Couldn't one make the same "cozy up to the far-right" crack about the likes of Al Franken with the far left?

TheFoy: I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting Olbermann, I'm not sure why people are getting so worked up about him.

He sure has that effect. Imagine if NBC was seriously thinking about someone like Rush Limbaugh for the job, then you'd see some people getting worked up!

bobbette: It's obvious by the "until November" aspect that after the election, David Gregory will be taking over.

"Race for the White House" will obviously finish its run in November, which would leave NBC with a talented journalist, interviewer and moderator without a gig.

What if there's another recount fiasco?

Chuck Todd's been mentioned here, and I really think he'll be the choice next year. For starters, Russert hand-picked him for his current position. Plus, his background at NBC is closer to Russert's - Todd was hired for his political background.

For me, Brokaw getting the nod for this year almost confirms that Todd will be the successor. Putting Brokaw in gives Todd the rest of this year to focus on the election and gain more on-air experience. And it'll yield five or six months of distance from Russert's version of the show.

Matthews and Olbermann would never be offered the show, and I can't believe people would even suggest it. Olbermann has specifically excluded himself, saying that he isn't qualified to take over the show. Matthews is a personality - Meet the Press is not a personality-driven show. MtP is driven by the topics and the interviews, all of which are more important than the person at the head of the show. Russert became known for the show, but it was because of his deep knowledge and insights, which brought out the topics and the interviews. Face the Nation is much the same way - Bob Schieffer is a name, but not a personality, which is why it works.

This WP article (from before Russert's death) pretty much explains why I think Todd will be next:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/11/AR2008051102075. html

FarkleMatter: WHY do people think Colbert or Stewart are actual journalists??

They are as real journalists as the people on the major news networks.

Chuck Todd is the exact template for what the show. It doesn't take much to pounce on a politician's chatter when you have a huge amazing production staff.

Chuck Todd is a fact machine and is the best thing NBC has to offer. By November he'll be ready and willing to kick some serious ass.

Wow, I totally must have missed the part where the national news media did a good job covering politicians over the past decade or two.

havesometea: FarkleMatter: WHY do people think Colbert or Stewart are actual journalists??

They are as real journalists as the people on the major news networks.

This too

But, yeah, they are there to spoof the news, not report it. You don't need a live studio audience to report the news.

havesometea: FarkleMatter: WHY do people think Colbert or Stewart are actual journalists??

They are as real journalists as the people on the major news networks.

They are comedians I Say again, they broadcast from a network with a talking turd. If this is your only news source...the dumbing down of America is in full swing folks.

My eyes are misty at the announcement. I miss Tom, and this will actually get me to watch MTP which I only did very rarely...

libbynomore2
rewind2846 2008-06-22 03:08:40 PM

I don't really want K.O. to take the MTP chair, because then he couldn't do that anymore... and weeknights on MSNBC would be a lot less watchable.

Is that even possible?

It would be... if you were watching Faux instead... after your lobotomy... mind the drool...

/You! You cut up his brain, you bloody baboon!

Your_Huckleberry
His viewpoint sure did seem to change a bit, but I've heard him say several times that he was changed by September 11, believe him or not. Couldn't one make the same "cozy up to the far-right" crack about the likes of Al Franken with the far left?

That's just it... Al Franken has always been liberal, especially since his college days and his start as a performer. Even I, a liberal since I became politically aware, don't agree with everything he says, but I respect his integrity. He didn't 'cozy-up' to the left, he's always been left.

After 9/11 what testicles Miller used to have (and displayed so adroitly in both his standup and SNL) literally jumped out of his jockstrap and skittered under the desk in the Oval Office, where they remain to this day.

Some peoples' lives were changed after the terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, true... but most folks didn't become suckdick syncophants as Miller did. I cannot respect people who act out of fear and ignorance instead of knowledge.

Did anybody, including Chris Matthews, really think he had a shot at MTP?

bhandler: Chuck Todd is the exact template for what the show. It doesn't take much to pounce on a politician's chatter when you have a huge amazing production staff.

Chuck Todd is a fact machine and is the best thing NBC has to offer. By November he'll be ready and willing to kick some serious ass.

I don't see him as someone who challenges people. He had been saying, in subtle ways, that the Obama/Hillary race was over for a few months. No one listened and he didn't seem to hammer home the point enough.

I just don't think its his bag. I don't know who else it would be either. I am dissatisfied by all that I've heard of.