Meet The Press: Who should replace Russert?

[LowlyPion]

Any comments on the new host, David Gregory?

Not too impressed. I saw his interview of Tzipi Livni (I love just saying that name) and I thought he could get a job as her publicist for the milquetoast softballs he lobbed her way about the incursion into Gaza. I read a Salon piece after that complained about the same thing. It couldn't hurt to have a harder hitting interviewer. Personally I like Stephanopoulis as I think he balances insight and firmness and keeps his guests focused on answering the questions. But then he already has his own gig.

Personally I'd be interested in seeing more of Fareed Zakaria, not as a guest as he so often seems to be when I see him, but as an interviewer, which may not really be his thing. Maybe not the host on Meet the Press then I suppose. He often brings an external to the US perspective on things that I rather enjoy.

I regularly watch the BBC feeds just because it seems to me US reporting is more reticent to hold up a mirror of ourselves.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Not too impressed. I saw his interview of Tzipi Livni (I love just saying that name) and I thought he could get a job as her publicist for the milquetoast softballs he lobbed her way about the incursion into Gaza. I read a Salon piece after that complained about the same thing. It couldn't hurt to have a harder hitting interviewer.

So far I would have to agree. I'm hoping that Gregory will get better with time, but Russert had the unique ability to play hardball while not making enemies.

Personally I like Stephanopoulis as I think he balances insight and firmness and keeps his guests focused on answering the questions. But then he already has his own gig.

As Brinkley got old, so did This Week, and it didn't recover until Stephanopoulis took over. But now I find that it is almost as good as MTP was under Russert. He does a great job and has top-notch panelists.

Unfortunately, Face the Nation is still a joke - barely a shadow of itself in its hayday.

Personally I'd be interested in seeing more of Fareed Zakaria, not as a guest as he so often seems to be when I see him, but as an interviewer, which may not really be his thing. Maybe not the host on Meet the Press then I suppose. He often brings an external to the US perspective on things that I rather enjoy.

I was a fan of his while he hosted Foreign Exchange, but he has some funny ideas. One night I saw him in a panel discussion where he suggested some kind of crazy scheme that had the US paying huge sums of money to China for a reason that made even less sense [don't recall the specifics anymore]. David Gergen was all but laughing at him... in fact he did at one point. I found myself much less impressed with Zakaria's reasoning and logic.

 

[LowlyPion]

I was a fan of his while he hosted Foreign Exchange, but he has some funny ideas. One night I saw him in a panel discussion where he suggested some kind of crazy scheme that had the US paying huge sums of money to China for a reason that made even less sense [don't recall the specifics anymore]. David Gergen was all but laughing at him... in fact he did at one point. I found myself much less impressed with Zakaria's reasoning and logic.

I haven't seen him all that much. And only as a guest. I've read a number of his pieces and it struck me he was fairly analytical and definitely presented a less US indoctrinated viewpoint which might make for more provocative News. On the other hand if he is more a crackpot then that would be a waste.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I haven't seen him all that much. And only as a guest. I've read a number of his pieces and it struck me he was fairly analytical and definitely presented a less US indoctrinated viewpoint which might make for more provocative News. On the other hand if he is more a crackpot then that would be a waste.

I don't know if I would call him a crackpot, but as I said, he has some funny ideas; the logic of which completely elluded not only me, but Gergen as well.