Success!! Brokaw Temporary MTP Host

This pace of this blog has understandably slowed down. But big news today, as NBC announced that Tom Brokaw will host MTP through the election. Brian Williams was adequate today, but Brokaw is the perfect temporary host (Andrea Mitchell also would have sufficed, imho.). 

We'll keep tabs on the permanent host search, and mark my words - for every positive word about David Gregory anywhere anytime in that role, you'll see two negative words here. 

Advantage Keanu

I'm not kidding. 

Poll: Gregory Not A Popular Choice

David Gregory only registered 14% in a FishbowlDC/TVNewser poll of who should host Meet the Press. That's 14% too much! There's more work to be done! That was good enough for a distant fourth place. 

We prefer Brokaw and Ifill, but understand the appeal of Chuck Todd too. We're just not sure he has the chops to question people. His strength is clearly analysis. 

Also, blogger Tea512 pithily summarizes two problems with Gregory (my emphasis):

David Gregory already works at NBC and he has hosted the show in the past. The problem he is not liked, or seen as a nice person, so they may not get important guests and lose ratings. 

Around the Blogs

Virginia Virtucon thinks Gregory will be the end of MTP if selected.

Blogger Ozarque watches Race for the White House and finds Gregory to just be annoying. 

The Sportsman's Bio imagines what Russert would say about Gregory or Matthews taking over: "Several handlers assigned to a visibly distressed Russert tried soothing him, though one made the mistake of asking him who he'd rather have as his MTP replacement--Chris Matthews or David Gregory. "Please, anyone else, ANYONE! I'd take Pat Buchanan over those guys. Heck, I'd take Pat Sajack...but not those bozos. I'm begging you.""

Gregory's Attitude Is A Problem

Verne Gay speculates on MTP in Newsday. He wants Brokaw as temporary host (which makes all kinds of sense); he narrows down permanent options to Gwen Ifill and Gregory. After talking up Ifill, he says she is not an option ... because she hosts "Washington Week." That's right, "Washington Week." On PBS. Sorry, I'm not buying that. 

Meanwhile, Gay admits that nobody likes Gregory is completely unlikeable, but sides with him anyways because he was able to yell at McClellan. 

Let me ask one question: when did Russert ever yell at a guest? Likeability is a huge part of a host. And Russert's ability was not grounded in his ability to take a tough stand on asking first questions, but asking great followup questions and not accepting spin from people who should be prepared. Picking ten seconds from Gregory's entire career does not demonstrate that skill at all. We've watched him. We watch White House Press Briefings for fun. We've suffered through the insufferable show of his on MSNBC. And we don't want to have to put the nation through that. Despite the fact that sometimes his attitude can be used for good. It's a giant negative on the whole. 

The speculation about Luke Russert is absurd (we hate nepotism here at DGSNBHOMTP. Wow, that's an inefficient abbreviation.), but even he would be a better choice than Gregory. 

When Tim Russert Went to Sports Games...

We're willing to bet he did not buy tickets illegally from scalpers. Or at the least, get photographed doing so.

For shame, David. 

Gregory Not In Running for MTP?

Positive news MTPers! 

Variety is reporting inside news that it is unlikely that any MSNBC personality would be the one to fill Tim Russert's seat on Meet the Press. That is good news indeed. (Chris Matthews would also be a terrible choice. Morning Joe is actually really good, but Joe Scarborough is a better fit in that format than in any sort of formal setting; Scarborough Country was mind numbingly boring.)

Bradley Freedman differentiates Tim Russert from David Gregory; Russert wasn't shamelessly self-promoting himself like Gregory does. 

Doug Patton scoffs at Gregory, calling him "preening."

Escott Jones prefers Gwen Ifill to Gregory; he complains about Gregory 'campaigning' for the post.

Viva Chuck Todd admits they are biased but says about Gregory that "what echoes constantly when Gregory's name is brought up is his elite arrogance and cozy relationships he shares with key political figures sometimes skewing his objectivity."

You don't say?