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?

Around The Blogs: Continued Speculation, More Reference To David Gregory

David Gregory's name just pops up everywhere as a replacement for Tim Russert.  I really hope this trend stops...

Ryan Tate at Gawker looks at a list of possible replacements and includes Gregory among them, writing:

David Gregory, NBC's chief White House correspondent, has his own show on MSNBC (he replaced Tucker Carlson) and is the lead substitute for Matt Lauer on Today, so he has some of Russert's versatility. Famously confronted then-White House press secretary Scott McClellan over the delayed release of information about Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting accident.

A blogger by the handle of Amerigo Vespucci pretty much sums up why we started this blog about David Gregory and Meet The Press. He writes (emphasis added):

Gregory is familiar and steady, and has guest-hosted MTP in the past. There's no question he's a safe choice. However, I really, really, REALLY hope they don't pick him. Gregory is, simply put, a jerk who acts like a jerk on the air. He thinks extremely highly of himself, which isn't a crime, but it comes through in a smug air of superiority, which is for a newsman. He's also been undistinguished in his coverage. When Scott McClellan's book criticized the media for swallowing wholesale the swill that the White House fed them about the Iraq War, Gregory was absolutely obnoxious in his defensive self-excusing. Rather than take a serious self-examination and expect the best, which Russert would have done (and did), Gregory gave a thousand reasons why he was not to blame. It's true that he and the other reporters were misled, but this is Washington, jerkface, assume people are lying to you and investigate a little. Anyway, I can't envision looking forward to David Gregory on Sunday Mornings.

Another blogger's thoughts on Gregory filling the seat (emphasis added):

David Gregory – If only the man-who-thinks-he-can-dance, could put some of that excitement into his MSNBC show, Race for the White House, then, if selected, he might have better than a snowball’s chance in hell of maintaining the audience that Russert attracted. Final Vote: No way. Spare us the misery. I’d rather watch dust accumulate

Indeed.

Jonah Goldberg Thinks David Gregory is An Ass

It's not often I agree whole heartedly with Jonah Goldberg, but he's right on here:

Andrea Mitchell would be fine as a caretaker for the role, I suppose. But David Gregory seems like a terrible choice for among other reasons, he's not very likable on TV (Russert's likeability was a huge asset). Keith Olbermann would be a complete disaster, but I assume everyone not sniffing glue knows that. Chris Matthews would require changing the show to "Meet Chris Matthews's Ego." Katie Couric? Come now.

The best choice on the list of possibilities is Chuck Todd. I know Chuck a little, but friendship isn't my motivation. I think he's the only person on the inside track who'd actually consider the show to be more important than his TV career. Russert famously considered himself a "custodian" of MTP. I'd bet that Chuck would hold the same devotion, if not even more intensely. And with the exception of Matthews, Chuck knows more about politics than all of the other contenders combined. 

More MTP Speculation

Politico's Michael Calderone speculates on what comes after Russert. Gregory is mentioned, but nothing much new is added, except Joe Scarborough and Chuck Todd as long shots. 

Huffington Post's Dave Winer says Gregory is boring:

3. David Gregory seems most likely to get the job, he's covered the White House for six years, famously stood up to Scott McClellan, but frankly -- he's boring. Gregory would be a good choice if you think the Republican will win in the fall, but if it's Obama, you want someone bright and young and a little wet behind the ears, like Todd.

 Jossip reports that Gregory tramples on the reporting of others even when it's not deserved. And people are noticing.

... Gregory reportedly backstabbed a colleague in order to get on the NBC Nightly News, reporting on the Scott McClellan book scandal, all the while edging out NBC correspondent Kevin Corke, who did most of the reporting.

When news started trickling in about what McClellan would be saying in What Happened, Corke was traveling with President George Bush, who was in Colorado at the Air Force Academy. Producers had locked in Corke to report on the book’s controversy for that evening’s broadcast on May 28.

Except Gregory, who, we’re told, hasn’t appeared on Nightly News since he began his 6pm MSNBC show, made his case to anchor Brian Williams to let him lead the segment, since it was Gregory who was regularly covering McClellan two years ago, when he was White House press secretary.

“It was a classic ‘big foot’ [that] Gregory has long been known for,” says a well-placed insider.

...

Says our insider: “Nobody will forgive Gregory for big footing a guy as well liked and hardworking as Corke. And the fact Gregory doesn’t see this shows just how much Gregory’s judgment is impaired.”

Gregory thinks that the press deserves no criticism for what they did before the Iraq War. Others are willing to wonder what they could have done differently. 

Matt Yglesias doesn't comment on Gregory, but sides with Chuck Todd. 

Abu Hatem rejects Gregory out of hand. 

Roadkill Refuge is not impressed with Gregory at all

David Gregory has also had an audition of sorts with his 6pm show on MSNBC, sandwiched between the live and taped versions of Hardball. But like Andrea Mitchell, he’s been fairly unwatchable when hosting a show, and worse, he rarely offers any strikingly original insights. His comments are typically a predictable brew of tepid Beltway conventional wisdom.

Inside Cable News says Gregory is the frontrunner, but also says that both Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd are more qualified. 

Around The Blogs...

David Gregory's name continues to pop up as a replacement for Tim Russert...

Krusty Konservative wonders out loud who will replace Tim Russert and David Gregory comes up. Krusty Konservative writes (emphasis added):

I’m koncerned about who might replace Russert. The only other NBC political reporter that immediately komes to mind is David Gregory, who appears to be a hugely biased, pompous, arrogant, well, you fill in the blank

Jet Blach Jabbert wonders who's up to Russert's standards (emphasis added):

Is anyone up to par? Fox News can be taken out of the equation. George Stephanopoulos lost a lot of his building credibility after he and Charlie Gibson hosted what many consider the worst presidential candidate debate earlier this year. So how about David Gregory? He’s been known to ask some tough questions while a part of the White House Press Corp. But doubts were definitely raised when he did the hokey-pokey with M.C. Rove. And then there’s Keith Olbermann. I really enjoy his show and think it does a real service. But I don’t think there’s a question about which way he leans politically. Russert was skillfully able to deal the game without showing his hand.

Jamie Weinstein also considers possible replacements (emphasis added):

NBC’s David Gregory may be considered. I think his personality doesn’t suit the show. He is a bit obnoxious.

Chris Matthews is a natural inquisitor, but Mathews has become too overtly partisan recently. He has made it known that he wants to run for the Senate in Pennsylvania as a Democrat. With such a revelation, it would be impossible, I would imagine, to make him host of Meet the Press.

Chuck Todd knows his politics, but I am not sure he has the personality to take over the show. I don’t think he could carry it.

An interesting choice, I think, would be Tucker Carlson. Carlson, while conservative, is really all over the place with many of his positions. He was the best pundit on television when he had his show on MSNBC. He is thoughtful and engaging. He won’t be Tim Russert by any means, but he would bring an interesting style of his own. I hope NBC will consider allowing Tucker to guest host a few shows to see how he does. Carlson could be an interesting possibility.

Guidelive.com's Stephen Becker considers David Gregory the favorite:

Even money: David Gregory, veteran White House correspondent, Today show stand-in and host of his own election show on MSNBC. Angular, charming, not as avuncular as Mr. Russert, but definitely a high Q-factor guy.

Dancing Fool

Yet another piece of information to reflect on:

For The Record: David Gregory Sounding Like He's Drunk On Imus

Just in case you forgot (or, haven't yet had the pleasure of seeing this), here's David Gregory sounding drunk on Imus:

Introduction: A Call To Arms

Welcome to the blog. Our mission statement is the title, simple as that.

It took less than 12 hours following Tim Russert's tragic death for the calls to start.

Journalists with credibility don't do stuff like this:



There'll be more. Lots more. Unless MSNBC comes to their senses and gives the chair to Brokaw or Andrea Mitchell.

We make one promise: to maintain this blog regularly until David Gregory is no longer an option to host Meet the Press.