Chris Matthews Tops Russert Replacement List

Associated Press ^ | June 16, 2008

[Free ThinkerNY]

Still reeling from Tim Russert's death, NBC News must now contemplate replacing the man who not only dominated the Sunday morning talk shows, but served as chief political commentator and ran the Washington bureau.

The "Meet the Press" host had what was arguably the most important and far-reaching job in television news, particularly in an election year. He died of a heart attack Friday while preparing for another week's edition of "Meet the Press."

NBC wasn't talking about potential successors while planning Russert's wake on Tuesday and memorial service Wednesday that will be televised on MSNBC from the Kennedy Center. Top anchor Brian Williams cancelled an appearance Monday at the Peabody Awards to be with his stricken staff.

NBC has potential successors to Russert on "Meet the Press" already within the company. The decision has big financial implications, since the show reportedly earns more than $60 million a year in profits with relatively few expenses and often has a waiting list of potential advertisers.

A wrong move can provide an opportunity to ABC News' "This Week" and George Stephanopoulos, which has averaged 2.8 million viewers this year. That's second to NBC's 4.17 million, with both networks up from last year during a period of heavy political attention.

"Hardball" host Chris Matthews is the best-known internal candidate. He already has a Sunday talk show syndicated by NBC Universal that's very competitive with the networks, despite taping on Friday. "The Chris Matthews Show" averages about 2.3 million viewers, less than CBS' "Face the Nation" and more than Fox's show with Chris Wallace.

Matthews was considered a candidate to replace Bob Schieffer on "Face the Nation" earlier this year, until Schieffer decided to stay on a few more years.

[mylife]

David Gregory and Keith Olberman have been placed on suicide watch.

[Utah Binger]

[aliquando]

That gives me a tingly feeling up my leg. Whoopdee frickin’ doo!

[mylife]

Whoaa.... Obama just got a tingle up his leg!

[yldstrk]

Do it, do it NBC. Pick a complete loser to take his place and sink your station!

[Hildy]

Isn’t it a prerequisite for a interviewer to actually listen to the interviewee? Worst choice ever if they do. He’s not a likable fellow.

[mylife]

GMTA!

[Miss Didi]

RUSH:...Then they had Matthews come on. Matthews is on vacation. Listen to this. You talk about making it about them! In fact, I predicted to some friends, "Before long, before long..." On Friday afternoon, I predicted to Levin and a couple others, I said, "This Russert death is going to be blamed on Bush for creating all kinds of stress among journalists over the Iraq war."

MATTHEWS: When we went to war with Iraq, he and I had a little discussion about that. And this is where he is everyman. This is where Tim is Mr. or Miss America, Mrs. America. He is us, as a country. I said, "How can you believe this war is justified?" and he said, "The nuclear thing. If they have a bomb that they can use, we gotta deal with it. We can't walk away from that," and that, to me, was the essence of what was wrong with the whole case of the war, that they knew the argument that would sell with Mr. America, with the regular guy, with the true American patriot. They used the argument that would sell, that would get us into that war. Tim was right on the nail. He was us, the American people. And that, to me, is just something that's been coming in my head the last couple hours, when Tim and I had that conversation, that that was the thing that sold America. And the guys who wanted the war used that one thing that would sell the patriot in Tim Russert.

RUSH: Do you hear what has just been said? Russert has been dead less than six hours, and Matthews is on TV blaming Bush for fooling Russert, the great patriot. Lying to the great patriot, Russert, and that's what got us into the war. So he blamed Russert! He blamed Russert essentially for the Iraq war when there... (interruption) What? Well, Bush and Russert, Russert for being fooled by it, and Bush for lying to him about it.

In Russert Coverage, Elite Media Mourn Passing of Their Own

[Utah Binger]

Something just ran down my leg.

[Joann37]

What disrespect it would show to Russert to have a loud-mouth, disrespectful windbag on as his replacement.

[mylife]

Yukkk..

[Joann37]

And note that this story is from the AP. Rush did a whole segment today on how the AP is driving these stories. I almost think this story was some sort of a plant, to combine Rush’s comments re: Matthews’ improper eulogy of Russert, with his point that the AP influences other media outlets, setting the tone and message that other outlets will surely pick up.

Appointing Matthews (or Olbermann, of course) would begin the demise of MTP, that’s for sure. Its credibility would be gone within a week.

[oldbill]

Dan Rather is available.

[TheEaglehasLanded]

Maybe the Republicans that bother to show up can play the tapes of Chris’s comments and walk off.

[aliquando]

Call me illiterate, but the best I can get from that is Go my tingly appendage? I am sure it is not that.

[MNlurker]

talk about wrapping a gift for Georgie and ABC...

[TruthWillWin]

No way will it be Mathews. But then again, now way would they replace Ra^ther with Katie.

They could do it. Just don't get it, never will

[jimfree]

Chris would have to change his personality. This would be a very bad choice. The host of Meet the Press never has tingles, at least on camera.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Jon Stewart, Randi Rhodes or Janeane Garofolo would be better than Chrissy "Peace Corps" Matthews.*

* which ain't sayin' much...