David Gregory Cut His Vacation Short In An Attempt To Save His Meet The Press Job

[babylonsister]

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/08/12/david-gregory-cut-vacation-short-attempt-save-meet-press-job.html

David Gregory Cut His Vacation Short In An Attempt To Save His Meet The Press Job
By: Jason Easley
Tuesday, August, 12th, 2014, 2:40 pm


People at NBC are talking, and the things they are saying about Meet The Press moderator David Gregory are not good. In the face of reports that he is about to be fired, Gregory cut his vacation short last week so that he could host Meet The Press.

Here’s the situation according to Politico:

David Gregory wasn’t supposed to host “Meet the Press” on Sunday. He was on a planned vacation in Nantucket, where, the night before, he had hosted a special presentation of the Boston Pops, sponsored by Coastal Living and Real Simple.

Midway through the week, however, Gregory changed his mind. His fate at “Meet the Press” had been the subject of numerous press reports. Page Six and others had declared him dead in the water come November. Several NBC personalities were already vying to replace him. Gregory was chartered back to Washington for Sunday’s program, having concluded, one NBC source said, that being off was “a dumb move” — that would have only further fueled speculation that the host was on his way out.

For well over a year now, NBC News executives have been trying to come up with a solution to what sources there referred to as “the David Gregory problem.” The host had driven NBC’s once-dominant Sunday show to the bottom of the ratings race. He was widely disliked within the organization and his ambition and vanity rubbed important colleagues at NBC the wrong way. Perhaps most importantly, he didn’t seem all that engaged with politics and policy, the bread and butter of Sunday public affairs programming.

It is nice that NBC finally noticed what many viewers caught on to years ago. David Gregory doesn’t care about politics. He has always been disinterested party on his own program. In the past I have referred to Gregory as the anti-Russert. David Gregory’s idea of research is to repeat Republican talking points on the air.

The interesting thing is that people at NBC seem to dislike Gregory for the exact same reasons that viewers have turned him off. David Gregory has never connected with viewers on a basic level. Many Meet The Press viewers don’t like or trust the current host. Gregory seems inauthentic to many of them, and viewers can tell that he isn’t interested in politics, but NBC is likely making a mistake by blaming all of the show’s problems on him.

Meet The Press is out of touch. The show relies too much on political conventional wisdom which is often made by people who treat Republican beliefs as facts. Replacing David Gregory with the equally bland and conventional Chuck Todd isn’t going to solve the problem. The problem is with the perceived balance of the show itself. If everything else stays the same, Chuck Todd’s Meet The Press won’t be much different from David Gregory’s version.

If Gregory showed as much passion for politics and informing viewers as he did for trying to save his job, Meet The Press wouldn’t be the disaster that it is today.

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. "Replacing David Gregory with the equally bland and conventional Chuck Todd".....

WHY? There's no difference between 'em.

[amandabeech]

25. They're both too conservative for me,

but Todd seems to be more interested in politics than Gregory, even though Todd doesn't think that it is his job to point out the problems with right wing talking points. Todd's really into the horse race school of covering politics.

[Tarheel_Dem]

43. "Todd's really into the horse race school of covering politics".

That's a problem. Say what you will about Tim Russert, he was a well informed, and well rounded host. Neither Gregory, nor Todd, bring anything like that to the table.

[Puglover]

2. God so axe him already.

Chuck Todd? It is astounding to me that people that are in positions with so much power could be so damned unimaginative.

[Cha]

14. Yes, besides being complete mediawhore$.. they are unimaginative as hell.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Bet he's gonna get some vacation time now.

Lots.

[AlinPA]

4. He'll always have a job at Fox 'news" (Rove can recommend him) or on the Sarah Palin channel.

[Skidmore]

5. I would watch if they returned to the original format of the show and lose the one host

only. Back in the day, there was a panel of real journalists and they asked real questions. You could tune in and really become informed.

[TeamPooka]

6. Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert could save Meet The Press. Who else could do it?

Not that Jon or Colbert are available but there has to be someone else with that skill set that could excite viewers and hold their own against our nation's politicians.

[tblue37]

7. Rachel Maddow possibly could, though her viewers would trend younger and more liberal. nt

[TeamPooka]

8. There is no perception of neutrality with Rachel like Stewart or Colbert.

Even if they are not neutral, the audience believes they are and fair too.

[Iggo]

23. There's no perception of neutrality with Stewart or Colbert either.

Also, MTP's a serious show and those two guys are straight up comedians.

[TBF]

26. Funny how the straight up comedians

Are the only ones brave enough to tell the truth.

[gratuitous]

9. This is serious!

I gotta get back to Washington and protect my phoney baloney job!

Somehow, I don't think Mr. Gregory is exactly hurting for money. Maybe he just likes being on the teevee every week?

[flamingdem]

10. Put Reverand Al in there!!

[n2doc]

11. There once was a hack from Nantucket…. n/t

[Jefferson23]

15. lol

[craigmatic]

12. Megan mccain or Steve Schmidt if they just have to have a repub host.

Bill Moyers, Stephanopolis, Maddow, or Chris Hayes for the dems

[calimary]

34. NO. MSNBC is supposed to lean left. Well, then, DAMMIT, DO IT.

I watch MSNBC simply BECAUSE I don't want to steep myself in wall-to-wall republi-CONS and CONservatives and other crap-spewers. I'm not interested in the CON point of view. Not at all. If I were, there are other quite workable round-the-clock alternatives available. I watch MSNBC because I want to see the liberal point of view enunciated, validated, enlarged up, and stressed, to educate the viewing public. To bring some balance back to broadcasting. I can go to Pox Noise if I want the teabagger or red-stater or willfully ignorant gits and bimbos. Or to CNN where they seem to think they wanna be mostly that way too. MSNBC is the only reliable place where I can find relief from that ruinous, toxic pig shit.

I'd put Maddow or yes, Keith Olbermann, in there as host, and watch the fireworks. Especially if Keith were on there. IN THEIR FACES!!!!! In their DAMN faces!!! If not Keith, I'd give Rachel Fridays off and make her host on MTP. And I'd turn those two hours on Friday where Rachel and O'Donnell would be - over to John Fugelsang. And I'd bring back the Young Turks. Just to stick it to the GOP in the Beltway. Suck on this! We lean LEFT. Just like the human heart. And we're proud of it. Don't like it? Go watch Pox then.

[Cha]

13. He had no other clue before he went on vaca?! Well, we knew he was

fucking clueless but then so is his so called potential replacement to be.

[calimary]

35. Denial is an awfully powerful thing.

[JI7]

16. what difference does it make ? isn't the problem ratings ?

maybe he is willing to take less pay ?

[elehhhhna]

17. BFD he drove 5 hours to NYC to work for a hlf day

OH THE HUMANITY!1111

[malaise]

18. Everything about David Gregory is...ahem...

a STRETCH.
Bush actually got the nickname right.

Fuck that ReTHUG hack - good riddance

[LordGlenconner]

22. Chuck Todd will be just as bad or worse

[malaise]

24. Absolutely

The press is mostly corporate hack spewing right wing talking points so not meeting them is our best option.

[Blue Idaho]

19. Gregory has been a disaster since day one on MTP.

The show is stuck in a "Groundhog's Day" loop of the usual suspects and usual stories and no one in the all important 25 to 54 age group is watching. Sticking Chuck Todd in the chair won't fix what's wrong with MTP. The show needs a total re-think and re-balance if it's going to survive.

America is not a center right nation and rightwing claptrap isn't going to protect the ratings.

Can Gregory's ass and send him down the road to Fox, he'll be much happier there...

[GeorgeGist]

20. David's not very bright.

He should have enjoyed his vacation.

[LordGlenconner]

21. That's what I'm thinking

Sounds like he's fucked seven ways to Sunday anyway. Should have stayed on the beach, Dave.

[cherokeeprogressive]

27. The problem as I see it is there aren't many "journalists" with an objective POV...

And an "objective" POV wouldn't be welcome in the first place.

[hatrack]

28. Not "disinterested" - that would be a good thing. "Uninterested" is the needed word.

Nice high school English flub there, Jason Easley, very serious political reporter that you are.

[Lint Head]

29. NBC owns MSNBC and Rachel Maddow would be perfect.

[Samantha]

32. Yes, she would be perfect but the conservative elements at Comcast

would not agree to putting an openly gay host on Meet the Press. That is just my opinion. They would see that as offensive to the conservative Republicans who they want to watch (and appear on as guests ) the show.

Comcast has a way of shooting itself in the foot. Rachel Maddow is an extremely knowledgeable and engaging personality, but she does seem to lean left. In Comcast's playbook, leaning right pretty okay, leaning left, a no go as a Meet the Press host.

Sam

[on point]

30. The inspired choice I saw suggested is Keith oberman

If they really want to save the show. Maybe too much crow for msnbc, or perhaps they live in their own echo chamber and don't realize how out of touch they are

[Shrike47]

31. With Todd, the ratings will continue going down and they will wring their hands and wonder why.

[AngryOldDem]

33. MTP isn't worth all this angst anymore.

I seriously can't think of one single person who can add any credibility to that program anymore. It's a relic from a time when the media were truly independent and not held hostage to their corporate masters.

[grasswire]

36. Bring back Phil Donahue.

They owe him.

[alp227]

37. "he had hosted a special presentation of the Boston Pops"

Was he booed?

[grahamhgreen]

38. It's the Lindsay Graham/ Rand Paul / McCain soapbox:

http://media.cq.com/facetime/

[COLGATE4]

39. Replacing 'Dances with Roves' with

Chucky Toad is just replacing Tweedledum with Tweedledumber.

[tavernier]

40. I have a bad feeling

that they'll go for the sympathy shot and put in young Luke. And certainly young Luke thinks he has all the answers.

I wouldn't mind seeing Brian Williams in that seat.

[Orsino]

41. Chuck Todd, that bundle of electricity, will save MTP.

By researching issues and challenging his guests on facts.

[liberalhistorian]

42. Sorry, too late. The GOP tool would

need a total brain transplant in order to keep his job.