boo. david gregory may have done some good in the wh press corps, but ever since he left that beat, all he's done is peddle the beltway conventional wisdom.

i'd love to see the standard MTP opening credit sequence replaced by the footage of Gregory dancing with MC Rove, just to remind people about the wonderfully cozy relationship between big time reporters and the people they cover.

**warm hugs**

Hell, Angela Mitchell or Gwen Ifill (who are often bloody awful) would be better.
I have said before that once there was this long running show (hosted by one Lawrence Spivak, publisher of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction) where members of the Press asked questions (sometimes tough, sometimes fawning: and sometimes aggressive, for at age twelve, watching this program, I wondered what was wrong with journalist Robert Novak, and was he the prototype for the cartoon villain Simon Bar Sinster), hence the name "Meet the Press".
It was a pretty decorous affair, with real news actually being made infrequently. Somehow, the affiable but not very journalistic Tim Russert got the moderator chair, and the Q & A with other Washington Journalists went by the wayside.
I still think it would be a better show with the moderator/panel format, if you could let, say, Dan Froomkin or some real journalists (as opposed to Mainstream Media hacks) do the asking..

Maybe I'm being to lenient, but I don't think I'd blame Gregory for the poor showing of his MSNBC show, either in terms of content or ratings. It's just a terribly formatted, very much ill-conceived program that was designed to cash in on the big ratings the primary was getting, with very little thought given its long term sustainability. Add in the "virtual roundtable," and it's just utterly unwatchable. Even Maddow looked foolish on that show.

I don't know if he was the best person to host MTP or not, but seriously, can we stop pretending we're talking about some revered institution here? MTP is an elite Beltway program that relies on getting big newsmaking names onto the show. The host isn't going to be some brutal inquisitor, because that would scare away the big name politicians and the ratings would suffer.

Gregory is a horrible, horrible choice. The worst choice they could have made. The guy is a stuffed shirt who not only is a weak-minded fool, but is annoying and unlikeable to boot.

MTP is dead.

I wonder whom he slept with to get the gig.

I'm with freakshow and JB's being generous: Gregory was a lousy White House reporter, too. He's a terrible, and snoozy host, and he's a lousy interviewer to boot (which is saying something given that replacing overrated Russert's interviews shouldn't be that hard). I know Brokaw couldn't stay, but it's been refreshing to see a grownup do the show the way I remember it - an intelligent conversation, among adults, that doesn't pull punches (Brokaw more or less eviscerated Lieberman last week, for instance, something Gregory just can't be expected to do). The sad thing is this will likely make a number of equally weak picks - Matthews on his weekly syndicated show, Stephanopolous, Wallace on FNS, even McLaughlin - look much better than they actually are. And Gregory should pretty much give away every ratings advantage MTP currently holds. Nice work, NBC!

Gregory is boring as hell. The man oozes bland.

Who gives a shit?

Anything to get Brokaw back off the air.

Anything.

Brokaw is ancient and doddering. He's pompous, pretentious, and a strong enemy of first ammendment rights. There's nothing wrong with David Gregory. Stephanopoulos did not have governing experience -- rather he was a Clinton hatchetman, passing on Bill Clinton's threats to any and all who dared speak up against him. Watch him threaten some poor guy over the phone in the movie The War Room. He runs a lively show, and is good looking. Gwen Ifill is unbelievably boring, pedestrian and conventional. My conclusion, and I have one, is that David Gregory is no worse than any of these others.

David Gregory is the perfect choice for MTP. He has a largely undeserved reputation for being a "tough" questioner, but he's not really very tough at all, so politicians will still do the show and get credit for proving their mettle.

He's just like Russert, in other words.

as long as he continues the paeans to the Sabres and Bills Gregory is okay with me

Stephanopoulos is good looking? Really?

David Gregory abuses his own stool.

In the fine tradition of Tim Russert, I'm sure we can expect Gregory to suck the cocks of Republicans while asking tough questions of the Democrats. Especially the more liberal, non-Blue-Dog ones.

I'm with Ezra on this. The one-on-one Sunday shows need questioners who have some experience, if not in government then at least in public policy. Gregory and other generalist political/White House reporters aren't equipped to do more than parse soundbites.

The best we can hope for is a good crew of researchers, whose questions -- and follow-ups -- Gregory will use.

Gregory has never had an original thought in his life. That Chuck Todd didn't get this job is an outrage.

That Chuck Todd didn't get this job is an outrage.

Clearly Chuck didn't suck enough, or the right, cock.

All talk shows should be hosted by Clinton enforcers or sycophants: let Terry Lenzner host Washington week in review, Bruce Lindsey host Face the Nation, and David Gergen host E!News

Chuck Todd is too ugly to be on TV regularly and not nearly likeable enough.

Several commenters have hit the nail on the head: Gregory is the perfect replacement for Russert. Somehow he's acquired an undeserved reputation for asking tough questions, when in fact he's been a reliable conduit for GOP talking points and can be counted upon not to upset any of the nice polite folks who go to Peggy Noonan's cocktail parties. Let the fellatio resume!

Per the NY Times this AM (and I tend to believe them on this one) Gregory basically got the MTP job because the one he really covets (and they want him for) is the Today Show. That's the prime moneymaker at NBC, and he's a long-time substitute for Matt Lauer. MTP is for him a warming plate until Lauer gives up TDS and Gregory can step into that. They were afraid he would consider jumping to GMA (on ABC) when his contract at NBC is up (2010) and this is basically an attempt to hold him until he can take over Today. Just another example of the melding of politics and entertainment in media. MTP? TDS? The political interviews on both aren't all that different.

Always remember: It's not that they actively *believe* what the republicans say, it's just that they don't *care* whether or not it's true.

I look forward to them treating Obama with the same disinterest.

Clearly Chuck didn't suck enough, or the right, cock.

A common problem for the up-and-coming media figure. How do you know whose cock to suck?

The answer: suck every cock. Every cock in your general vicinity, get down on your knees and suck that shit.

I just know that whomever posted "...and Gregory's goodlooking" has got to be a man.

Because I can surely tell you, he's a beast. A freak even. I would just like you find me a freakshly tall, oddly-shaped, prematurely grey woman with a mouth shaped like a monkey's, who any one would give a high profile tv job to.

My how easy you fellas are on yourselves.

He's gross. Undatable!

Whoever it was said that Stephanopoulos is good looking, not Gregory (at least that seems clear to me). Either assertion is preposterous, of course.

I remember being grossed out at seeing him dance with Karl Rove when Rove was trying in a very lame way to "rap".

Another white boy for the morning corporate news.
I'd rather tear my eyes out than watch the bile that spills out of the tube every Sunday morning.
Good Day!

Ladies like the prematurely grayed. It's a fact.

Gregory still strikes me as pre-pubescent.