'If it ain't broke don't fix it': Critics slam The View's struggle to find a permanent replacement for Meghan McCain
In August, GOP activist Meghan McCain left ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” — and with 2022 less than a week away, the show’s executive producer, Brian Teta, has yet to find a permanent replacement for her. Journalist Tara Palmeri, this week in Politico’s Playbook column, reports that “The View’s” permanent hosts are pressuring Teta to find someone sooner rather than later.
“When Meghan McCain departed in August,” Palmeri explains, “Teta initially told the Wrap that he was ‘taking a little time” to find a replacement.’ Since then, ABC has tried out a variety of conservative fill-ins, including S.E. Cupp, Alyssa Farah, Morgan Ortagus, Condoleezza Rice, Carly Fiorina and Gretchen Carlson…. And now, the longtime co-hosts — Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin — are upping the pressure to pick a successor, and voicing their displeasure at having to introduce new guest hosts week after week in a seemingly endless process that they find disruptive to the flow of the show.”
In November, Palmeri notes, Hostin told New York Magazine, “Right now, we still do need a really conservative voice. And we need someone that’s not duplicative of anyone else on the panel.”
The View is struggling to find a conservative replacement for Meghan McCain, per Politico PLaybook, as they're looking for someone who isn't a 2020 election denier and conspiracist but has credibility with GOP audiences.https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2021/12/27/the-view-struggles-to-find-a-republican-495553?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=d81bab3b-98cd-451e-af40-a16c4a6dd35d&nlid=630318\u00a0\u2026— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1640621877
CNN’s Ana Navarro, a Florida-based GOP activist and Never Trump conservative, has often been featured on “The View.” But according to Palmeri, Navarro “is perceived by the producers as too friendly with the other hosts and not a traditional Republican.”
However, Palmeri notes that the show’s producers “will not consider a Republican who is a denier of the 2020 election results, embraced the January 6 riots, or is seen as flirting too heavily with fringe conspiracy theories or the MAGA wing of the GOP. But at the same time, the host must have credibility with mainstream Republicans, many of whom still support Donald Trump.”
On one hand, Navarro, Cupp and CNN’s Amanda Carpenter are too polite to Democrats. On the other hand, someone who promotes wacko far-right conspiracy theories on Fox News wouldn’t work either. McCain is a vehement critic of former President Donald Trump, but she wasn’t shy about lashing out at Behar or Goldberg when she was on “The View.”
One person Palmeri doesn’t mention in the column is Fox News/Fox Business’ Lisa Kennedy Montgomery. She is right-wing without being a raving lunatic, but the former MTV veejay is way too libertarian for many MAGA Republicans. Although Montgomery is quite conservative fiscally, she is critical of the Christian Right and parts company with social conservatives when it comes to abortion, gay rights and marijuana.
Palmeri reports, “Sources said that the show was eager to recruit young libertarian Kat Timpf, but she turned them down because of the show’s reputation for treating conservatives poorly and her contract with Fox. Timpf declined to comment to Playbook.”
Politico Playbook also reports that Fox News contributor Kat Timpf, a regular panelist on Gutfeld!, has already turned down The View's offer to become Meghan McCain's replacement because of the show's poor handling of conservatives and her Fox contract.https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2021/12/27/the-view-struggles-to-find-a-republican-495553?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=d81bab3b-98cd-451e-af40-a16c4a6dd35d&nlid=630318\u00a0\u2026— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1640622094
Palmeri’s reporting on “The View” is inspiring a lot of discussion on Twitter. Here of some of the responses:
Only because I'd love to see them get lit up every day:\nMichelle Malkin\nJeanine Pirro\nCandace Owens\nAnn Coulter\nMegyn Kelly\nor........the best of all.....pic.twitter.com/bVlo19vlfg— Robert West (@Robert West) 1640632820
If Whoopi is up for an experienced TV personality who's totally cool with racism, might reach out to Megyn Kelly's management.— Freakanatcha (@Freakanatcha) 1640632330
Honestly they're not looking for someone who'll stimulate thoughtful discussion. They're looking for someone who'll have problematic opinions that'll piss people off but not to the point where people can accuse them of platforming conspiracy theorists.— \ud83c\udf84Sailor Super Flower Blood Moon\ud83c\udf84 (@\ud83c\udf84Sailor Super Flower Blood Moon\ud83c\udf84) 1640628889
Please @JoyVBehar call me so we can talk about how there is no such thing as a R willing to be truthful about the GOP's Big Lie Coup Plot that is still "respected by Republicans" bc its a party in a full blown crisis about to drag us all down with it— Rachel Bitecofer \ud83d\udcc8\ud83d\udd2d\ud83c\udf4c (@Rachel Bitecofer \ud83d\udcc8\ud83d\udd2d\ud83c\udf4c) 1640634789
I liked Mary Katharine Ham. She offers effective conservative counterpoints, writes for Federalist (so has GOP audience), but isn\u2019t some conspiracy theorist/election denier. Interesting personal story too; she was widowed at a young age.— Fake Math (@Fake Math) 1640654580
@ananavarro need I say more?? She has proven time and time again that we love her - Rep or Dem doesn't matter, she is awesome!— JoAnn (@JoAnn) 1640635729
The View panel right now is the best it has been for a long time.... if it ain't broke don't fix it— Politics, Policies & The People (@Politics, Policies & The People) 1640631217
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