Still, the show must go on and Tim would likely want it that way.

While his wake has not yet begun, I'm sure the authorities at NBC are scrambling to find a suitable replacement that will honor the memory of Tim Russert while asserting the individual talents the next host. I offer my opinions as an outsider and really have the utmost curiosity as to the strategies employed by those who will choose Tim's successor.

I would bet that they are only looking inside the NBC family, perhaps one of Tim's protégés, for a good candidate. So, I'll evaluate those I think are first in line - and, obviously, I could be way off.

Chris Matthews

I seriously doubt Chris is really in contention. First of all, he's too old. The new moderator of Meet the Press needs to be more youthful - around 40, I'd say - and ready to carry the mantle for a decade or more. Furthermore, Chris is really making his mark on his own show, Hardball, that was designed for him and suits him so well. I rarely miss it. Plus, Chris can be inclined to put that old foot in his mouth, which I generally appreciate being prone to the disease myself, but it just doesn't seem Meet the Press style.

David Gregory

David Gregory, perhaps the next in line for such a promotion, is another ballsy, no-holds-barred questioner whether he was insisting on an answer from the president or one of his subordinates. He is tenacious and another one of those seemingly-encyclopedic minds regarding the machine that is Washington. His problem: he doesn't have the X factor (I hate that saying). While you can sense his fever for politics, there is nothing that truly draws the viewer to him. Perhaps he needs more camera time as a moderator on Race for the White House to hit his stride.

Norah O'Donnell

Norah would be one of my top picks. She's smart, sassy, from Texas and would be the first woman host of Meet the Press. She's either just had her third kid in a year or is about to have it, which would likely be a major factor in her decision should she be offered the position. She's only 34 and could take a few years to really reach the same level of respect Tim had with those whom he sparred. I think she'd be a wonderful replacement, though. She is, however, and Irish Catholic - which wouldn't do well in the area of ethnic diversity for the show, but - in my expert opinion - gender diversity makes up for it.

Chuck Todd

Chuck would the shot in the dark - completely inexperienced in both on-air hosting duties and hardcore questioning of politicos. I think he would be great, however. Chuck has the gleam in the eye that was so magnetic in Tim. He understands the numbers and the culture and has the work ethic of an appropriate successor. Already, he's a fast-rising star with his own cultish fan base of newsies. His responses are measured and well thought out. He stays calm and collected and humble whenever the camera light finds him. He's a relative unknown, but with a few years' marination in the interviewer's seat, he'd be awesome.

I'm leaving out David Shuster, Kelly O'Donnell - even Rachel Maddow would be a good candidate if she didn't wear her bias (or, as I like to think, common sense) on her sleeve (I really dig her commentary and analysis, though). The new host, I think, should be a hardworking youngblood. Tim was a little over 40 when he took the reigns and a replacement of that age would be given time to mature without too much viewer judgment.

Hopefully, they'll rotate hosts in the next weeks using members of the NBC family, as well as outsiders and political insiders. That will provide time for the best decision to be made while keeping viewer interest to see how each guest host performs. The prerequisite should only be their preparation, passion and camera readiness.

I'll be watching and supportive regardless of who they pick to rebuild the legacy. No one can replace Tim, but at least his memory can be honored by the choice of an excellent successor.

UPDATE: L.A. Times reporting Brian Williams to host Meet the Press this weekend. I'll be watching.

If it’s Barack Obama’s party, then I vote Chuck Todd for Keymaster. You remember the Keymaster, right? Next to the host, the Keymaster is the most important person at the party because he/she is the person who collects everyone’s keys when they arrive and then gets to decide who’s too drunk to get their keys back when they try to leave. The host may set the party up and keep it going, but the Keymaster controls who leaves the party and how.

Even without his big red marker and fifty-state map, Chuck Todd still managed to be responsible for the most exciting moments of MSNBC’s coverage of the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting (because anything with the word “committee” in the title is guaranteed to be a snooze-fest). Not only did he damn near single-handedly bring the committee back from the World’s Longest Lunch (I mean, how awesome was it that he was in the middle of reporting intel that he was receiving about the Michigan and Florida deals and then, suddenly, the committee starts filing back into the room as if he conjured them up), but then he later pronounced emphatically “This is Barack Obama’s party now.”

Did everyone hear that? The Keymaster has spoken, and if he deems you sober enough to leave, it’s time for you to go home. And if you’re too drunk, he’ll find you a ride. Give the man a red marker and a dry erase board, and he’ll organize the whole thing. Harold Ickes? No way you’re getting your keys back, Dude—somebody obviously spiked your Haterade during that twelve-hour lunch because you seem a little cranky. Anyone want to give Harold a ride? Anyone? How about one of you Clinton supporters? Wait…bad idea, because most of you seem like you’ve had a little too much as well. Norah O’Donnell—wanna give these folks a ride? You’re obviously sober, being about fifteen months pregnant and all (and, seriously, I want to know what kind of deal Norah O’Donnell has with the devil that even at 9:30 in the morning and pregnant she still gets to look like she just stepped off the set of Sex and the City. Not. fair.). Andrea Mitchell—you get to take everyone who won’t fit in Norah’s car. Sorry, but that’s what you get for that jab about protecting The Chuck from the screaming Clinton supporters.

The Chuck does not need your protection.

The Chuck is The Keymaster.

Hope your car has a big back seat.

1. When Obama tries to “Edwards down” his speeches (basically adding in anecdotes about people he's met and everyday problems), he sounds kinda bored. He wakes up quite a bit when he starts talking about changing the process.

2. Obama did add a nice bit of patriotism in his victory speech last night; nice use of imagery too -- "flag-draped coffin," "shuttered steel mills," etc...

3. That poor placard-waving guy with the teal Izod shirt behind Obama sure was entertaining. I can't be sure, but it seemed like he spent a little more energy trying to figure out when he was supposed to cheer than he actually did listening to the speech. I felt pretty happy for him when he got it right. Still, it wasn't as distracting as the A & F trio following Pennsylvania.

4. Bill Clinton is a bit transparent. Watching him stand behind Hillary last night, it was clear he knew it was over. He was pretty clearly lost in his own thoughts... I don't often use the word wistful, but...

5. Hillary sounded a bit Lieberman-esque "3 way tie for third" when she tried to pull that "we won the tie-breaker" stuff.

6. Also, that weird fundraising call during her speech didn't really play.

7. By the end of it, she sounded like she was just reading the words off the paper. Wow, I felt really badly for her.

8. Watching Harold Ford Jr. on MSNBC after 9pm makes me tired. Every time he blinks, I don't expect his eyes to re-open.

9. Watching Norah O'Donnell present early exit poll data is always staggeringly misleading. About an hour before the polls in Indiana closed, she revealed that almost half of Democratic voters in both states considered the Reverend Wright controversy "an important factor" in making a decision. I pointlessly tried to figure out the math on that for about 60 seconds until I checked online and read that Obama was leading in those same exit polls by 15 points in North Carolina. Sure glad the networks embargo the head-to-head numbers before polls close... keeps people from jumping to conclusions...

10. I think they've managed to tame Chris Matthews a bit since his little "thrill running up my leg" remark he made after the Chesapeake Primary.

But MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell had other ideas. Don't get me wrong: Edwards did get to briefly respond to McCain's proposed policies. But to be afforded that privilege, Edwards first had to field two questions about Senator Barack Obama's re-re-repudiation of Reverend Jeremiah Wright. And the ensuing health care conversation lasted all of two questions before O'Donnell commenced a five-question attempt to pin down the Edwards' family endorsement, forcing Elizabeth Edwards to find newer and more creative ways to parry the question.

O'Donnell was inadvertently honest about it, telling Edwards, "This is a big deal, health care for many Americans. It's not as sexy as Reverend Wright is now."

There's more if you are inclined at the link.

• Even NewJerseyans can be dim sometimes. This article from NJ.com highlights the campaign stop that the Big Dawg made in Camden. The media and Obama's campaign has been somewhat successful at shutting the Big Dawg up. But it's sorta in his nature to not hold back. Actually, I don't have a problem with that but it has to be done very carefully. He's larger than life and that kind of stature always comes with a proportionally sized magnifying glass. On the other hand, Obama will never be able to relax as long as the Big Dawg is out there. But getting back to stupidity. The Clinton campaign has NOT been playing the race card for one simple reason- Hillary can't win black voters by doing it. Accusing them of doing it has been very successful but it doesn't parse logically. As for the Jesse Jackson statement, just because something is true doesn't mean it was meant to be racist. Obama was always going to be favored in South Carolina. He pulled out all of the stops and spent a lot of money there which meant that Hillary had to campaign there as well in a state she was guaranteed to lose the minute Obama announced his candidacy. But that's because it was South Carolina. And anyone can see that Obama is an intelligent, charismatic candidate. The state that started to put things in perspective is Florida because there was little campaigning done there, the population is quite diverse and it appears that experience *does* matter. But, whatever. I just hope that when this is all over that Obama makes amends for driving a wedge into the heart of the party.
  There is plenty of visual evidence that the Obama campaign is making its stand in black neighborhoods. The borough of Somerville which has a diverse population in the midst of the mostly white and asian central NJ suburbs is festooned with Obama signs. Oh, Hell, I actually like Obama, OK? I said it. I will work like a fanatic for him if he's the nominee. But I want the best qualified person to be in the WH in Jan, 2009 because it's going to be so bad that even the best will be over her head.
• I have to agree with Digby on MSNBC's coverage of the Florida primary last night. I had to turn Countdown's coverage off, last night. That's how bad it's become. The anti-Clinton theme fairly jumps off the screen. And not just from Tweety. Plus, they've relegated Norah "Betty Crocker" O'Donnell to standing in front of a scoreboard distracting us with weird catalog model hand positions. (Do models and women broadcasters take lessons in that subject?) And I don't even like Noron but I don't like to see women subjected to silly Vanna White status. Can't you make her wear a nice pantsuit so she can stick her hand in one pocket while she gesticulates with the other to make her point? Better to just replace her altogether with another Rachel Maddow and let Tweety stand at the scoreboard with nothing much to say. C'mon, guys, do you have to be so obvious? If you're going to turn into another outpost of DailyKos Obama delirium, I'm going to start hanging out at CNN more. Think about that, KO, Anderson Cooper will be stealing your mojo. Anderson COOPER.
• Florida *did* count. I suspect that next Tuesday is going to be huge for Clinton but between now and then, the media is going to pull out all the stops to show how young and sexy Obama is and what a dried up old prune Clinton is. That goes doubly so with the supporters. All the Obamaphiles will look like Sports Illustrated athletes and swimsuit models. All Clintonistas will look like Bea Arthur and short indigenous Honduran illegal immigrants who collect the shopping carts in the local grocery store parking lot. They will conveeeeeniently forget that there are many well educated 40 something women pulling in decent salaries that can't wait to push that big lumenescent Hillary Clinton button on the Sequoia voting machine. Oh, yeah, baby, Tuesday is going to be great. It'll be just me and several million of my fellow New Jerseyans pushing Hillary buttons all day long. Orgasmic. Tweety will never know what hit him.
• Many of you Kossack alums who I love dearly will have received invitations to post here. And I really mean it. Please take me up on the offer. You can probably tell that I get a little crazy when I'm by myself too long. At first, I didn't think that anyone would read this outpost. Kos had assigned me to raving and blathering in the dark and scary wilderness outside the warmth and light of the palisade. But it's actually not too bad. In just over a week, I've gotten more than 1000 hits. I'll never be a big orange satan and I'm not aspiring to it. That would be a full time job. But even as a part time job, it's a bit time consuming. So, I would really appreciate some lucid voices. If you guys are holding back because the name of the blog is too closely identified with me, we *could* change it. I found the page (among many administrative pages) that will allow us to do so. So, if that's the only thing holding you back, give me a new name and start posting!

Norah O'Donnell: How much will the party face a sort of *wrenching* internal debate no matter who wins the nomination? I mean, just how damaging is this nomination fight?

AB Stoddard: I think it's doing terrible damage already, and, of course, everyone is talking about the fact that the February fifth conclusion is not going to be met. We're going to be looking at this delegate, you know, pile up for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton probably through March fourth and way beyond. I think tht they are asking questions about how much of a role race played but also how much of a role Clinton fatique is playing. What, what, what these tactics from the Clinton campaign is stirring up among Democrats and especially among party elders is the feeling that if they return to the same old sort of "win at any cost" cynical politics, they're going be weakened going into the general election.

JAYsus, can we please get these two princesses of conventional wisdom off the fricking TV, for gawd's sakes? Haven't they been spouting this crap for a couple of years now? And does anyone care? Who gave us Clinton fatigue, AB? And tell me how it could possibly be that the party elders are going to stand back and let the party be ripped apart by these cynical "win at any cost" politics? Barack seems to be quite at home with such tactics. If anyone has been stirring up the race card, it's been Obama since Hillary has absolutely nothing to gain from it.

And that's another thing, how stupid do they think we are? Just because they keep repeating this drivel about how Clinton is playing the race card doesn't mean that it parses logically. In fact, the charge makes absolutely no sense because the results don't accrue in Clinton's column. Racial identity politics only work for Obama in this race.

Please put Rachel Maddow on more. I can't take the Norah "Betty Crocker" O'Donnell anymore and AB Stoddard has the intellectual curiosity of a table lamp.