I'm not convinced by the idea that Chuck Todd should replace Tim Russert on Meet the Press. I like Todd's political analysis and his on-air persona. Todd, however, is a horseracer. He's spent his career handicapping campaigns and gaming out political scenarios. He's arguably the best in the business at it. But Meet the Press, in theory, is more than a campaigns and politics show. It's a public affairs show. The host talks to policymakers about policy, generals about war, cabinet officials about their areas of expertise. Elections figure in there, but the host needs considerably more range. Russert, who was Daniel Patrick Moynihan's chief of staff and a counselor to governor Mario Cuomo, had considerable experience in politics as well as policy. His successor should also be able to marry the two. I'm a big fan of Todd's, but there's nothing in his background that suggests he'd be really good at talking about health reform or Syrian politics.
