Sunday, September 23, 2007
ABCs "This Week"
It has been awhile since we watched ABCs This Week . George Stephanopoulos, who appeared a good choice as host, seemingly bright and congenial, does indeed possess those qualities, but he is a weak and incompetent host. Stephanopoulos is incapable of teasing out coherence. The show is well represented graphically by the seating. Instead of a large table, with room for thoughts to grow, as Thoreau might have liked, you have this group of yentas clucking all at once, like chickens in a henhouse, shoulder to shoulder.
The producer is not overseeing the show: the interview with Hillary Clinton lasted way too long and Stephanopoulos could get little more than a long political speech out of her. Clinton does look the best of the lot for the Democrats however — but we knew that before the interview. If she ran against Giuliani it would be a rare election where you felt the country might be well served by either candidate.
David Brooks always brings thoughts along with him as does EJ Dionne, but Cokie Roberts and George Will contribute only the predictable. Cokie does it with enthusiasm — there is hardly a thought that can be finished without her shrill voice overlapping its completion, after which she runs on at length with some obvious and simple idea. I've heard Cokie be a lot better in other venues — the show brings down the crew.
This Week needs an overhaul, top to bottom.