In the midst of all the elite upset over the Fox News Channel's
supposedly over-the-top opposition to President Barack Obama,
Washington Post media reporter Howard Kurtz pointed out in a Saturday story [1]
across the top of the "Style" section that the apparent two finalists
to replace Diane Sawyer (who is moving to World News in January) on
Good Morning America "have politics, but little else, in common."
Liberal Democratic politics, that is, since the two names in play are
George Stephanopoulos and Chris Cuomo [2].
Kurtz began his October 24 story: "One helped elect a president, the other grew up as the son of a governor.
Now George Stephanopoulos and Chris Cuomo are engaged in a very
different kind of contest, for one of the most coveted prizes in
network television."
Stephanopoulos, Kurtz conveyed, " has an edge in the competition to
succeed Diane Sawyer at Good Morning America when she leaves to become
ABC's evening news anchor, several well-placed sources at the network
say. As host of This Week and the newly anointed backup anchor of World
News, the former Clinton White House aide is a bigger name, represents
a greater change and has long been groomed for stardom by ABC News
President David Westin."
Cuomo, "now the news anchor at GMA, is already comfortable as part
of a morning ensemble, has proved himself in the field - as on a trip
to Afghanistan this month - and has shown good on-air chemistry with
the current co-host, Robin Roberts. The son of former New York governor
Mario Cuomo is being courted by other networks and could well leave,
under the terms of his contract, if he is passed over for the job."
- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center