If I Ran The Network: Replacing Martin Bashir

Martin Bashir resigned/was pushed off of MSNBC Wednesday, nearly three weeks after his comments about Sarah Palin prompted the network to put him on a temporary "vacation."

His exit leaves a gap in the network's programming and if rumors are to be believed, MSNBC President Phil Griffin already has a pretty good idea about what to put in that time slot. But that doesn't mean I can't offer a suggestion of my own.

The temptation is to grab another warm body off of the seemingly endless bench of young, ambitious political geeks hanging in the Washington Post/Politico/The Nation nexus. Some articulate, politically savvy reporter who will fit in nicely with the rest of the network's current lineup.

But if I were running MSNBC, I would make a move designed to shake things up. A move that is designed to bring in new points of view and a lot of new eyeballs.

Rather than arguing for the right anchor, let me make an argument for the show that MSNBC needs. One that isn't tied to DC and reflects the current undertone of unhappiness and paranoia that is sweeping through the American electorate.

What MSNBC needs is a show based away from the political chattering class. I'd suggest Chicago if that wouldn't somehow imply some connection with President Obama. Atlanta is out because of CNN's proximity. So why not a show based out of Denver? Yes, you wouldn't have much in-studio access for guests, but how often does that happen during most shows? Basing the show in Denver opens up a new perspective and the West is horribly under-covered by the national political-media industrial complex.

As far as the editorial focus, the working internal name for the show should be "Us Vs. Them." Populism at its rawest, with a story mix heavy on the various challenges being faced by what is left of America's Middle Class. less about the daily political talking points of the day and more about the stories that resonate with average Americans. The elevator pitch for this show would be to imagine a show anchored by a combination of Elizabeth Warren and Howard Beale.

This approach isn't likely to make liberals or conservatives happy. And that's really the point. The history of cable news channels over the pas ten years is that the overall audience has stayed about the same size. The network's just trade viewers as they scramble for some slight advantage. Embracing populism is about expanding the audience and creating a platform for the next evolution in American politics.

Or, MSNBC could just go with Ezra Klein.