I would argue yes.
For those who don't know, Dr. Dean started as a CNBC contributor yesterday.
Under his CNBC deal, Dean can appear on NBC networks or the broadcast networks, but needs permission to go on the cable news channels.
http://www.politico.com/...
I don't doubt that Howard Dean will do a good job in his appearances on CNBC, I think his talent would best be served as a host for the 10 pm slot on MSNBC.
For one thing, he has the name recognition that the other names floated for the position, like David Sirota or Ed Schultz, don't have. If Dean were to host the 10 pm timeslot, his show would get a lot of buzz. At first, he might even get some conservatives to watch to see what he would do on the show, ie whether he would fumble. I'm sure that his supporters would want to watch to see what Dr. Dean had to say on issues of the day.
Secondly, Howard Dean would have a surmountable advantage over other pundits because of his vast experience as a physician, Governor, former presidential candidate and DNC Chairman. When interviewing, Dr Dean could use his vast knowledge to pose questions to his guests that get to the heart of the issue. Instead of theorizing about issues that typical pundits know nothing about, Howard Dean could talk about his experience as Governor in implementing various agenda items so that they worked well for people. He could take a behind the scenes look at inner party workings, caching on his knowledge as DNC Chairman. Most importantly, IMHO, Dr Dean could talk about how the health care reform proposals discussed in Congress in the coming months would affect physicians and patients alike.
Third, Howard Dean is very quotable. His take-no-prisoners style has the ability to chrystallize issues very easily. I remember his last appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews, where he said that there would be no real healthcare reform without a public option. In just one sentence, Howard Dean summed up the real healthcare reform debate. He has a really great presence on television.
So what do you think? Would you like to see Dr Dean fill the timeslot or do you prefer someone else?
If you like my idea, please send an email to MSNBC letters @msnbc.com to let them know. Thanks!!