A new article by The New York Times called ABC’s The View “the most important political television show in America” for its attempt to bridge the gap across fractured Republican and Democratic party lines and its attempt to allow all sides of a debate to be heard in what they hope is an honest way.
The View has taken the mantle in daytime television, a spot once held by male-dominated news shows, to become the place for candidates vying for a spot in the 2020 Presidential election to speak directly to viewers in an unfiltered manner.
The female-based panel which includes EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg, Abby Huntsman (whose father, John Huntsman, is the current United States Ambassador to Russia), comedienne and author Joy Behar, analyst and ABC senior legal correspondent Sunny Hostin, conservative commentator Meghan McCain (whose father, the late Arizona senator John McCain, ran for president twice) and Ana Navarro (former Republican political strategist), aren’t afraid to ask the tough questions of candidates, in an attempt to get the answers viewers want to hear.
In fact, the show has spent most of this season debating the merits of the authenticity of the actions of President Donald Trump as he serves as president, along with those that serve in his cabinet and others connected with him. The hosts span both sides of the fence, speaking to Democrats and Republicans who all get a chance to say their piece at the show’s popular Hot Topics table.
The View continues to have its share of critics, as noted by the New York Times piece, who look more towards the “bickering” between the women, particularly when it comes to topics they disagree on. A favorite point of contention is the back-and-forth commentary between Behar and McCain, who disagree politically on many topics but reportedly have a great affection for one another off-camera.
According to the article, the panelists arrive at the ABC studio, where the show is taped at 8:30 each morning in preparation for the 11:00 am ET live air time of the show.
The article noted that the women are given a list of “up to 60 hot topics” to which they break down to five to discuss on air, many which are political with some fun topics thrown in to appeal to their female demographic, including those about sex, relationships, and celebrity news.
Barbara Walters, who created the show with Bill Geddie, had one rule in place that is still being used today — that the hot topics meeting will only be to talk about which topics will be discussed. The reactions the women display on the show are real as they interact with one another, adding to the layers of the show and allowing viewers to follow along with the stories discussed in real time.
In the past season alone, the show has been visited by Michael Cohen, the former lawyer and “fixer” for President Donald Trump, Michael Avenatti, Anthony Scaramucci (all those interviews scored by Behar, according to the Times article), Beto O’Rourke, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Tim Ryan, Julián Castro, Joe Biden, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Ivanka Trump, Bernie Sanders, Bill de Blasio, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Kamala Harris.
The View airs live weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.
