“Some people call it a train wreck.  We call it The View.”  Truer words were never spoken than during this Saturday Night Live spoof of the talk show’s opening (said by Cheri Oteri as Barbara Walters).  Whatever you may think about The View, it is appointment television.  The show not only reports the news – it makes news.  And it opened the new year with a bombshell – the departure of right-of-center Abby Huntsman.  A popular co-host’s departure would be news at any time.  But a co-host’s departure during an election year is huge – especially for a show the New York Times recently dubbed “The most important political TV show in America”.  The first question is why – why is Abby leaving?  The immediate answer is that she’s going to help her father, who is running for governor of Utah.  But then, more tidbits trickled out.  First, who knew that Meghan McCain was pregnant?  Hands?  Anyone?  Apparently, she was pregnant last summer and even wrote a New York Times piece about her miscarriage.  So, bad Billy – I missed this entirely (in my defense, in the summer I am at my most self-involved and promiscuous).  According to sources, Meghan considered Abby’s on-air “child-centric chats” during this difficult time “insensitive”.  While this isn’t the only reason Abby left, the term “toxic work environment” was brought up more than once.  Abby’s dad running for governor may simply be a good excuse.

This leaves us with the bigger question – who will fill the seat?  An election year is not the time for a revolving door of co-hosts.  Friday fill-in Ana Navarro would be a perfect fit, but she won’t relocate to NYC.  Perpetual also-ran, Rachel Campos, has surely already made herself available.  What I believe the show needs is a newswoman.  Of course, Meredith Vieira is the obvious answer.  Diane Sawyer likely doesn’t want to continue being a Barbara Walters stand-in.  But what about ABC’s former golden girl Elizabeth Vargas?  She’d fit in perfectly.  Or, if the show wants to be really edgy, why not reach out to Megyn Kelly?  Replace one Bombshell character with another?