Staunch conservative Republican Elisabeth Hasselbeck got the call of her dreams this week when Sarah Palin called and asked her to join the VP candidate on the campaign trail in Florida this weekend. Hasselbeck was visibly excited when announcing her plans for the next few days on The View.

Gov. Palin asked me to be with her this Sunday to introduce her at the rallies in Florida. I am more than honored to be there,” Hasselbeck said Thursday on the TV talk show. “I’ll have some stories, I’m sure, on Monday.”

Palin is scheduled to appear Sunday at campaign rallies in Tampa and Kissimmee, Fla.

Hasselbeck has worn her support for the Republican ticket proudly: Earlier this week, she appeared on the show in a T-shirt with the lettering: “Great AmeriMcCain Hero.”

[From MSN Entertainment]

Florida is a battleground state for the candidates, so I guess Palin thought she’d pull in the big guns for this weekend. While it sounds like I’m joking, The View has proven to be one of the most successful vehicles for publicity for both tickets this election year, aside from Saturday Night Live. People’s opinions about how the women on The View conduct their interviews are as varied as the party affiliations of viewers, but no matter your opinion it does provide an enormous amount of exposure for the candidates. Palin secures her name mentioned in every show next week by bringing Hasselbeck out to Florida, and getting people talking is what it’s all boiling down to in these last weeks.

As for Elisabeth, you know she is so excited she’s practically peeing her pants. Sarah Palin is who Elisabeth Hasselbeck wants to be when she grows up. Next week Hasselbeck is going to be feeling like her new best friend is going to be the Vice President of the United States and she’s barely going to be able to contain herself. It should make for some entertaining, or insufferable (depending how you feel about it) exchanges with her co-hosts on The View. Stay tuned!

The View’s token conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck may be leaving the show for an anchor position on right-leaning news staple Fox News. Last week we reported on a story from the National Enquirer that claimed that View co-producer and co-founder Barbara Walters was fed up with Elisabeth’s emotional outbursts on the show and told if she couldn’t cut it out she should look for another job. Elisabeth may have done just that and is said to be considering an anchor position that was offered by Fox News:

After repeated confrontations with Barbara Walters and her co-hosts on “The View,” Elisabeth Hasselbeck is plotting her exit strategy from the show.

The Enquirer has learned exclusively that Fox News has offered Elisabeth, who’s an ardent Republican, an anchor spot – and the 31 year-old mother of two is seriously considering taking the job.

“Elisabeth is just as tired of the ladies at ‘The View’ as they are of her! She feels she constantly has to defend herself,” a show insider revealed.

“Besides that, when she gets passionate about her opinions, the others make her look like she’s hysterical. But when she doesn’t talk enough, she’s accused of ‘pouting’…

“Elisabeth feels she can’t win at ‘The View,’ but she’s been told by friends at Fox News that they’d find a spot for her without hesitation,” said the insider.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, September 28, 2008]

While The View would seem more balanced if they added at least two conservative panelists who are more informed and measured than Elisabeth, it won’t do much for ratings. More people tune in to see controversy and it stirs up buzz. Elisabeth is probably sick of trying to make her opinion be heard on the show and it seems to be taking a toll on her. A lot of people say she’s too emotional and gets upset too easily when trying to wade against the political tide on that show. She’s probably ready to move on and I can see this happening.

Hasselbeck received some criticism for a thinly veiled comment she made at the Republican National Convention against Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama’s wife Michelle. She praised candidate McCain’s wife by cutting down Michelle Obama’s pre-show requests, and said “Cindy came into our hair and makeup room, fresh as can be, and unlike another wife of a political candidate who shall remain nameless, she didn’t come with a list of topics that we weren’t allowed to touch. Nope, that’s because she has nothing to hide.” It’s customary for guests on talkshows to state the terms of their appearance ahead of time, and producers and hosts aren’t supposed to disclose that to the public. You can bet Hasselbeck got a talking to by Walters afterwards.

The cast of The View is shown at a panel discussion at The Paley Center for Media in NY on 4/9/08. Credit: MLM/FamePictures

Elisabeth Hasselbeck is shown in Vegas during a live taping of ‘The View’ on 6/24/08. Credit: WENN
Last month we reported that host Sherri Shepherd had drawn the ire of The View’s grande dame, Barbara Walters, and that Barbara was considering letting her go. Shepherd was involved in a minor controversy in which she said some regrettable things to a Christian woman’s magazine about how she’d had more abortions than she’d cared to count and that she’d like to see her boss Barbara “saved” by a televangelist.

Fast forward to the heated discussions on the show about the contentious US Presidential race and it’s token conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck who’s pissing off the 78 year-old co-creator and co-producer. Elisabeth got upset in a discussion on air about VP Republican candidate Sarah Palin and Walters had to tell her to “calm down” and the show went to a commercial. Off air, The National Enquirer reports that Walters scolded 31 year-old Elisabeth and told her that if she can’t be measured in her opinions she should get a new job:

Elisabeth… got snippy [with her "View co-hosts] during a heated discussion of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on the show’s September 2 season premiere.

Sensing the debate was spinning out of control, Barbara ordered Elisabeth, an ardent Republican, to “calm down,” and the show immediately cut to a commercial.

“During the break, Barbara lashed out at Elisabeth,” an insider revealed. “In her typical style, she maintained her composure so it appeared everything was OK, but she made it clear to Elisabeth that she needed to calm down…”

When the taping was over, the… TV veteran had more to say to Elisabeth, according to the source.

“Barbara told Elisabeth that everyone welcomes her opinions, but demanded that she find an appropriate way to express them, and she said that if Elisabeth can’t do that, then maybe she should consider a new line of work,” said the insider.

“Elisabeth got teary-eyed and told Barbara that she feels as if the others are always ganging up on her. But Barbara quickly pointed out that Elisabeth brings most of that on herself.”

[From the National Enquirer, print edition, September 22, 2008]

It seems like they could get another conservative on The View to back up Elisabeth and represent the other side. Sherri Shepherd doesn’t count because she’s not informed enough, has admitted she’s never voted, and just comes off as a ditz. Elisabeth is decent with the guests, but she does try and dominate the conversation when they’re talking politics and her points aren’t that educated. She also gets too upset when people don’t agree with her. I like to see Whoopi because she’s funny, kind and a breath of fresh air on that show. She’s liberal but really measured in the way she presents things and is mellow and friendly. If Barbara wants a balanced panel she should create one. As it is, a lot of people say it’s skewed left and that Hasselbeck is a weak voice for the right.

If everyone got along though the show would lose some of its appeal and we definitely wouldn’t be talking about it as much. When Hasselbeck’s liberal nemesis Rosie was there The View got some of its best ratings despite being difficult to watch. With good-natured Whoopi running things it’s not as contentious and just doesn’t generate as much buzz despite being a much better show. Add a conservative version of Whoopi and it will be more sweetness and light and agreeing to disagree.