It is an underappreciated fact of modern Republican politics that many of the marquee GOP names over the past several years bolstered their early resumes in the Florida recount of the 2000 presidential election. The controversial recount, which culminated in a still-controversial Supreme Court decision that declared George W. Bush to be the 43rd president of the US, included many made-for-TV moments that can read as absurd decades later. The marquee GOP names of the moment have largely retreated into "former" status - that is, the relatively obscure yet well-paid world of former high-profile government officials.Their staffers, though, include sitting Senators, Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, and at least 2 Supreme Court justices.And, surprisingly, a marquee host on MSNBC.Nicolle Wallace, then professionally known as Nicolle Devenish, was then a communications staffer in her late 20s. Once a PR staffer for Major League Baseball, she had recently become the press secretary for Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) during the recount, and worked on the recount in that capacity.Wallace moved to the White House as a special assistant. She was named communications director for the Bush 2004 reelection campaign, and after Bush's victory, she was named White House communications director. She later joined John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.In 2014, Wallace was hired by "The View" to be the show's conservative voice. The show had rehired Rosie O'Donnell; the producers' intent was for O'Donnell and Wallace to spar like O'Donnell had with the show's culture warrior, Elisabeth Hasselbeck.That didn't happen.Wallace's disillusionment with the GOP was well underway by 2014. In 2008, she became the chief staffer for Sarah Palin, McCain's controversial VP selection. Wallace admitted in 2016 that she was so distressed by Palin's conduct during the campaign that she didn't vote for the McCain/Palin ticket, the ticket for which she was a senior advisor.Wallace's increasing disgust with the GOP was apparent on "The View."By 2017, she was a daily MSNBC host; by 2021, a former Republican.Nicolle Devenish was born in 1972 in southern California, and grew up in the Bay Area. She attended the University of California, Berkeley and earned a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.Devenish began her career as an on-air reporter, but found her niche in public relations. She initially worked for Major League Baseball, but soon moved to politics. She became in California, but was hired in 1999 to work as Gov. Jeb Bush's press secretary in Florida. She became the communications director for the Florida State Technology Office in 2000, and also, as previously mentioned, worked on the 2000 Florida election recount.Devenish joined the White House staff during Pres. George W. Bush's first term, serving as special assistant to the President and director of media affairs at the White House, where she oversaw regional press strategy and outreach. In 2003, Wallace joined Bush's 2004 presidential campaign as its communications director. She was named White House communications director upon Bush's victory. Devenish married fellow Bush White House staffer Mark Wallace in 2005. In 2006, Mark Wallace was named to a job representing the Bush administration at the United Nations; Devenish, now Wallace, joined him there in July 2006, leaving the White House.Wallace joined the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign as a senior advisor. She eventually became vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin's top staffer. Wallace eventually came to be deeply disturbed by Palin, and didn't vote for the ticket for which she had worked.Wallace came under fire from both McCain and Palin. Palin took Wallace, among many other staffers, to task, for reportedly not looking out for her. McCain's displeasure with Wallace came from her cooperation with the 2010 book and 2012 film "Game Change," which captured the 2008 presidential campaign from various angles. Wallace was portrayed by actress Sarah Paulson, and she declared the film to be highly credible. She told one interviewer that the film was "true enough to make me squirm."When McCain died in 2018, Wallace was one of a handful of former campaign aides who were pointedly not welcome at his funeral.Wallace's turn to TV started during the McCain campaign. She was recruited by Katie Couric to be a contributor to CBS News in 2008.In August 2014, Wallace guest co-hosted "The View" for the first time. (She tested for the show the same day as future White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.) Shortly before the start of the show's 18th season in September 2014, it was announced Wallace would join the show full-time.If you read my history of "The View," you may recall that the "conservative seat" actually began as the "young seat." For the show's first five years, it was held by Debbie Matenopoulos, 22 when she started, and Lisa Ling, 26 when she started. While the show was hardly apolitical, politics weren't the primary driver of discussion. This changed with the hiring of Elisabeth Hasselbeck, 26 when she started. As she reminded viewers in a return visit on Wednesday, Hasselbeck was a first-rate conservative culture warrior, more than willing to anger viewers and fellow co-hosts with her combination of conservative political viewers, conservative social views, and fervent evangelical faith. In the show's 10th season, this became lightning in a bottle for producers when Rosie O'Donnell was hired as the show's moderator. O'Donnell and Hasselbeck engaged in fiery debate regularly.O'Donnell left the show after a major fight with Hasselbeck in 2007; Hasselbeck was fired in 2013.In 2014, the producers thought they had found another sparring duo. O'Donnell was rehired, and Wallace was hired as the conservative voice. O'Donnell had criticized the Bush White House mercilessly during her previous stint; surely explosions would come.And, as previously mentioned, they didn't.Wallace said, in a 2021 podcast, that O'Donnell scared her, and that she walked on eggshells around her. It was revealed in 2019 that one minor on-air squabble had led to Wallace reporting O'Donnell to ABC's HR, infuriating and also disheartening O'Donnell.Wallace wasn't the culture warrior ABC had wanted. O'Donnell also wasn't the fiery figure she had once been; she had just had a heart attack 2 years earlier, and personal drama had become the dominant line in her public profile.Moreover, Wallace and O'Donnell found quite a bit to agree upon in the modern Republican Party. Wallace became a pointed critic of Donald Trump on the show; O'Donnell and Trump have had a longstanding mutual hatred. Wallace had signed the amicus curiae brief of notable Republicans supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2013, something Hasselbeck would have been loath to do.While on the show, Wallace developed close relationships with fellow co-hosts Rosie Perez and, particularly, Whoopi Goldberg. Goldberg and O'Donnell had tense behind-the-scenes relations, and O'Donnell reportedly didn't trust Wallace because Wallace was seen as Goldberg's friend.Yet the expected political explosions never occurred.In fact, perhaps the most contentious moment from Wallace's tenure came not from politics at all, but from what was seen as an insult to fellow co-host Raven-Symoné. When discussing autographs versus selfies, Symoné expressed preference for selfies, when Wallace asked if Symoné was famous enough to warrant people asking for selfies. Wallace was dragged by millennial-targeting content farms like BuzzFeed for her seeming obliviousness to Raven-Symoné's status as a beloved Disney Channel child star.Wallace left the show in August 2015, after a largely unmemorable tenure. She later described it as a "casting choice" that "didn't work."Wallace and O'Donnell have gone on to a friendly relationship, making joint television appearances. Wallace and Perez remain close. And while Wallace didn't make a major guest appearance for "The View"'s 25th season, she did make a surprise appearance to present Whoopi Goldberg with a birthday cake; in a 2021 podcast, they referred to each other as among each other’s closest friends.Wallace's successors in the conservative seat would face similar struggles in generating the right coverage. The hiring of Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin will be the first time "The View" has employed any actual policy/campaign staff veterans since Wallace. Like Wallace, Navarro worked in Jeb Bush governor's mansion and on the McCain campaign, and also on Jon Huntsman's 2012 presidential campaign. Griffin was never the official White House communications director, but had a communications role that became the de facto communications director. It will be interesting to see how that turns out.Wallace's departure from "The View" freed her for a job with NBC News and its cable network, MSNBC. She began as a political analyst and frequent guest host, before being chosen to anchor the afternoon news and opinion show, "Deadline: White House," in 2017. In a sign of confidence, the show was expanded to 2 hours in 2020. Wallace is considered a likely candidate to replace Rachel Maddow if Maddow chooses to leave her now-weekly self-titled program.Wallace described herself as a "non-practicing Republican" in 2019. By 2021, that morphed to "self-loathing former Republican," though she has noted that her parents believe Donald Trump should be added to Mt. Rushmore.
Their staffers, though, include sitting Senators, Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, and at least 2 Supreme Court justices.
And, surprisingly, a marquee host on MSNBC.
Nicolle Wallace, then professionally known as Nicolle Devenish, was then a communications staffer in her late 20s. Once a PR staffer for Major League Baseball, she had recently become the press secretary for Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) during the recount, and worked on the recount in that capacity.
Wallace moved to the White House as a special assistant. She was named communications director for the Bush 2004 reelection campaign, and after Bush's victory, she was named White House communications director. She later joined John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.
In 2014, Wallace was hired by "The View" to be the show's conservative voice. The show had rehired Rosie O'Donnell; the producers' intent was for O'Donnell and Wallace to spar like O'Donnell had with the show's culture warrior, Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
That didn't happen.
Wallace's disillusionment with the GOP was well underway by 2014.
In 2008, she became the chief staffer for Sarah Palin, McCain's controversial VP selection. Wallace admitted in 2016 that she was so distressed by Palin's conduct during the campaign that she didn't vote for the McCain/Palin ticket, the ticket for which she was a senior advisor.
Wallace's increasing disgust with the GOP was apparent on "The View."
By 2017, she was a daily MSNBC host; by 2021, a former Republican.
Nicolle Devenish was born in 1972 in southern California, and grew up in the Bay Area. She attended the University of California, Berkeley and earned a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.
Devenish began her career as an on-air reporter, but found her niche in public relations. She initially worked for Major League Baseball, but soon moved to politics. She became in California, but was hired in 1999 to work as Gov. Jeb Bush's press secretary in Florida. She became the communications director for the Florida State Technology Office in 2000, and also, as previously mentioned, worked on the 2000 Florida election recount.
Devenish joined the White House staff during Pres. George W. Bush's first term, serving as special assistant to the President and director of media affairs at the White House, where she oversaw regional press strategy and outreach. In 2003, Wallace joined Bush's 2004 presidential campaign as its communications director. She was named White House communications director upon Bush's victory. Devenish married fellow Bush White House staffer Mark Wallace in 2005. In 2006, Mark Wallace was named to a job representing the Bush administration at the United Nations; Devenish, now Wallace, joined him there in July 2006, leaving the White House.
Wallace joined the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign as a senior advisor. She eventually became vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin's top staffer. Wallace eventually came to be deeply disturbed by Palin, and didn't vote for the ticket for which she had worked.
Wallace came under fire from both McCain and Palin. Palin took Wallace, among many other staffers, to task, for reportedly not looking out for her. McCain's displeasure with Wallace came from her cooperation with the 2010 book and 2012 film "Game Change," which captured the 2008 presidential campaign from various angles. Wallace was portrayed by actress Sarah Paulson, and she declared the film to be highly credible. She told one interviewer that the film was "true enough to make me squirm."
When McCain died in 2018, Wallace was one of a handful of former campaign aides who were pointedly not welcome at his funeral.
Wallace's turn to TV started during the McCain campaign. She was recruited by Katie Couric to be a contributor to CBS News in 2008.
In August 2014, Wallace guest co-hosted "The View" for the first time. (She tested for the show the same day as future White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.) Shortly before the start of the show's 18th season in September 2014, it was announced Wallace would join the show full-time.
If you read my history of "The View," you may recall that the "conservative seat" actually began as the "young seat." For the show's first five years, it was held by Debbie Matenopoulos, 22 when she started, and Lisa Ling, 26 when she started. While the show was hardly apolitical, politics weren't the primary driver of discussion. This changed with the hiring of Elisabeth Hasselbeck, 26 when she started. As she reminded viewers in a return visit on Wednesday, Hasselbeck was a first-rate conservative culture warrior, more than willing to anger viewers and fellow co-hosts with her combination of conservative political viewers, conservative social views, and fervent evangelical faith. In the show's 10th season, this became lightning in a bottle for producers when Rosie O'Donnell was hired as the show's moderator. O'Donnell and Hasselbeck engaged in fiery debate regularly.
O'Donnell left the show after a major fight with Hasselbeck in 2007; Hasselbeck was fired in 2013.
In 2014, the producers thought they had found another sparring duo. O'Donnell was rehired, and Wallace was hired as the conservative voice. O'Donnell had criticized the Bush White House mercilessly during her previous stint; surely explosions would come.
And, as previously mentioned, they didn't.
Wallace said, in a 2021 podcast, that O'Donnell scared her, and that she walked on eggshells around her. It was revealed in 2019 that one minor on-air squabble had led to Wallace reporting O'Donnell to ABC's HR, infuriating and also disheartening O'Donnell.
Wallace wasn't the culture warrior ABC had wanted. O'Donnell also wasn't the fiery figure she had once been; she had just had a heart attack 2 years earlier, and personal drama had become the dominant line in her public profile.
Moreover, Wallace and O'Donnell found quite a bit to agree upon in the modern Republican Party. Wallace became a pointed critic of Donald Trump on the show; O'Donnell and Trump have had a longstanding mutual hatred. Wallace had signed the amicus curiae brief of notable Republicans supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2013, something Hasselbeck would have been loath to do.
While on the show, Wallace developed close relationships with fellow co-hosts Rosie Perez and, particularly, Whoopi Goldberg. Goldberg and O'Donnell had tense behind-the-scenes relations, and O'Donnell reportedly didn't trust Wallace because Wallace was seen as Goldberg's friend.
Yet the expected political explosions never occurred.
In fact, perhaps the most contentious moment from Wallace's tenure came not from politics at all, but from what was seen as an insult to fellow co-host Raven-Symoné. When discussing autographs versus selfies, Symoné expressed preference for selfies, when Wallace asked if Symoné was famous enough to warrant people asking for selfies. Wallace was dragged by millennial-targeting content farms like BuzzFeed for her seeming obliviousness to Raven-Symoné's status as a beloved Disney Channel child star.
Wallace left the show in August 2015, after a largely unmemorable tenure. She later described it as a "casting choice" that "didn't work."
Wallace and O'Donnell have gone on to a friendly relationship, making joint television appearances. Wallace and Perez remain close. And while Wallace didn't make a major guest appearance for "The View"'s 25th season, she did make a surprise appearance to present Whoopi Goldberg with a birthday cake; in a 2021 podcast, they referred to each other as among each other’s closest friends.
Wallace's successors in the conservative seat would face similar struggles in generating the right coverage.
The hiring of Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin will be the first time "The View" has employed any actual policy/campaign staff veterans since Wallace. Like Wallace, Navarro worked in Jeb Bush governor's mansion and on the McCain campaign, and also on Jon Huntsman's 2012 presidential campaign. Griffin was never the official White House communications director, but had a communications role that became the de facto communications director. It will be interesting to see how that turns out.
Wallace's departure from "The View" freed her for a job with NBC News and its cable network, MSNBC. She began as a political analyst and frequent guest host, before being chosen to anchor the afternoon news and opinion show, "Deadline: White House," in 2017. In a sign of confidence, the show was expanded to 2 hours in 2020. Wallace is considered a likely candidate to replace Rachel Maddow if Maddow chooses to leave her now-weekly self-titled program.
Wallace described herself as a "non-practicing Republican" in 2019. By 2021, that morphed to "self-loathing former Republican," though she has noted that her parents believe Donald Trump should be added to Mt. Rushmore.