The post has been open since spring, after a well-publicized on-air dust-up with co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck. Her abrupt departure (O'Donnell had been planning to leave anyway) capped off the star's brief but eventfull tenure on "The View." She often made controversial statements, at one point sparking a well-covered feud with mogul Donald Trump. But, as we all know, controversey sells, and O'Donnell earned the show some of its biggest ratings.
After O'Donnell left, many women were discussed as possible replacements, including two other brash comediennes, Kathy Griffin and Roseanne Barr.
But, eventually, Goldberg was selected. It was a solid, safe choice. Goldberg is opinionated, but more user-friendly than O'Donnell. Plus, she gives the show a shot of diversity, which it lacked following the departure of Star Jones.
Still, it's a choice that shows that "View" den mother Barbara Walters has decided to take no more chances with her co-hosts.
Though Walters always denied that there were problems with O'Donnell, one can't help but notice that she opted not to pick another "shake things up" kind of woman as moderator.
Goldberg has had her share of controversey, of course. Remember when Slim-Fast dumped her as a spokesperson after making a risque speech mocking the Bush administration? Yet, despite that, Goldberg seems more mellow than her predecessor -- less interested in shock for shock's sake.
Simply put, where O'Donnell, Griffin and Barr are rough and raw, Goldberg is polished. She's an Oscar winner, after all, so she comes with a higher pedigree, too. Also, she's a "View" vet, having made 13 guest appearances on the show, and 14 appearances as co-host.
It's fairly obvious that Goldberg's selection was made cautiously and thoughtfully. But, of course, the biggest question is, will the new host resonate with viewers? I guess we'll find out when Goldberg debuts on "The View" on Sept. 4.