CHARLOTTE - Mitt Romney will make his first appearance this Sunday on NBC's “Meet the Press,'' the iconic talk show, a move clearly intended to inject himself instantly back onto the main stage of the presidential campaign stage after ceding it to President Obama.
Mr. Romney has so far mostly stuck to interviews on Fox News Channel and its broadcast program with Chris Wallace, “Fox News Sunday.†So far, the only one of the old-line, Big Three Sunday programs he has granted an interview to is CBS's “Face the Nation.''
The “Meet the Press†appearance would seem to signal a new phase for Mr. Romney, when chances for free exposure on network television â€" especially at the tail end of his opponents' big week â€" must outweigh the risks of a stumble or gaffe.
Throughout history, “Meet the Press†has been a proving ground of sorts for presidential candidates, having pioneered the tough interview style where they are confronted with their own words from the past, splashed across the screen.
The interview, by the host David Gregory, is to be taped in New Hampshire this weekend.
Mr. Romney's relative absence from the campaign trail in recent days has even surprised Mr. Obama's aides, who expected he would seek to inject himself into the campaign coverage out of Charlotte here and there. He has busy with debate preparation and, it appears, practice for “Meet the Press.'
