NEW YORK – Rosie O’Donnell is back in the spotlight with Thursday's official announcement that she will return to co-host ‘The View.’ Many have been outspoken about Rosie’s possible return, with some – including Fox News’ Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a former ‘View’ co-host – saying it may not be the best idea.
“Talk about not securing the border. Here in comes to ‘The View’ the very woman who spit in the face of our military, spit in the face of her own network and really in the face of a person who stood by her and had civilized debates for the time that she was there,” Hasselbeck said.
Others, however, say a lightning rod like O'Donnell should help the struggling morning talker, and that all "The View" needs now is another strong personality on the other end of the political spectrum.
“Having Rosie will bring viewers. It might alienate a few people, but she’s kind of like America’s favorite lesbian after Ellen DeGeneres,” pop culture expert Peter Davis told FOX411's In the Zone.
Rosie is indeed no stranger to controversy, and Bonnie Fuller, editor-in-chief of HollywoodLife.com, agrees that her polarizing views make for great TV.
“They need Rosie’s outspoken personality to bring back viewers," Fuller said. "Yes, she was controversial but she was also surrounded by other strong voices. You didn’t have just Rosie in left-field, and she tend to be left. There’s was a whole range of opinions so there was a wide spectrum."
As of now, ‘The View’ still has two empty co-host slots. According to reports, producers are looking to fill the remaining chairs with a Latina and a conservative. Davis knows who he'd like to see go head-to-head with O'Donnell.
"Why not Sarah Palin? Everyone loves to love or hate Sarah," Davis said. "Imagine Rosie and Sarah Palin in the same room much less sitting next to each other.”
Fuller agrees.
I don’t think it would be a bad idea to have Sarah Palin on," she said. "Sarah has very extreme opinions."
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