I think Finneran is getting better. He tends to the wonkish, but today he was getting a lot of callers on an issue about a girl saying something or other was "gay" and getting in trouble for that. He's astute enough to understand what will get a response and what will not, and I would suspect he'll improve accordingly. When he does lead a discussion such as the one mentioned, he is highly informed and articulate. His depth of local knowledge is also a plus in my opinion.
He'll get it soon enough. I think he was optimistic to believe that anyone would be ready for a legislative policy debate at 7:00 a.m., and I think he is already beginning to favor that which draws callers.