Who said he had anything to do with it?
Erm, for a syndicated show, who else would have the ultimate call over that decision? It's not like the network came in and said "we want John Davidson dammit!" because there was no network to come in.
Well no, but at the same time how much actual decisionmaking was Stewart doing? Wasn't his son basically in charge at that point?
And even if he wasn't I'd figure with his original host hosting his own production, his other Pyramid host resting in peace, and others he could've tried to pry from other gigs or from the unemployment line I'm sure someone had to talk him into the pick. I mean, you still had Lange and Eubanks and the Winkster wasn't doing anything...
not to say any of them might have done better but those are three to consider off the bat. Plus Stewart still had Geoff Edwards in his employ too.
Hell, they coulda seen what Chuck Woolery had to offer before he shot that pilot in '96(?).
Maybe I'm over complicating things but Davidson probably would be pretty far down on the totem pole to be a first consideration, no?