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Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Trumps Big Endorsement: MSNBC



The hardest part of my having determined to give up on watching MSNBC is my sincere love of Rachel Maddow. I have loved her since she started her show on Air America with Chuck D and followed her right into MSNBC. Although she is a Rhodes Scholar, Rachel never talks down to her audience. She opens every show with a good ten minute story about whatever her main topic of the day will be and I always end up having learned something contextual about the issue that was either foreign or, at least, much more in depth than I had understood it before. If I had to give up one thing in my daily life that would hurt more than Rachel, it would probably be air. But I meant what I said the other day. I have to give up MNSBC. The formula of an approachable smarty pants with unparalleled wit and sensibility was one MSNBC should have been proud of. Her ratings have traditionally been the highest on the network and one would think that would merit her some respect from the brass. I have a feeling even her strength and viewership are irrelevant to the Comcast/MSNBC executives who seem intent on alienating their audience and promoting the narrow conservatism of Fox and the mindless punditry of CNN.

I woke up this morning to find I had received several messages from readers telling me that I had to go online and see what happened on Rachel's show last night. Fortunately I'd forgotten to turn off the notifications for the shows I always record and it was still on my DVR. The part of me that felt like I was going through a painful breakup was kind of relieved to get to see her this morning. But the part of me who knew the break up was for a good reason was soon rekindled, as well.

The historical preface to the story was just as compelling as ever. She told us about a very shady character, Joel Arends, who had been alleged to have deliberately condemned the candidacy of Annette Bosworth, a Republican candidate for US Senate in South Dakota in 2014 by, as her attorney, creating a scenario where she signed documents which would end up finding her being tried for 12 felonies. Initially the idea of this plot sounded far-fetched, but by the end it seemed completely plausible. This man who had been the attorney is now running a SuperPac with $30 (not a misprint) in its account called Veterans for a Strong America. This SuperPac was having a fund-raiser last night where the Trump speech was to have been given. It turns out there are no veterans remotely associated with this Pac and he is smart enough to know that if you put that one word in anything, one can easily convince the least among us to excitedly support them and ask absolutely no questions about their creditworthiness or their intentions.

To no (intelligent) person's surprise, although this was supposed to have been a foreign policy speech by Trump, he had nothing to say about policy or anything else. He passed out his stupid ball caps in camouflage to the audience and rambled for 20 minutes but he told the press he would be doing foreign policy so it was covered and now America knows that some bullshit Pac having nothing to do with actual veterans (aside from publicly condemning John McCain for having been to blame for Trumps recent comments dismissing his service and having been a POW) is endorsing Trump. Glorious.

Sadly, what was to follow might as well have been the MSNBC endorsement of Trump, as well. The Rachel Maddow Show, after playing the Trump rally in its entirety, invited Steve Schmidt (yes, that Steve Schmidt) on to offer Regressive talking points and validity of Trumps candidacy. I was so depressed to see that Rachel had gone on to devote the show to free Trump rally coverage which is what Chris Hayes had done the night before and ended my devotion to MSNBC.

Upon reflection, it looks as if Rachel did her very best to give her audience what they expect. I am sure she did not get to choose who would come on to offer the counter-narrative to the intelligent conversation she was offering America. Schmidt, after admitting that there was no mention of foreign policy, applauded his efforts to remind the Republican voters that President Obama has failed the country. He told us that the morons who love Trump do so because they are sick of the promises the regular candidates from the right make but never fulfill about their plans to ruin the country and celebrate him because he is not taking lobbyist dollars. He, of course, made no mention of the fact that he has just squirmed in bed with this veteranless Pac and given a speech at a fundraiser which will, undoubtedly, go to his campaign.

Not only did Schmidt absolve Trump for having never given any cohesive policy information in his policy speech by telling us, "There is precedent for a Presidential campaign running on a secret plan. Richard Nixon, of course, in 1968." (Nixon/secrets - brilliant analogy we did not get to delve further into), but he then went on to compare Trump's followers to Bernie Sanders'. Because. Yeah.

Schmidt told Rachel that even though Trump really had nothing important to say, it doesn't take away from the fact that it was compelling television. I'm sorry. Is that the objective of a news organization? Apparently. And the executives at MSNBC were smart enough to invite Schmidt on to explain that to us. They have been offering us mind-numbing punditry from both he and Nicolle Wallace for years now. When they finally manage to get rid of the handful of wonderful hosts left on MSNBC, I fully expect to hear that they have a new show called "We Tried to Feed You Palin - Now Eat This Shit."

If you, like me, will hold on to a dream that our voices can actually be heard, please PLEASE click [HERE] go sign this petition and forward to everyone you know demanding Comcast/MSNBC be thoughtful about their choice to bastardize a once loved network.


20 comments:

  1. Sadly I have to agree with you though I am having a harder time letting go of MSNBC. What I find really amazing is that apparently Trump's actions last night warrant no mention on the real national news? Perhaps birthday parties will be next!

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    1. Nancy, I agree with both you and Mean Progressive. Our corporate masters are pushing forward in their ultimate goal to turn our entire media into a right wing propaganda machine, and they are just about there. This was always the plan, way back when Roger Ailes came up with the idea of republican television. He and his minions have succeeded in dumbing down our elecorate to a level that is difficult to acknowledge for those of us who think. I guess it is a part of our journeys to live among the uninformed and illiterate and find a way to not go screaming down the street.

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    2. what a shame. As much as I have admired Maddow, it seems to me she's being told what to cover by her right wing bosses. Just one reason I got rid of cable 3 years ago....

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    1. Yes, it's true. Much music rather than information. Overlong reports on items of little importance.

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  3. - Maddow scooped a story about this "fraudulent" veterans organization that duped Trump;

    - we saw Trump once again fail to state his policy positions on something other than immigration, although he did say two things that press should follow up on:

    1. He wants to privatize the VA – profits for healthcare providers, and vouchers for veterans, which means they will have to buy insurance supplements;

    2. He wants a "BIGGER military. "

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    1. i don't think Comcast had anything to do with Schmidt's
      'testimony.' Rachel's modus operandi has always been to at least appear to present a balanced view. Schmidt's inability to identify Trump as the ass he was disappointing....but he is a gopper adherent.

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  4. What is going on? Has global warming melted your brain? Don't you know how an effective protest works?

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  5. I'm in a similar place. Loved Rachel from the first time I heard her big brain on my radio. I also loved Ed's coverage of labor issues - the ONLY labor voice on national media in the USA. Loved Chris Hayes' "Up with Chris". And before any of that on MSNBC, I loved Olbermann.

    But I'm afraid my TV is getting a big rest these days. I've turned off MSNBC completely.

    There are plenty of places to get news and opinion elsewhere. I listen to Ed Schultz's FREE podcast daily. I watch Thom Hartmann on RT and listen to his radio show on WCPT's free stream.

    The internet is a wonderful resource and since our national media has completely failed us, I highly recommend that anyone with a connection use it to its fullest to find the information they need to inform themselves.

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  6. MSNBC is on the "dead to me" list. When I want progressive news and information I go to ProgressiveVoices.com; Free Speech TV, and Democracy Now.

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  7. Has anyone else noticed that many of the regular female contributors look like they have had make-overs with different hairstyles and more make-up? Updates happen but all at once? And I swear that one Latina I have watched many times had lighter skin this time. Next thing you know there will be no more women then no more minority experts and we once again will be back to old white men.

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  8. They think they will get away with brainwashing the viewers who WATCHED msnbc, But we have turned them off. They want to manipulate the 2016 election. If we don't have knowledge we won't vote. It's crazy to think that this is what they do in North Korea

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  9. I too loved Rachel, but like the rest of the liberals on msnbc she is free to support Bernie because the right wants to run against him knowing Bernie will lose miserably in a general election and here is a link that is part of the reason why. : http://www.shakesville.com/2015/07/looking-for-bernie-part-1-sanders-72.html

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    1. I didn't bother looking at your link because I know its nothing but nonsense. You're believing what they want you to believe. There's a reason corporate news is doing such a pitiful job covering his campaign. BOTH parties and all the corporations are so afraid that he will wake up the population by telling the people exactly what they're up to!

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  10. I listened to Rachel on Air America, followed her as substitute for Keith Olbermann, then to her regular MSNBC show. They removed the shows hosted by women of a more dusky complexion Other changes in MSNBC and in Rachel's coverage of everything since Comcast bought in is sickening. I still watch but for how long?

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  11. Like others am in shock with how news people on MSNBC seemed to have morphed into shadows of their former selves. What has happened to Maddow, Hayes, Harris-Perry? More fluff, mindless content, and Trumpness-all-the-time. We became followers because they were informed and honest analysts, would bring forward others as guests we were glad to discover (and buy their books). No more...signed the petition. Thanks.

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  12. I will not give up Rachel. . . ever! But a point not brought out in the last night episode after this guy Schmidt did his message. . .she got the last word in. . did anyone notice the look on his face when she said something about this organization that no one knowns anything about, and it only has one member. . .

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  13. I am more than saddened by the demise of MSNBC, I'm sickened by it. With over 200 channels to choose my TV had been tuned to MSNBC over 90% of the time since 2008. Now it stays on Free Speech TV most of the time. I feel like I've lost a very close family member to cancer and in a way I have. Comcast IS a cancer and we all need to boycott!!!!!

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  15. For what it is worth, I disagree completely! I had never listed to Trump for more than a sound bite until I watched that episode of Maddow. I was startled to learn that Trump speaks like a blathering clown. His whole approach to political speech is a parody. I found myself laughing at his comical presentation, and wondering why his followers can't see through the obvious claptrap.

    And while I was wondering just how stupid can his followers be, Maddow brought on Schmidt to explain what was going on. I don't agree with Schmidt on policy at all. But his explanation of what those voters feel--not think, but feel--was enlightening. I can't speak to MSNBC in general because I almost never watch anything other than TRMS. But I strongly encourage you to reconsider.

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