Dan Abrams Out, Rachel Maddow In

by Mark Rhoads

For those of you who might mistakenly think that the recent meltdown of MSNBC and the demotion of Chris Matthews and Keith Oblermann is due to a chastened management who thought the lefties had too often gone over the top in attacking Gov. Sarah Palin and her family, meet one Rachel Maddow, a former radio talk show host for the neo-Marxist network called Radio America. Well OK, maybe "neo-Marxist" might be a little strong but after all, we are talking about over the top left wing pundits.

Rachel Maddow just finished her one hour wall-to-wall rant against Sarah Palin's selection of her church to her duties as mayor of what happens to be the 5th largest city in Alaska even if it does have only 9,000 residents.  Ideologically, Rachel Maddow is sort of like paleo-Stalinist (I can stand by that one) Keith Olbermann without the twinkle in the eye and all the sheer fun and sense of childhood play that Keith brought each night into our our dreary provincial lives.  Rachel does have that patented Katie Couric "I just stabbed you in the back" ear-to-ear and brighter-than-white smile as part of her schtick.

No need in one post to go into all the Sarah Palin myths from the Left and from MSNBC.  But to take just one.  The next time some MSNBC-watching robot claims that Gov. Sarah Palin "supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it," ask them three questions.

First, how much did a less expensive and smaller version of that bridge cost when it was first proposed and Palin first commented on the need for people in one part of her state to travel to an airport?  Second, how much did the bridge finally cost when the authorization passed Congress and Gov. Palin stopped the bridge?  Third, and best of all, ask them if they know how Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Joe Biden voted when the U.S. Senate approved the Bridge to Nowhere at the highest cost on final passage of the bill?

If the "news" hosts at MSNBC are this hysterical about Gov. Palin after only one week of favorable polls for the McCain-Palin ticket, just imagine how much fun its going to be to watch the further meltdown at MSNBC over the few weeks until a Biden-Palin debate.

Do you think the Left actually thinks they can so discredit a governor with an 80 percent approval rating in her own state that they can scare John McCain into asking her to leave the ticket?  Yes, they are delusional enough on some of the lefty blogs to think something like that.  They are also delusional enough to think they can force Sen. Joe Biden to leave the Democratic ticket and get the DNC to replace him with Sen. Hillary Clinton because of the clear and present emergency for Sen. Obama.  Well, come to think of it, maybe that is not so delusional.  Maybe Joe Biden is willing to take a long vacation after all.

Comments

[David P. Graf]

Mark,

Considering how bad both MSNBC and Air America do in the ratings, perhaps Maddow is a good choice for them. :-)

Regarding the bridge to nowhere, even the WSJ isn't buying the McCain campaign's story. Check out the link at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122090791901411709.html

[Will NYC]

unlike shows on Fox Rachel at least has civil conversations with the conservative guests with opposing views she's has on.

I think she's very articulate, backs up what she has to say, and lets folks like Pat B. on her show to give a conservative opinion without insulting them. She call him "Uncle Pat"...

You people have Faux news... can't a few left leaning folks have MSNBC? fer cryin out loud.

[Mark Rhoads]

For the record, my apartment building does not offer the Fox News Channel but only MSNBC and CNN so my options are limited. When David Graf talks about "even the Wall Street Journal" apparently he does not know about a 20-year war between the left-leaning news department at WSJ and the right-leaning editorial page. Does the name Al Hunt ring a bell with anyone? Al was in charge of the Pravda department at WSJ before he moved recently to Bloomberg News. Hunt, who is married to Judy Woodruff and is a nice guy, was no flaming conservative. Just a little clarification and full disclosure on the WSJ/NBC poll that showed Obama up by one with about a sample of 800 registered voters? This is a relatively new polling firm of Hart/Newhouse as in veteran Democratic pollster Peter Hart and "Republican" pollster Neil Newhouse who has an odd habit of working for Democrats mostly in recent years. Gallup daily tracking has had McCain up by five points on a much larger sample for four straight nights including Sept. 8.

Will NYC, I could tell you were an Obama supporter right off the bat the way you descirbe conservatives as "you people." That used to be taboo language for those oh so tolerant liberals. But now Obama makes it ok to be intolerant of those who differ with your views. Only you have to get up to date--it is no longer "you people" but "those folks" in Obamaspeak. Some acting coach may have told him to use the word "folks," like President Bush does, to play down his elitist background. The Obama image of "class" got a little more cloudy today when he referred to Republicans as pigs with lipstick and Mrs. Palin is the only female on either ticket. Oh no, Obmama would not make an overt gender slur in so many words exactly, but he sure is a master at using subterfuge and guile to skate as close to the line as he can. Today however, he crossed it.

[MY Name Is Not Important]

HEY Will NYC, Your seething hatred for those that don't think like you is apparent to any that read your comments (trash) so, I have a question?.....

Why this Hate?

(the DNCC not paying you enough??)
(Lost your autographed copy of Rules for Radicals?}
Any ideas?

Oh well...

MNINI

[David P. Graf]

Mark,

What exactly did the WSJ article get wrong in its story about Palin and the bridge to nowhere?

[Pat Hickey]

Bully for Butch Maddow!

My advice would be to salt a good part of those hefty paychecks into long-term bonds - they will not be there long.

[Will from nyc]

Elitist... own one house, put himself through college and law school. Worked with the unemployed steel workers to help them find jobs and save their homes... elitist? You mean he talks big words... sorry but mono-syllabic sounds bites are a republican strategy to dumb down the party supporters.

John McCain owns 7-12 houses, wife wears $300,000 outfit at convention, wears $300 loafers... got into military school on daddies dime. Graduated almost last in class. Got his pilot gig because of daddy and grandpa...divorced his disfigured and crippled wife for an heiress. Has never done community service ever.... I do beleive he's even collecting Social Security or a part of it.... lol. Johnny McCain ELITIST.

[Pat Hickey]

Wlhelm the Jew Baiter! Can't wait to see the back of your tiny little head come Novemeber and Obama becomes a political obscurity with all the cache of . . .'Oh, yeah, he's doing infomercials for C-alyis now.'

"When the Time is right! Hello, I'm Barack Obama. I thought that the time was right in 2008 and boy was I wrong . . . let me be perfectly clear . . .timing . . .is everything. I feel like I walked off a brodeg to nowhere, but had I taken C-alyis the time would be mine."

Willie! Tell about it on the way out! What can I get you? Six-pack to go for Obersturhgruppen Fuerher Wil - he's gotta catch a thumb back to NYC! Nice Obama hat!

[rightwinger]

I was wondering who the new GUY was on MSNBC. Abrhams actually used to be pretty good but his show took a leftward tilt too in recent months. It's a shame.

[Pat Hickey]

Dan'll never be half the man Rachel is - nor, will the beardless youth be as successful with theladies.

It is nice that Butch and I hold women in the same high esteem.

[Will from NYC]

Ok now I remember Pat Hickey is the nut case on this site...not Fran.

[rightwinger]

I agree. He's a democrat. LOL

[Pat Hickey]

. . .and that ain't the half ofit Rightwinger!