I have the utmost respect for MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry. I watch her show on Saturday and Sunday mornings as often as possible. She is bright, thought provoking and entertaining, a rare combination on this otherwise morbid network.
She gets into trouble often because of her unflinching Liberal viewpoint and it a lightening rod for Conservatives. But her worst week was last week when she callously mocked the Mitt Romney family for their adoption of an African American child. The Twitterverse, blogosphere and Conservative news outlets exploded in outrage. And I was certainly outraged, too.
However, I Tweeted Tuesday morning that I was absolutely confident that Harris-Perry would apologize. Not thirty minutes later she did.
She also apologized on the air Saturday. It was the most heartfelt and genuine apology I've witnessed from a public figure. Not only did Harris-Perry deeply regret her error, I believe she genuinely learned from the experience.
In short, Melissa Harris-Perry is no Joy Reid. She is an asset to today's political debate and the most valuable member of the MSNBC Team.
Showing posts with label MSNBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MSNBC. Show all posts
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Saturday, November 30, 2013
If a Tree Falls in the Forest...
If a tree falls in the forest and.... The New York Times fails to report it, did it really fall?
Clearly there is a recent and very disturbing trend of the major media that leans leftward to downplay or even ignore rather major news stories. To be certain, news organizations whether they lean left or right have always modified their reporting in a way that places their philosophies and political leanings in a more favorable light. Fox News does it and so does NBC News. This leaning, if you'll pardon the pun, is not news.
But now we see major news organizations simply fail to report news at all, ignoring it as if it doesn't exist.
MSNBC is especially bad about failing to report news unfavorable to Democrats or the Obama administration. Often, when major news breaks, most people channel surf to get the best reporting and the most viewpoints. When they reach MSNBC they find there is no story at all, no coverage. It's not that a story is painted in a positive light, it's that the story doesn't exist.
I'm not sure the public is harmed by this practice as there are many options for news and most people do scan the channels and surf the news websites. It's not a cover-up.... well, at least it's not a successful cover-up.
But to see this happen again and again in The New York Times is disturbing. And it's a well documented and pervasive problem.
There is an example happening right now. Our nation has been plagues with mostly teens committing assualts on primarily elderly white adults in what has been dubbed "Knockout Games." The New York Times basically hasn't reported on this nationwide trend beyond a snippet claiming that such attacks doesn't exist or are an "urban myth."
This is all the more funny because even as the Times denies their existence, while city leaders denounce the growing attacks in New York as Hate Crimes. Here's just a small a report from CBS News Channel 2 in New York
As Liberals we ought to be even more enraged. After all it is the Liberal Media denying us the news we need to make intelligent decisions and provide balanced responses to conservative hysteria. The answer is not to cover-up the news but to cover it fairly.
Clearly there is a recent and very disturbing trend of the major media that leans leftward to downplay or even ignore rather major news stories. To be certain, news organizations whether they lean left or right have always modified their reporting in a way that places their philosophies and political leanings in a more favorable light. Fox News does it and so does NBC News. This leaning, if you'll pardon the pun, is not news.
But now we see major news organizations simply fail to report news at all, ignoring it as if it doesn't exist.
MSNBC is especially bad about failing to report news unfavorable to Democrats or the Obama administration. Often, when major news breaks, most people channel surf to get the best reporting and the most viewpoints. When they reach MSNBC they find there is no story at all, no coverage. It's not that a story is painted in a positive light, it's that the story doesn't exist.
I'm not sure the public is harmed by this practice as there are many options for news and most people do scan the channels and surf the news websites. It's not a cover-up.... well, at least it's not a successful cover-up.
But to see this happen again and again in The New York Times is disturbing. And it's a well documented and pervasive problem.
There is an example happening right now. Our nation has been plagues with mostly teens committing assualts on primarily elderly white adults in what has been dubbed "Knockout Games." The New York Times basically hasn't reported on this nationwide trend beyond a snippet claiming that such attacks doesn't exist or are an "urban myth."
This is all the more funny because even as the Times denies their existence, while city leaders denounce the growing attacks in New York as Hate Crimes. Here's just a small a report from CBS News Channel 2 in New York
Police have arrested four men in connection with an assault in Brooklyn. The suspects allegedly hit the victim without warning, similar to recent incidents related to the so-called “knockout game” in which mobs of young people randomly sucker-punch innocent people for fun.
Around 2:45 a.m. Friday, investigators said a 24-year-old Jewish man was surrounded by four men and punched in the face on 18th Avenue in Borough Park. NYPD officers were nearby in an unmarked police car, commissioner Ray Kelly said Friday afternoon. The victim told investigators he heard one of the attackers say, “I’ll do it to this guy,” right before he was surrounded and punched, sources told CBS 2.
The suspects fled, but were quickly apprehended and taken into police custody, sources said. The victim identified the suspects, police said. “I commend the excellent police work that we saw this morning,” Assemblyman Dov Hikind said in a statement. “I am grateful that these four thugs are off the streets and am hopeful that they will be treated with the severity of the law. I urge continuing diligence in dealing with this issue.”
Hate crime detectives were interviewing the four suspects — three Hispanic men and one Indian male — and the victim at the 66th Precinct, sources said. The four men face assault charges, but those may be upgraded, CBS 2′s Don Champion reported.
The suspects range in age from 28 to 38, police said. There have been seven so-called “knockout” or “polar bear” assaults in the Crown Heights and Midwood sections of Brooklyn since October, Kelly said Wednesday. The alternate name “polar bearing” comes from the fact that the victims are white.
Councilman David Greenfield said the attacks have targeted Jewish people, with victims ranging from a 12-year-old boy to a 78-year-old woman. “These are anti-Semitic knockout attacks and it’s not a game,” said Councilman David Greenfield, who is calling on the men arrested early Friday morning to face gang assault charges.Conservatives are enraged that The Times, Slate Magazine and MSNBC continue to deny the attacks and to deny any racial overtones, in spite of overwhelming exidence.
As Liberals we ought to be even more enraged. After all it is the Liberal Media denying us the news we need to make intelligent decisions and provide balanced responses to conservative hysteria. The answer is not to cover-up the news but to cover it fairly.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The Death of the Main Stream Media
The news today is upsetting and disappointing. President Obama, just months into his second term, is embroiled in scandal after scandal. Three of these scandals are so serious they might actually bring down his Presidency. My gut tells me President Obama is primarily guilty of gross incompetence, but these investigations must play out in there own time and their own way.
But we are talking about the most serious Presidential Crisis since Watergate. This is, in sum, considerably more serious than the President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky Affair and that one ended in an Impeachment Trial.
But my point this afternoon is that several of the traditional news media leaders are pretending like this isn't even happening. This afternoon neither National Public Radio (NPR) nor NBC/MSNBC even mention any of the scandals on their website homepages. Not even a link! And today is the day IRS official Lois Lerner took the 5th and refused to testify before Congress and Press Secretary Jay Carney faced a revolt from the White House Press Corps.
Ratings indicate viewers are abandoning MSNBC is droves. The network is a virtual ghost town. And all the major network news broadcasts are failing in the ratings, trying to regain their footing. Yet they continue to try to ignore the current Presidents troubles, I assume believing that if they don't report them, they don't exist.
Meanwhile the new media gets it right. The Drudge Report dominates on-line news and The Huffington Post works hard at genuine journalism and is willing to let the chips fall where they may. Other smaller news organizations and even bloggers, some leaning left, some right, all are on the case and gaining viewers and followers in droves.
Here's Huffington's Home Page minutes ago:
Huffington also covers the IRS scandal in depth on their front page, as well as the rest of today's news.
The problem at NBC and NPR this afternoon is that they insult their viewers and readers intelligence. People know there is a crisis and they want the latest facts. When they can't find them on NBC News or NPR, they go elsewhere.
Old fashioned journalism works. America was, quite literally, built on it. By deciding to ignore journalistic principle and simply become a "Progressive" or Democratic Party advocate, you quickly lose all credibility.
Viewers can handle the truth. And they want the truth. They demand a robust press not a babysitter.
But we are talking about the most serious Presidential Crisis since Watergate. This is, in sum, considerably more serious than the President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky Affair and that one ended in an Impeachment Trial.
But my point this afternoon is that several of the traditional news media leaders are pretending like this isn't even happening. This afternoon neither National Public Radio (NPR) nor NBC/MSNBC even mention any of the scandals on their website homepages. Not even a link! And today is the day IRS official Lois Lerner took the 5th and refused to testify before Congress and Press Secretary Jay Carney faced a revolt from the White House Press Corps.
Ratings indicate viewers are abandoning MSNBC is droves. The network is a virtual ghost town. And all the major network news broadcasts are failing in the ratings, trying to regain their footing. Yet they continue to try to ignore the current Presidents troubles, I assume believing that if they don't report them, they don't exist.
Meanwhile the new media gets it right. The Drudge Report dominates on-line news and The Huffington Post works hard at genuine journalism and is willing to let the chips fall where they may. Other smaller news organizations and even bloggers, some leaning left, some right, all are on the case and gaining viewers and followers in droves.
Here's Huffington's Home Page minutes ago:
The problem at NBC and NPR this afternoon is that they insult their viewers and readers intelligence. People know there is a crisis and they want the latest facts. When they can't find them on NBC News or NPR, they go elsewhere.
Old fashioned journalism works. America was, quite literally, built on it. By deciding to ignore journalistic principle and simply become a "Progressive" or Democratic Party advocate, you quickly lose all credibility.
Viewers can handle the truth. And they want the truth. They demand a robust press not a babysitter.
Thursday, May 09, 2013
The Truth About Cable Network News
Here's an incredibly short post (by the usual Wizard standards) about Cable Network News. I just want to share the ratings for last Wednesday, a relatively typical night for Cable News, although slightly inflated because of the U.S. House of Representative's Benghazi hearings.
Included are the shows on Comedy Central because, quite frankly, that's where many Americans get their news.
FOXNEWS THE O'REILLY FACTOR 3,383,000
Included are the shows on Comedy Central because, quite frankly, that's where many Americans get their news.
FOXNEWS THE O'REILLY FACTOR 3,383,000
FOXNEWS THE FIVE 2,937,000
FOXNEWS BRET BAIER 2,638,000
FOXNEWS SEAN HANNITY 2,628,000
FOXNEWS GRETA VAN SUSTREN 2,363,000
FOXNEWS FOX NEWS WITH SHEPARD SMITH 2,240,000
CNN HEADLINE NEWS NANCY GRACE 1,576,000
COMEDY CENTRAL THE DAILY SHOW 1,450,000
CNN ANDERSON COOPER 1,391,000
CNN WOLF BLITZER 1,382,000
COMEDY CENTRAL THE COLBERT REPORT 1,250,000
CNN PIERS MORGAN 1,085,000
CNN ERIN BURNETT 944,000
CNN HEADLINE NEWS DR DREW 940,000
MSNBC RACHEL MADDOW 877,000
MNSBC LAWRENCE O'DONNELL 826,000
MSNBC CHRIS MATTHEW 703,000
MSNBC AL SHARPTON 624,000
MSNBC CHRIS HAYES 573,000
There are two reasons FOX NEWS dominates the ratings. First they are much more entertaining. Each host has fun and schedules a mix of lighthearted news and discussion with heavier commentary.
Second, they are, by far, fair and honest given the RIGHT WING perspectives of the hosts. The shows tend to be facutal and often present both sides of the issues being discussed.
As a LIBERAL I can watch FOX, laugh at them and, occasionally cuss at them and always learn from them.
As a Liberal, I am appalled that 877,000 people watch Rachel Maddow, the single most dishonest person in major broadcasting. I've learned the hard and painful way that if Rachel Maddow says it, it's likely not true, at best half true.
We Liberals DESERVE voices as HONEST and as ENTERTAINING at the conservatives have over on FOX. We DESERVE BETTER THAN WHAT WE GET ON MSNBC.
MSNBC CHRIS HAYES 573,000
There are two reasons FOX NEWS dominates the ratings. First they are much more entertaining. Each host has fun and schedules a mix of lighthearted news and discussion with heavier commentary.
Second, they are, by far, fair and honest given the RIGHT WING perspectives of the hosts. The shows tend to be facutal and often present both sides of the issues being discussed.
As a LIBERAL I can watch FOX, laugh at them and, occasionally cuss at them and always learn from them.
As a Liberal, I am appalled that 877,000 people watch Rachel Maddow, the single most dishonest person in major broadcasting. I've learned the hard and painful way that if Rachel Maddow says it, it's likely not true, at best half true.
We Liberals DESERVE voices as HONEST and as ENTERTAINING at the conservatives have over on FOX. We DESERVE BETTER THAN WHAT WE GET ON MSNBC.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
With Love & Affection to All The Sarah Palin Haters Out There
I have many friends and readers who really, really, really, really dislike Sarah Palin. Their dislike is so intense it can only be called hate. Their view of Sarah is colored by this intense hatred so deeply they actually are unable to even understand what she says, writes or believes.
To make matters much, much worse, they actually do believe they understand her. They believe she is a grandstanding, money grubbing, fool and everything she says and does is strictly for her own profit. They simultaneously believe she is a bumbling fool and a Machiavellian genius and they see no conflict in these opposing views.
They are all horribly wrong. She is neither. She actually is a bright, thoughtful conservative voice and her words and opinions bear thoughtful review. She speaks for millions of Americans, Americans who understand her perfectly. And these people are no fools, either.
You need not agree with her to appreciate her talent, her wisdom and her eloquence. As Liberals we ought to be impressed and consider her words carefully, not casually dismiss and deride her.
The above post from her Facebook Page bears a lot of thought, for she is spot on correct.
This post was in response to Melissa Harris-Perry's now famous MSNBC spot I'm a huge Melissa Harris-Perry fan and watch her show whenever possible. Harris-Perry's primary point in her ad was that we need to invest in our children's education and we most certainly need to do just that. Here is the infamous Harris-Perry Ad:
But the underlying message Ms Harris-Perry made misunderstands the very fabric of American Society. And many American's reacted very negatively to the Orwellian Animal Farm Group Think Collective Ms Harris-Perry seemed to advocate. I know I reacted negatively and I'm a Harris-Perry fan!
Sarah Palin's response at the very top of this page is nothing short of brilliant. Sadly, I'm willing to bet not one of my Liberal Friends will even get Palin's point, but they'll be quick to claim Palin missed Harris-Perry's point. Such is the sad state of dialog in our country today.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
MSNBC's Betrayal of the Liberal Left
For the last several years many of my friends on the Left, both on Twitter and in the Blogosphere have decried the polarizing bias they see nightly on the FOX News Network. Fox leans right and, occasionally, falls overboard on the starboard side of the ship. Occasionally this bias extends in to the news programs as well.
Naturally these same Progressives and Liberals watch MSNBC and especially rejoice in the Liberal Glow of MSNBC's Primetime line-up. While still condemning the bias on Fox News, they love the fact that there is a left leaning alternative.
Unfortunately MSNBC betrays its viewers nightly with a horrific mixture of mis-reporting, false memes and outright lies. They believe, I think incorrectly, that such overboard bias to the left is their only hope of getting television ratings and more advertising dollars.
As a champion of Liberal causes, I want more from my network. I want honesty, honor, strict discipline, high journalist standards and an unrelenting search for the truth.
For critics to say that MSNBC is simply a mirror of Fox News is the ultimate indictment, a true measure of their total failure.
Sadly, MSNBC can't even live up to that mediocre standard. Fox is a shining beacon of journalistic integrity compared to MSNBC.
Last night was the first night of the coverage of the Republican National Convention. For Liberals and Progressives there is much to compare, contrast and even condemn. So why not do that? Are we incapable of wining a fair argument?
Republicans have very little minority support. There were, indeed, few people of color in the delegations or on the floor. So why did MSNBC feel the need to edit out every single speech delivered by a person of color? Some of those speeches were important. Several were electrifying!
MSNBC eliminated the speech of former Democratic Rep. Artur Davis, a black Alabaman who had actually seconded the nomination of President Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic Convention! This was an important speech by an important news maker. It was also an electrifying speech that brought the crowd to its feet!
Not content to overlook one person of color, MSNBC bypassed them all. Gone from their coverage was Mia Love, a rising superstar in Republican politics. Mia is unique. She is a Black Mormon and a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah.
Even if you somehow use the excuse that she was a minor player at the convention, how do you not broadcast the speech of Ted Cruz, a Latino American who will be the next Senator from Texas?
This kind of reverse racism doesn't happen by accident. The executives at MSNBC decided they needed to support their false meme of racism in the Republican Party by purposefully hiding these key minority superstars in the Republican ranks. MSNBC's coverage demanded only whites be allowed to speak.
Someone at MSNBC decided that we Liberals can't handle the truth. We must be shielded from the small edges of color that actually are in the Republican Party.
Rachel Maddow owes us an apology. MSNBC owes its viewers an apology.
If there is any good news from last night's embarrassment it is that no one was watching. Thank goodness they were watching Fox News, which actually covered the Convention with a reasonable amount of integrity and honor.
LAST NIGHT RATINGS:
Naturally these same Progressives and Liberals watch MSNBC and especially rejoice in the Liberal Glow of MSNBC's Primetime line-up. While still condemning the bias on Fox News, they love the fact that there is a left leaning alternative.
Unfortunately MSNBC betrays its viewers nightly with a horrific mixture of mis-reporting, false memes and outright lies. They believe, I think incorrectly, that such overboard bias to the left is their only hope of getting television ratings and more advertising dollars.
As a champion of Liberal causes, I want more from my network. I want honesty, honor, strict discipline, high journalist standards and an unrelenting search for the truth.
For critics to say that MSNBC is simply a mirror of Fox News is the ultimate indictment, a true measure of their total failure.
Sadly, MSNBC can't even live up to that mediocre standard. Fox is a shining beacon of journalistic integrity compared to MSNBC.
Last night was the first night of the coverage of the Republican National Convention. For Liberals and Progressives there is much to compare, contrast and even condemn. So why not do that? Are we incapable of wining a fair argument?
Republicans have very little minority support. There were, indeed, few people of color in the delegations or on the floor. So why did MSNBC feel the need to edit out every single speech delivered by a person of color? Some of those speeches were important. Several were electrifying!
MSNBC eliminated the speech of former Democratic Rep. Artur Davis, a black Alabaman who had actually seconded the nomination of President Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic Convention! This was an important speech by an important news maker. It was also an electrifying speech that brought the crowd to its feet!
Not content to overlook one person of color, MSNBC bypassed them all. Gone from their coverage was Mia Love, a rising superstar in Republican politics. Mia is unique. She is a Black Mormon and a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah.
Even if you somehow use the excuse that she was a minor player at the convention, how do you not broadcast the speech of Ted Cruz, a Latino American who will be the next Senator from Texas?
This kind of reverse racism doesn't happen by accident. The executives at MSNBC decided they needed to support their false meme of racism in the Republican Party by purposefully hiding these key minority superstars in the Republican ranks. MSNBC's coverage demanded only whites be allowed to speak.
Someone at MSNBC decided that we Liberals can't handle the truth. We must be shielded from the small edges of color that actually are in the Republican Party.
Rachel Maddow owes us an apology. MSNBC owes its viewers an apology.
If there is any good news from last night's embarrassment it is that no one was watching. Thank goodness they were watching Fox News, which actually covered the Convention with a reasonable amount of integrity and honor.
LAST NIGHT RATINGS:
FNC: 6,878,804 viewers (1,679,763 in 25-54)
NBC: 4,770,050 viewers (1,725,282 in 25-54)
CBS: 3,118,927 viewers (938,237 in 25-54)
ABC: 2,862,656 viewers (920,346 in 25-54)
CNN: 1,473,885 viewers (413,467 in 25-54)
MSNBC: 1,468,348 viewers (411,738 in 25-54)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Silly Super Committee Blame Game
Thank God Joe Scarborough gets it, because I swear not one other commentator, left or right, sees the truth of the Super Committee's failure. For today's politicians, it's all the blame game.
Joe Scarborough said, in part:
“Blaming Grover Norquist for this collapse is the lamest Democratic fiction since the Tonkin Gulf incident [used to justify American intervention in Vietnam]. Like LBJ said a couple of years later, they were shooting at ghosts or whales, and yet that was his excuse to go into Vietnam.
"Grover Norquist, for anybody that works in Washington, D.C., understands that, like a lot of people in Washington, he’s got his own point of view. But Grover holds no magical power over anybody. … He’s not really a powerful guy. His idea may be powerful to conservatives, but he in of himself is not a powerful guy.”
“Democrats have the president of the United States, right? They’ve got the United States Senate — the world’s most deliberative body, the upper chamber. What else do they call them? America’s most exclusive club. They haven’t produced a budget in over 900 days."
"The president of the United States, a Democrat, appoints a commission to take care of the debt. And then he ignores everything that commission says."
"Anybody today trying to blame Grover Norquist or to suggest that Grover Norquist is somehow more powerful than the president of the United States and the United States Senate, which everybody in Washington knows runs Washington. It’s not the House. It is the upper chamber. And the Democrats own it. They are close to a monopoly of Washington, D.C., but to blame this on Grover Norquist is laughable.”
"This is a straw man to end all straw men. Grover Norquist has been a straw man. Republicans haven’t even been in charge of the House of Representatives for a year. It’s as if 2009 and 2010 and the massive deficits that were accumulated then didn’t even exist. But, again, I’m blaming both sides today. Both sides have their feet in ideological cement. But Grover Norquist is a straw man."
"These same Democrats that said that George W. Bush abused the powers of office and, ‘Oh, the executive branch had become too powerful,’ are now suggesting Barack Obama, who, by the way, has been completely AWOL on this issue, is powerless? A man who put a debt commission in — he put Simpson/Bowles together and then completely threw them under the bus."
"Mika, you and I, if I ever come back, then I’ll shut up, we have to get Senate Democrats on this program and start asking them exactly why, in the midst of America’s greatest budgetary crisis in 235 years, they have refused, stubbornly, to produce a budget for over 900 days.”
“The president of the United States is still president of the United States. Democrats still control the United States Senate. Grover Norquist’s idea may be a strong one. Grover Norquist has absolutely no power in Washington, D.C. other than the idea he carries. And I am so surprised that Democrats really believe that the presidency is as weak as they believe it is now. That this president couldn’t step forward and show at least a little bit of leadership. He has been AWOL since he and [House Speaker John] Boehner failed on the debt ceiling. He better engage quickly or else we’re going the way of Europe.”
The above is an abridged transcript of Scarborough's comments taken from Jeff Poor's excellent article in The Daily Caller. Read it all here: Scarborough scolds MSNBC colleagues: Stop blaming Grover Norquist
Joe Scarborough said, in part:
“Blaming Grover Norquist for this collapse is the lamest Democratic fiction since the Tonkin Gulf incident [used to justify American intervention in Vietnam]. Like LBJ said a couple of years later, they were shooting at ghosts or whales, and yet that was his excuse to go into Vietnam.
"Grover Norquist, for anybody that works in Washington, D.C., understands that, like a lot of people in Washington, he’s got his own point of view. But Grover holds no magical power over anybody. … He’s not really a powerful guy. His idea may be powerful to conservatives, but he in of himself is not a powerful guy.”
“Democrats have the president of the United States, right? They’ve got the United States Senate — the world’s most deliberative body, the upper chamber. What else do they call them? America’s most exclusive club. They haven’t produced a budget in over 900 days."
"The president of the United States, a Democrat, appoints a commission to take care of the debt. And then he ignores everything that commission says."
"Anybody today trying to blame Grover Norquist or to suggest that Grover Norquist is somehow more powerful than the president of the United States and the United States Senate, which everybody in Washington knows runs Washington. It’s not the House. It is the upper chamber. And the Democrats own it. They are close to a monopoly of Washington, D.C., but to blame this on Grover Norquist is laughable.”
"This is a straw man to end all straw men. Grover Norquist has been a straw man. Republicans haven’t even been in charge of the House of Representatives for a year. It’s as if 2009 and 2010 and the massive deficits that were accumulated then didn’t even exist. But, again, I’m blaming both sides today. Both sides have their feet in ideological cement. But Grover Norquist is a straw man."
"These same Democrats that said that George W. Bush abused the powers of office and, ‘Oh, the executive branch had become too powerful,’ are now suggesting Barack Obama, who, by the way, has been completely AWOL on this issue, is powerless? A man who put a debt commission in — he put Simpson/Bowles together and then completely threw them under the bus."
"Mika, you and I, if I ever come back, then I’ll shut up, we have to get Senate Democrats on this program and start asking them exactly why, in the midst of America’s greatest budgetary crisis in 235 years, they have refused, stubbornly, to produce a budget for over 900 days.”
“The president of the United States is still president of the United States. Democrats still control the United States Senate. Grover Norquist’s idea may be a strong one. Grover Norquist has absolutely no power in Washington, D.C. other than the idea he carries. And I am so surprised that Democrats really believe that the presidency is as weak as they believe it is now. That this president couldn’t step forward and show at least a little bit of leadership. He has been AWOL since he and [House Speaker John] Boehner failed on the debt ceiling. He better engage quickly or else we’re going the way of Europe.”
The above is an abridged transcript of Scarborough's comments taken from Jeff Poor's excellent article in The Daily Caller. Read it all here: Scarborough scolds MSNBC colleagues: Stop blaming Grover Norquist
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Want to Know What Republicans REALLY THINK? Ask one.
Here is a novel idea, one I'm certain my fellow Liberals will ignore. If you really want to know what motivates Republicans, or conservatives or (gasp!) tea party followers, just ask one. And then seriously listen to their answers.
Don't interrupt them. Don't insult them. Don't demonize them. Ask intelligent follow up questions. Make a genuine effort to understand positions and solutions that are different from your own.
I'm certainly not suggesting you agree with them. Just that you actually listen and attempt to understand.
You have to do this yourself, because the television networks we know and love seem incapable of doing it for us.
I am appalled and distressed at the nonsense, hyperbole, falsehoods, half truths and outright lies being foisted upon us Liberals every night by the hosts and guests on MSNBC and Current TV's Keith Olbermann show. Rachel Maddow will tell you what conservatives think. Al Sharpton will tell you how evil and duplicitous conservatives are. Then Ed Schultz will tell you that the Tea Party is plotting the overthrow of mankind.
They will occasionally parade supposed conservative guests before us, people who are either not conservatives at all or who are foolish caricatures of what we Liberals WANT to believe conservatives really are. I have genuinely NEVER seen a real, credible or articulate conservative on MSNBC. To see those folks (and there are plenty of them) you need to turn to Fox News.
No, what we get on MSNBC are guests who are the Washington Generals to the Maddow, O'Donnell and Schultz version of The Harlem Globetrotters. This way Maddow et al can tell us that "Tea Party Leaders" are idiots and them produce a living example to prove her point.
There was a time when Rachel Maddow was an excellent and articulate spokesperson for the left back when she was a guest of the ill fated Tucker Carlson Show. Carlson was no match for Maddow, she is brighter, more articulate and more likeable that Tucker Carlson. But he kept her honest! Now, she is guilty nightly of spewing propoganda, generally telling only half of any story.
Don't interrupt them. Don't insult them. Don't demonize them. Ask intelligent follow up questions. Make a genuine effort to understand positions and solutions that are different from your own.
I'm certainly not suggesting you agree with them. Just that you actually listen and attempt to understand.
You have to do this yourself, because the television networks we know and love seem incapable of doing it for us.
I am appalled and distressed at the nonsense, hyperbole, falsehoods, half truths and outright lies being foisted upon us Liberals every night by the hosts and guests on MSNBC and Current TV's Keith Olbermann show. Rachel Maddow will tell you what conservatives think. Al Sharpton will tell you how evil and duplicitous conservatives are. Then Ed Schultz will tell you that the Tea Party is plotting the overthrow of mankind.
They will occasionally parade supposed conservative guests before us, people who are either not conservatives at all or who are foolish caricatures of what we Liberals WANT to believe conservatives really are. I have genuinely NEVER seen a real, credible or articulate conservative on MSNBC. To see those folks (and there are plenty of them) you need to turn to Fox News.
There was a time when Rachel Maddow was an excellent and articulate spokesperson for the left back when she was a guest of the ill fated Tucker Carlson Show. Carlson was no match for Maddow, she is brighter, more articulate and more likeable that Tucker Carlson. But he kept her honest! Now, she is guilty nightly of spewing propoganda, generally telling only half of any story.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Why is The Drudge Report the Single Most Important News Site?
This morning The Drudge Report is trumpeting a study that has determined that the Drudge website DRIVES MORE TRAFFIC than Twitter and Facebook combined!!The same study by The Outbrain Publisher Network also confirms that Drudge drives more traffic than CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times or The Huffington Post. In fact only the three major search engines, Google, Yahoo and Bing! drive more traffic.
And Drudge is getting more powerful. The report indicates that both his traffic and his referrals are growing. Because of that Drudge, with just two employees aiding the eccentric Matt Drudge, is also increasingly influential. By his simple choice of stories and his paraphrasing of headlines, he becomes an opinion maker!
Because I work in the Internet Industry I am surrounded by "experts," including some of my own employees, who dismiss, criticize and even ridicule the outdated, simplistic, format of the website. To listen to these "experts" it's even a mortal sin to actually use Time New Roman as a font.
"Where's the flash? Where's the javascript? Where's the big pictures, maps, head shots, video, or audio? Where is the comment's section to "engage the loyal readers?" Where is the sacred "Like" button for Facebook? Or even a little "ReTweet" link? The site is circa 1990. It's an embarrassment to the profession of Web Design!!"
So why IS Drudge the premier News site? Actually it's because of all the reasons listed in the two paragraphs of criticism listed above. By eliminating all the add-ons and busy distractions, Drudge presents, in a quick glance, every single important news story of the day.
To be certain, Drudge has a keen instinct for the news that matters. And his super-quick updates often mean he has the important news first (at least before the other aggregation sires).
Most importantly you never need to dig to find a story. It's all on one page. By concentrating on political news, world news and business news, he covers the core of the news. Everyone is content to move on over to Entertainment Weekly or The Sporting News to get the non-essential stories of the day.
Finally, Drudge has enough tabloid flair to amuse the reader and keep the site compelling. If I'm honest the MSNBC, FOX and CNN websites are just as boring as hell. The news isn't there, it's on page whatever. And the home page puts you to sleep, even on a big news day.
So, even as a liberal, I turn to Drudge first, at least 6 or 7 times every day. It literally takes one minute to get up to date on important events.
The Drudge Report ain't broke. Thank god he hasn't tried to fix it.
----------------
Here's another short analysis from several months ago that draws the same conclusions: The Incredible Drudge Report You'll note I borrowed their artwork for my blog entry today.
Friday, November 05, 2010
MSNBC Suspends Keith Olbermann Indefinitely
In what has to be the most stunning move in recent media history, MSNBC has suddenly suspended its only major star, Keith Olbermann for making financial contributions to three Democratic Party campaigns.Phil Griffin, president of the MSNBC, said he “became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay.”
Whoa!!!
What is ironic is that Olbermann isn't financially capable of making a monetary contribution even remotely worth the value of his on-air shilling every night for progressive candidates. An endorsement from Keith was worth a fortune in motivating the Democratic base.
What's even more ironic is that MSNBC had no problem allowing the completely biased, partisan and fact-challenged Olbermann anchor their election night coverage. Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell and Ed Schultz turned the election night coverage into a joke, a pathetic frat boy party of snickering, mockery and revelry. There was literally not 30 seconds of journalism all Tuesday night from the crew who ran the coverage like it was an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 rather than a news event of historic proportions.
Phil Griffin himself should have been suspended without pay for allowing the once proud Peacock Network to fall to these lows.
It really makes me wonder why they would even bother to have a no financial political contribution policy.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Dim Sum
I'm afraid these three little dumplings I'm serving for a luncheon snack just might make you throw up........
The world is trying so very hard to awaken our partisan political leaders from their slumber. These aren't Republicans slamming the new President. These are real experts trying hard to get through the wall partisan rhetoric. Please turn off the politics long enough to listen.
1. The Wall Street Journal: The Obama Economy - "Americans have welcomed the Obama era in the same spirit of hope the President campaigned on. But after five weeks in office, it's become clear that Mr. Obama's policies are slowing, if not stopping, what would otherwise be the normal process of economic recovery. From punishing business to squandering scarce national public resources, Team Obama is creating more uncertainty and less confidence -- and thus a longer period of recession or subpar growth."
"What is new is the unveiling of Mr. Obama's agenda and his approach to governance. Every new President has a finite stock of capital -- financial and political -- to deploy, and amid recession Mr. Obama has more than most. But one negative revelation has been the way he has chosen to spend his scarce resources on income transfers rather than growth promotion. Most of his "stimulus" spending was devoted to social programs, rather than public works, and nearly all of the tax cuts were devoted to income maintenance rather than to improving incentives to work or invest."
The entire article is so very important. Click over and read it all.
2. James Cramer on CNBC: It’s Amateur Hour at Our Darkest Moment - “Until the Obama administration starts listening, until they start paying attention to what you’re watching – to the stock market, until they realize that their agenda is destroying the life savings of millions of Americans – then all I can give you is caution."
3. I spent the morning watching U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony before the Senate broadcast live by both CNBC and FBN. It was riveting. Bernanke does support the Obama stimulus plan but simply couldn't warn Congress often enough that the deficit must be reigned in and quickly.
One very sad and telling moment was when a Democrat made a labored effort to place the deficit blame on President Bush. Bernanke was calm and patient and respectful, but made it very clear the Bush deficits were minor in terms of economics and in relationship to the GDP and income tax revenue. The Obama deficit is an entirely different matter.
But my point here is that after watching the testimony I switched back to MSNBC where the headline and virtually every story was the "Rush Limbaugh battles Michael Steele for the soul of the Republican Party" story worthy only of Entertainment Tonight and not a major news network. I watched for 30 minutes and the story was repeated SEVEN TIMES!!! No joke. Bernanke's testimony was never mentioned.
I couldn't believe me ears. To give some credit to MSNBC, Pat Buchanan tried to simply dismiss the "controversy" for the complete non-story it is and tried his best to spread the warning of the coming economic disaster.
But I then had to check the other two cable news networks. I dutifully watched FOX for 30 minutes and heard a great interview with Gov. Tim Kaine, the Chairman of the DNC. Kaine's honesty and candor were refreshing. The interview was intelligent and timely. And neither Michael Steele nor Rush Limbaugh were mentioned even once. And Rush was never mentioned during the entire 30 minute break.
Then I switched to CNN. CNN was covering the Bernanke testimony and the economic situation. They also covered several other news stories, most importantly a building collapse in Cologne with devastating images. But Rush Limbaugh never got a single mention.
I have often criticized FOX NEWS as being a Republican outlet. But, at its very worst, FOX has never come close to the complete journalistic sellout of MSNBC. They are doing a grave disservice to their viewers.
The world is trying so very hard to awaken our partisan political leaders from their slumber. These aren't Republicans slamming the new President. These are real experts trying hard to get through the wall partisan rhetoric. Please turn off the politics long enough to listen.
1. The Wall Street Journal: The Obama Economy - "Americans have welcomed the Obama era in the same spirit of hope the President campaigned on. But after five weeks in office, it's become clear that Mr. Obama's policies are slowing, if not stopping, what would otherwise be the normal process of economic recovery. From punishing business to squandering scarce national public resources, Team Obama is creating more uncertainty and less confidence -- and thus a longer period of recession or subpar growth."
"What is new is the unveiling of Mr. Obama's agenda and his approach to governance. Every new President has a finite stock of capital -- financial and political -- to deploy, and amid recession Mr. Obama has more than most. But one negative revelation has been the way he has chosen to spend his scarce resources on income transfers rather than growth promotion. Most of his "stimulus" spending was devoted to social programs, rather than public works, and nearly all of the tax cuts were devoted to income maintenance rather than to improving incentives to work or invest."
The entire article is so very important. Click over and read it all.
2. James Cramer on CNBC: It’s Amateur Hour at Our Darkest Moment - “Until the Obama administration starts listening, until they start paying attention to what you’re watching – to the stock market, until they realize that their agenda is destroying the life savings of millions of Americans – then all I can give you is caution."
3. I spent the morning watching U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony before the Senate broadcast live by both CNBC and FBN. It was riveting. Bernanke does support the Obama stimulus plan but simply couldn't warn Congress often enough that the deficit must be reigned in and quickly.
One very sad and telling moment was when a Democrat made a labored effort to place the deficit blame on President Bush. Bernanke was calm and patient and respectful, but made it very clear the Bush deficits were minor in terms of economics and in relationship to the GDP and income tax revenue. The Obama deficit is an entirely different matter.
But my point here is that after watching the testimony I switched back to MSNBC where the headline and virtually every story was the "Rush Limbaugh battles Michael Steele for the soul of the Republican Party" story worthy only of Entertainment Tonight and not a major news network. I watched for 30 minutes and the story was repeated SEVEN TIMES!!! No joke. Bernanke's testimony was never mentioned.
I couldn't believe me ears. To give some credit to MSNBC, Pat Buchanan tried to simply dismiss the "controversy" for the complete non-story it is and tried his best to spread the warning of the coming economic disaster.
But I then had to check the other two cable news networks. I dutifully watched FOX for 30 minutes and heard a great interview with Gov. Tim Kaine, the Chairman of the DNC. Kaine's honesty and candor were refreshing. The interview was intelligent and timely. And neither Michael Steele nor Rush Limbaugh were mentioned even once. And Rush was never mentioned during the entire 30 minute break.
Then I switched to CNN. CNN was covering the Bernanke testimony and the economic situation. They also covered several other news stories, most importantly a building collapse in Cologne with devastating images. But Rush Limbaugh never got a single mention.
I have often criticized FOX NEWS as being a Republican outlet. But, at its very worst, FOX has never come close to the complete journalistic sellout of MSNBC. They are doing a grave disservice to their viewers.
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