9/9/08

FOX Attacks Maddow, Can FOX Survive?

On the day following Rachel Maddow’s debut on MSNBC, the FOX Bobble-Head Brigade was on the attack. Their offensive attacks on Maddow and on MSNBC as a whole were off the mark. Should we be surprised by the desperate attacks on Dr. Maddow or upon MSNBC as a whole? Not really. Unfortunately for the viewers at home, the reality is that Rupert Murdock and Roger Ailes have taken the ratings war personally. While it may be true that Fixed. . .er Fox News has higher day time ratings than MSNBC, Fox News’ ratings often reflect a much older demographic than the ones that most networks have focused upon. MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann is extremely popular with the key demographic of 18 to 24, and are strong in the rest of the demographics. Despite their attempts to cook the numbers, Olbermann’s Countdown, hosted a number of times this summer by Maddow, has beaten Bill O’Reilly’s The O’Reilly Factor in terms of ratings over the last several months.



The attacks came in the wake of the decision by MSNBC to pull both liberal icon Keith Olbermann and conservative icon Chris Matthews from their election night coverage. Olbermann, Matthews and Joseph Scarborough got into a massive argument that was partially aired. All three lost their objectivity during the most heated moments of the Republican Convention which saw the Republicans chant in an angry mob like tone ‘NBC, NBC!" whenever the words East Coast Elites were mentioned. The fight between the three TV personalities on MSNBC was visible enough to even get commented upon by Jon Stewart of the Daily Show during an interview with NBC anchor Brian Williams. When asked about the incident, Williams commented that "every family has their issues," to which Stewart replied "yes, but why do they have to be the Lohans." It is reminiscent of Fox News’ decision to pull Ann Coulter from their election line up during the 2004 election, though her comments were far more inflammatory.

Tim Graham of the Conservative media watchdog group Media Research Center was asked by Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade "[I]s the damage done already? I mean, look, we're almost done with this thing. Fifty-something days left." To which he replied, "not only is the damage already done, the damage continues. I mean, not only are they keeping these people on for an hour a night, they're adding this lesbian Air America radio host, Rachel Maddow, on every night. So, I mean, they're really entrenching and solidifying a left-wing agenda on this network, not just, you know, pulling something back." No mention was made that Rachel Maddow holds a PhD in Political Science and is probably better qualified than Mr. Kilmeade to comment on politics and a whole host of topics.

The reality of this starts long before the decision by MSNBC to pull Olbermann and Matthews from their Election Night coverage. As you, the readers, may remember, a story posted to our site by Sylvia concerning Dr. Maddow’s make over for her show. http://www.lesbiatopia.com/2008/09/maddows-makeover.html This story originated with Rupert Murdock’s New York Post, and may have been an attempt to stir up controversy among the LGBTI community in order to undermine Maddow’s show. After all, if Maddow is able to keep Countdown high in the ratings while Olbermann is on vacation, then she is certainly a threat to Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes. They’re afraid that the nation is taking a jump to the Left, and that their market share is slipping.

Dr. Maddow’s show, the Rachel Maddow Show, airs Monday through Friday at 9pm after Countdown with Keith Olbermann. It is also available at MSNBC’s website. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ Please give the website at least an hour to catch up with the aired show.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh heaven forbid the gay community be offered a brilliant and valid hero on the political front. we are not supposed to have allies! dont you know! especially knowledgeable and strong female role models. well, i guess we know what kind of female role models that the right wing nuts look to.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Maddow does a wonderful job in presenting politics so that we can see where both sides are hedging on the facts and allowing us to make up our own minds on the issues.

I'd rather watch her and Keith Olbermann than most any other news show on TV.

When it comes to a balanced presentation, I count on very few news stations to be that. However, I do think that MSNBC's news department comes the closest to that than most others.

Virginia Rae

Anonymous said...

I think it's cute when they always bring Pat Buchannon on to counter everything

Anonymous said...

I saw Dr Maddow's premier show last night and I have to say it was the best hour of my day. I think her perspective and insight is the most refreshing I've seen on TV in a very long time.

It comes as absolutely no surprise that those self-serving talking heads on FOX would behave they way they do. Perhaps they're a bit threatened by a real professional??!

Good job, Rachael...I'll be watching!

Anonymous said...

mnmboi, Yes, one does have to be kind to the senile, um elderly that is.

Well sometimes he makes a good point, but those sometimes are really few and very far apart.

Virginia Rae

Sei said...

I have sometimes disagreed rather strongly with both Olbermann and Maddow, but they never struck me as being sneering, condescending people. They are well informed compared to the guys at Fox, so I'm always watching them, though usually online and not on the TV since I just haven't gotten a cable box yet (we have three TV's in the household, and one box).

Anonymous said...

Dr Maddow is the thinking dykes choice

Heather said...

GASP.

A lesbian with her own show?!

What good could POSSIBLY come from that?

Oh. I dunno.

Maybe someone at Fox should ask Ellen how things turned out for her.

After all, I believe it was predicted her coming out meant the end of the world as we know it...

Sei said...

"it's the end of the world as we know it, it's the end of the world as we know it, it's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine." Sorry, my silliness just kicked in. For some reason, that REM song sticks in my head.

Actually, they predicted that Vermont's passage of Civil Unions was going to be catastrophic for the state. Well, the state's still here and not been melted down to the bed rock.

Anonymous said...

Awwww.... Is that big bad Rachel Maddow kicking little Billy O's ass?

Bad Rachel... Bad Rachel... be nice to Mr O'Reilly

Anonymous said...

Rachel Rocks!!!!!

Bill Graber said...

Yes, I think Rachel Maddow may just worry the nice folks over at the Faux News Channel just a bit...

Anonymous said...

Rachel Maddow is simply the best in the industry. She is calm, cool, articulate, and very witty. Dr. Maddow is a perfect complement to the MSNBC line-up (I'd like to see her segment switched to 6:00pm, however).

Anonymous said...

I forgot to mention the most important quality Rachel Maddow brings to television: she has a masterful command of the facts. She's an encyclopedia!

Sei said...

Another Perspective-

The 6pm slot would put her up against the regular news hour, which is something of a dead time (deliberately) for CNN, FOX, and MSNBC. However, I do mention, and will continue to, that her show is available online. It sometimes means not being able to watch her show until the day after it airs, though I hope that they start getting it on the air an hour after like they do with Countdown.

I think, though, if she becomes very successful, we might start seeing less and less of Chris Matthews and Joseph Scarborough.

So far, I've enjoyed her show.

Anonymous said...

Fox? YUCK! Should have kicked the bucket with Newt! And taken Rush with them.

Anonymous said...

I don't know how I missing Rachel Maddow until now. You can bet my DVR is set to record her show.

Let's see...Suze Orman comes to mind as a successful gal with a few books and shows...But what you don't know are the millions of us out there just being mothers, workers, doctors, teachers, firefighters and every other job.

Anonymous said...

She only presents the leftist viewpoint, so I guess if you're in that category you'll love her. I'd like to see a more balanced approach myself, which is why I like CSPAN the best. Hardly any commentary and when there is, it's balanced to the second. They take that same amount of phone calls from each viewpoint. The "main" news channels would never do this.

Sei said...

Anonymous-

C-Span follows the law, and MUST be neutral in all things or risk becoming a propaganda agency. President Bush's administration has already broken the law with regard to propaganda numerous times, and even tried to obliterate many of the protections which prevent C-Span and Public Television from becoming propaganda arms of the government.

As for Dr. Maddow's politics, I would ask you to at least have watched the show more than once before passing judgement. I would call her views more Center-Left than Communist. After all, 'Lefists' is synonomous with Communist, and I do not believe Dr. Maddow is advocating a Communist nation. In fact, I'm pretty darned certain of it.