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In reply to the discussion: Geraldo Rivera Saves Nastiest Barb For Rachel Maddow In Blasting NBC's McDaniel Firing [View all]Caliman73
(11,738 posts)Geraldo is upset because hosts at MSNBC had concerns about McDaniel's integrity as a reporter based on a pattern of behavior that she exhibited while the head of the RNC and her participation in spreading the LIES about the 2020 election that lead to the January 6th Insurrection and continue to disrupt the country today. He is upset that as a result of those concerns, the staff at MSNBC made their objections known and basically told their boss (MSNBC) that they could not and would not welcome this known liar and propagandist into the network.
That is my interpretation of Geraldo's objection. Of course he flowers it up with language and mental gymnastics about "censorship" and whatever. As if the network he works for doesn't censor. We all censor. There is no one who simply allows every single opinion to be shared publicly using a companies platform. I don't see Fox hosting a serious analysis of the benefits of say, Socialism as opposed to Capitalism on their network. They use the term as a boogeyman to scare their audience. That is censorship.
What Geraldo is arguing for is allowing a known and proven liar to be allowed a large platform and a lot of money IN THE HOPES that she MIGHT expose some of the problems within the Trump faction of the Conservative movement. That is, if you grant that he is arguing in good faith. That is the Steel Man argument. What in McDaniel's history would suggest that she would do that? I suppose you can argue that she wants revenge, but she hasn't shown any inclination toward criticizing Trump since her ouster from the RNC.
Giving McDaniel a spot on MSNBC would not "attract" Conservatives to the channel. That is stupid and naive at best and cynical and mendacious at worst. Giving McDaniel a position at MSNBC would give any legitimacy that the network has to a known liar and propagandist. It would introduce a viewpoint to the network, that is invalid and destructive.
Not all points of view are valid. We don't typically see outward supporters of Nazism and Holocaust denial promoted on any reputable networks. Why? I mean, it is a point of view, with an audience, right? Geraldo is engaging in a very typical right wing tactic. They use the Liberal idea of "the marketplace of ideas" not because they believe in that on their side, but because they know enough Liberals do believe it, that they can use it to "shame" Liberals into allowing toxic and invalid viewpoints into the mainstream. Sadly, if works too often.