Rachel Maddow, National Treasure

[cal04]

by greentank
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/21/868441/-Rachel-Maddow,-National-Treasure

Thank you Rachel Maddow, for exposing Rand Paul to the nation for the dangerous extremist that he is.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl2167

"Anyone campaigning to be part of a federal lawmaking institution should expect to be asked, even pressed, on his or her views of the appropriate reach of federal law.

For years, I've felt that the relationship between Ron Paul supporters and establishment conservatism is one of the most interesting, relatively unexplored dynamics in modern U.S. politics. I intend to keep covering it, and I hope that Rand Paul and Congressman Ron Paul and members of the movement they've inspired will continue to be willing to participate in the conversation."

-Rachel Maddow

Now that's a news interview. That's TV journalism.

That's the real thing. These days, when you see it, it's almost like you're seeing water again for the first time after spending 40 days in the desert:

The editorial board of Louisville's Courier-Journal didn't mince words following its sit-down with Rand Paul last month. Much of what the Republican Senate candidate supports, it wrote, "is repulsive to people in the mainstream," including "an unacceptable view of civil rights."

And yet Paul's view that the federal government should not have the power to force integration on private businesses — part of 1964's landmark Civil Rights Act — didn't get the attention of the national press until Wednesday

40 days. That's about right. That's how long it took before someone in the national US TV news media actually called a candidate for US senate on their bigoted view that restaurant owners should be able to ban blacks, latinos, jews, and asians from their restaurants.

If it weren't for Rachel Maddow, would the US TV news have ever confronted Rand Paul on his insane beliefs? There's every reason to believe they wouldn't have, given their corporate bias and Rand's Libertarian corporate Wall Street agenda.

Thank you Rachel Maddow, for warning America about what Rand Paul and the Teaparty he represents really stand for: A country where whites can kick blacks and jews out of their restaurants. Thank you for getting Rand Paul to admit it on national TV. Outing them as the dangerous extremists that they are is a national service and we are grateful there's at least one journalist out there on television with the integrity to simply ask professional and responsible questions.

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[Larkspur]

2. You mean a lesbian is influencing the national conversation?

It goes against all Conventional Wisdom. I mean what would David Broder say. /sarcasm

Keep it up, Rachel!!

[Scuba]

3. +1

[AndyA]

4. Rachel does a good interview.

She has her facts in place, and if the question isn't answered, she keeps going back to it. If they don't want to answer the question truthfully, the viewer can plainly see that they don't want to answer it.

Rachel is an asset to the American people. She does her homework, asks the tough questions, and it seems her show is THE show to appear on. (Just not if you're trying to lie about something.) And people like Rand Paul think they're smarter than Rachel, and can pull one over on her.

Well, very obviously, they're not.

Rachel's comment last night on the Rand Paul interview using the tuning fork as an example was incredible.

GO RACHEL! :thumbsup:

[margotb822]

10. I mean, she *is* a Rhodes scholar

I don't think they give those away like Burger King crowns...

[66 dmhlt]

5. Well, like I said over at DK - I just think we need to be honest here ...

[rhett o rick]

22. No offense, but God doesnt have anything to do with this. She is by far the best

journalist on TV. I am surprised she is allowed to continue.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Ironic, is it not, that Tim Kaine and Obama see Rand Paul

as superior to Rachel, and deserving of civil rights that must be 'defended' against the likes of Maddow, for the sake of the likes of Paul.
How ironic when the finest journalist we have is a target of petty superstitious prejudices from the side she favors, as well as from the other side.
So, let's be clear here. Obama says Rand Paul deserves rights that Rachel Maddow does not deserve, should not have. Those rights must be defended, so they can be pure for Rand and his sort. This is the Tim Kaine philosophy. The Obama policy.
Facts are just facts.

[SusanaMontana41]

33. Sad but true about TK and the president

"... the finest journalist we have ..." At least THIS we can celebrate!

Liars and hypocrites, beware ... if your words put you into a corner, Rachel Maddow will happily pin you there. Or rather, let you pin yourself there.

[FirstTimeVoterAt37]

7. I admire...

...a great many things about Rachel Maddow, but this is one of the biggest: She clearly sees the standard “debate” strategy of the right wing and she doesn’t allow it to work.

I’ve often noticed a recurring situation – the casual tossing off of highly questionable and/or extremist positions as “common wisdom” and then trying to immediately veer into something else. Look for statements like “Everybody knows (the government is too big / health care is socialism / Obama studied Mein Kampf to prepare for his presidency) but the real problem I have is (insert completely irrelevant tangent that has little to nothing to do with what was just spewed out onto the air)”. I don't believe the idea is to sell the second theme; it’s to cause enough distraction that the first theme is left unquestioned and therefore inserted into the public subconscious.

Hence, Rachel’s 20 minutes on one subject and her promised continued coverage. She was not going to let this go unchallenged, no matter how many completely irrelevant tangents he tried to divert the conversation. She focused on the important issue, and didn't even let to him get to his teabagger talking points. In the end he was reduced to wasting time until he could get as far away from Rachel as he could and never go near her again. He was cornered and he knew it, and to me it clearly showed on his face and in his language.

I hope more real journalists take note of what just happened, as it is remarkable to the extreme. As is Rachel.

[socialist_n_TN]

16. I'm glad somebody else noticed that too

The very action of tossing out bullshit as a self evident truth by the right wing is the reason I began to actively get back involved in politics again after a long time. Oh I voted and if asked wouldn't mind talking about it, but for a long time I wouldn't challenge these statements. Then one day on a sports message board that I sometimes frequent, I did. And it felt good. Then I got a couple of messages from OTHER "closeted" liberals/moderates and the light dawned.

You don't challenge these things for ego alone or because it makes you feel good. You don't even challenge them for the love of Truth (capitalized on purpose) alone. No you challenge them for whoever ELSE might be listening/reading! People deserve another view, ESPECIALLY in the South where this Teabagger nonsense is SO prevalent.

[annabanana]

19. Welcome to DU.. and (apparently)

to the U.S. electorate. What was it that got you to the polls at 37?

[FirstTimeVoterAt37]

32. Three little words, really

Eight f---ing years.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

27. [phone]

love this analysis!


dang it, Rachel makes me wish I had cable.

hmm, maybe if I took the hour that she's on teevee and watched her online?



I hope she inspires many other aspiring journalists to respect, no to CHERISH intelligence and truth telling.


oh, also, good to have you here. :)

[Randypiper]

31. Download and listen whenever you want to.

I download while I'm making coffee, never missed a show.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8132577

[BlancheSplanchnik]

41. Ooooh!! THANKS!

Coffee and Rachel -- good idea!



oops, never mind...thought I was about to have a technical problem

[Enthusiast]

34. You must have watched

Newt Gingrich on C-Span's Washington Journal yesterday morning. I have felt bad ever since I listened to him distort the facts.

[nyc 4 Biden]

8. k&r

My girlfriend has it so easy. Rachel is the only one on my list of girls i could cheat with.

[jotsy]

9. That is one barbarian she called out at the gate!

We'd be in a much darker place without the light she sheds. I'm so glad that a mind that works as well as hers is a champion of honor in truth and exposing voids of it. The absolute sweetest fruit of contemporary and courageous yankee-dom. To say she rocks doesn't begin to cover the vast depth of dedication she has shown. Can't say enough, so I'll shush now.

Kicked and recommended.

[whathehell]

12. + 100. She's without peer. n/t

[DemReadingDU]

11. Very effective, Rachel is clearly the best!

[Blacksheep214]

13. Rachel and Kent in HD!

Woo Hoo!

I just noticed that MSNBC finally spent the bucks and went HD.

Now we can see the story in the same high definition Rachel puts into reporting it!

I'm 55 and rockin on Rachel and TRMS! TRUTHINESS WINS!!

[Plucketeer]

14. She's a national treasure for sure!

Instead of offering politicians a simple pulpit to reiterate their propaganda blather, she throws them REAL hardballs - spitballs and knuckleballs no less! I wanna see cretins like Paul squirm in the glare of their own fetid truths! I don't want some talk show host nod in accordance and just say "OK, let's move on." I want the likes of Rachel saying "HOLD ON a minute! Just exactly what do you mean by that???"

Rachel darlin' - you GO gal! :grr:

[PSzymeczek]

15. Rachel, quite simply,

ROCKS!!!

[jillan]

17. I'm expecting to see her earn awards in journalism. She is the best there is.

[bertman]

18. National treasure indeed!!! She's the best in the business today. I can miss any other

show on TeeVee, but not Rachel.

And so classy, intelligent, and courteous throughout.

Rec.

[rhett o rick]

23. Well put. nm

[bertman]

24. Thanks, rhett o rick. I forgot to add funny. Her sense of humor is priceless.

[rosesaylavee]

20. Agreed and recommend

Am so grateful she has a national show and is able to do what she does. Very very grateful.

[rhett o rick]

21. Rec 60. Ms Maddow is the top journalist on TV. nm

[Enthusiast]

35. No question.

And she is one of the only remaining true journalists on TV.

[rhett o rick]

42. I so agree. I am hopping Anderson Cooper see the light and becomes a true journalist.

Way to many on TV are sycophants. They wont ask tough questions for fear the Cheeney's wont come back.

[icee]

25. She'll be the next Edward R Murrow. I'd bet on it.

[dsharp88]

28. No, they won't allow it for fear of stirring up "liberal media" charges by the wingnuts.

The best we can hope for is her acceptance as a panelist (Meet the Press, election night coverage, etc.) from the left like George Will is from the right.

It's a damn shame because, unlike Will and those ilk, she really does practice journalism above commentary.

[SeattleGirl]

26. She is so consistently good at what she does. I love it that

she doesn't back down, and doesn't let herself get dragged down into the kind of asinine scream-fests that so many other people on TV and radio do.

She's so incredibly smart, and she uses those smarts to arm herself with facts, then she takes those facts and confronts the Rand Paul's of the world face to face.

She is fearless.

I, too, hope she inspires more than a few other folks in the media to do what she does. Maybe they can't do it as well; I don't know. But they won't know until they try, and for the most part, most of them DON'T try.

Hey folks, you've got a real, live journalist in the person of Ms. Maddow. Don't let the opportunity to learn from her pass you by.

[Cetacea]

29. K&R

:kick:

[JDPriestly]

30. Thank you, Rachel Maddow.

[Enthusiast]

36. K&R! nt

[meowomon]

37. Absolutely k&r

She is brilliant! Rand Paul didn't know what hit him as she politely pressed on about his libertarian beliefs and he tried to squirm away from answering her questions.

[Hekate]

38. Kick and Rec.

[Paper Roses]

39. K & R n/t

[PADemD]

40. I wish Rachel could interview our Supreme Court nominees