From: Rachel Maddow
To: Fred Goldring
Subject: RE: Rachel Maddow
thanks, fred -- much appreciated. this is very, very humbling. quite amazing.
RM
Bob,
Great piece on Rachel. She first came on my radar screen when she was one of our up-and-coming stars on Air America Radio (of which I was chairman briefly in the mid 2000s).
You remember Air America Radio, right? The Velvet Underground of progressive media. I guess Rachel was our Lou Reed (and Senator Al Franken was our multi-instrumentalist John Cale). Marc Maron? I guess he was our Flavor-Flav...
Anyway Rachel was clearly brilliant, driven, and deeply intellectually curious. I credit Danny Goldberg for being the first person to figure this out (yes that Danny Goldberg).
Rachel is one of the people who will help us get out of the present mess. But it won't be easy, it never is.
Rob Glaser
David Letterman once said that the two smartest people he had on his show were Bill Clinton and Rachel Maddow.
Jim Kweskin
She certainly doesn't hold me like putty in her hands, she a complete idiot.
Matt Gaines
I’m glad you wrote this, Bob. I DVR Rachael’s show every night. She has a really interesting style and, in her “A" block, I always feel like I’m getting a civics lesson.
Jordan Berliant
Addicted to the news too. Then I realize it, turn the TV off and turn the music on.
Thank you,
Thomas Meyer
Yeah - my girl!
Felice Mancini
Best hour on tv! I sometimes watch it 2 or 3 times a night, 9pm, midnight and occasionally at ?4am (I don't sleep well).
A woman from MSNBC, who I didn't know, contacted me out of the blue about buying good tickets for one of my clients. I helped her out. A few months later at the show we got to talking and she invited me to sit on the set during Rachel's show. It was like I hit the lottery!!!
Larry Webman
He sucks!
Clarence Jey
but wouldn't mind seeing her in the occasional floral print Spring frock.
Dennis Braun
I have dinner with Rachel every night.
Inese Brunins
Thank you for giving Maddox the nod. She deserves it. She is a true journalist, rounding up the facts and inconvenient truths, displaying them in plain sight and making us wash it all down with a little humble pie and castor oil. And does it with no malice or prejudice. Just the facts ma'am with a little smile and look up to the sky. You fill in the blanks.
Kenny Lee Lewis
Thank you for your piece on Rachel Maddow!!!! America needs more principled news analysis like hers. She IS addicting in a healthy for your mind way!
Tom Seufert
Please pass along for the cord cutters out there, Maddow's show is available as a FREE video podcast (first segment) and an audio podcast (entire show). There's NO excuse to not be watching her excellent show.
Jake Foust
She is the Queen Of Context!
She first hit my radar as Token Lib for the unctuous Tucker Carlson, while also being on Air America ( maybe they'll make a comeback).
You totally nailed what makes her unique....she's our incredibly bright FRIEND, who also crafts a fine cocktail!
Don Crouch
I haven't missed a single TRMS episode since the election. Traded in The Daily Show for her.
And lately I've been listening on Sirius too!
My friends and I started an Indivisible group after I saw her show about it a couple months ago.
We are coalescing. I can feel it. Even all the way from my bubble in Venice Beach.
Trying to get the country back on the right track.
She is indeed a beacon.
P.S. Here is our little political action Indivisible group, we have people of many religious, economic, social, gender, ethnic, etc backgrounds. Everyone is welcome! (Except trollz!)
m.facebook.com/DiverseUnitedLA/
Cheers,
Chesne
This one gave me a lot to think about. Thanks, RJ Spangler, Detroit
I like her too!
Alan Oreman
Before the gift of Rachel I was not at all interested in political history, and my knowledge was basically what I had learned in school. Now, I look forward to my free nightly history and civics lessons. If only my expensive profs had been as interesting and entertaining.
Susie Stockholm
Rachel’s convincing no thinking person. She is beholden to corporate overlords & advertising revenue.
Not the progressive reporter we need at this time in history. $30K a day. Really?
Beating Bill in the ratings is not the gold standard. Start watching The Young Turks or almost anything other than MSNBC.
Watch these and reconsider:
youtu.be/CZ7Dmg_FpgI
youtu.be/BqPc7pqhk3I
Peace & Love. PEACE AND LOVE. (Ringo)
Keep Hitting ‘em with the Hein.
Bob Mori
As a Canadian, I'll take the great political brainiac women anchors (and fucking gorgeous, I might add) on CNN ANY DAY of the week (which I do, daily). Bob you gotta check them out, really, they're ADDICTIVE. And of course Jake, Anderson, Wolf, Van and Lemon are all SOLID!
Olie Kornelsen
Rachel MADCOWLIBTARD. FEMINAZI.
Aristedes aka Mr. Melody
Merely your opinion. Still a nice stroke from one of her fanboys.
Maybe your numbers can help her. I see that you're all trying to hang onto something comforting in the face of your own oblivion. Gearing up for 2018, are you?
And are you also on board with that special election in Kansas as a win? The spin seems to be dizzying. Do you practice her snarky smirk in the mirror as well?
Richard Barnes
Agree, she's been phenomenal.
Joel Amsterdam
I'm a big fan of history. I love watching documentaries and seeing how all the pieces fit together. It's much easier from the distance of 100 years to see the machinations and where they lead. Watching Rachel put the pieces together daily has been addicting. For this reason alone I adore Rachel Maddow. I feel like I'm watching a daily documentary in real time.
I wish I could get the knuckle-draggers in my family to watch her.
Bobbo
John Oliver's Last week Tonight show has been educating America on HBO every Sunday in a in-depth manner.
Last Sunday his main topic was Gerrymandering. How's that for heavy civics. Talk about ratings chutzpah.
An outsider and a comedian no less from England taking Americans to task on topics we should care about.
Sort of like a modern day Alexis del Tocqueville taking it to the streets.
Kids might pay attention and learn something if they taught history with a little wit and humor.
The Circus on Showtime is another show that's well produced. Mark Halperin and John Heilemann are like D.C. insiders.
Also a shout out to Travis Smiley, Democracy Now, BBC, NHK and Charlie Rose. Though Charlie's seems to have gone downhill ever since he took on the morning gig at CBS.
Cheers,
G.Robey
good one, Bob.
Rusty Fretz
Yes, and yes, and yes. Good one.
Josh Nelson
LOL! Rachel Maddow is less of an explainer, much more a left wing echo chamber! Seriously Bob? She's beyond snarky and a talking head that never, ever debates a truly opposing view. Have you ever seen a guest on her show that basically doesn't whole heartedly agree with her view point?
She will go out of her way to bash conservatives or Republicans, while completely ignoring similar infractions from those of her own party and ideology! Also, beating O'Reilly in the ratings..... well even a broken clock is right twice a day!
Thanks but NO thanks!
Sincerely,
JIm Ryan
Right on!!!
Elizabeth Brant
Rachel Maddow is preaching to the choir, your part of the choir that's why you like her, me not so much!!
Doug Gillis
Great piece Bob..
Jimi LaLumia
I continued to receive your emails but stopped reading them months ago because ....well, too much politics not enough distraction from the onslaught. You had me at "Rachel Maddow" ..and as I opened this email I hoped to find another sane human who understood the phenomenal gift this woman is to our country - the best friend we all need and hope for - she's the student teacher among the classmates helping us graduate from the jaws of a chaotic environment and go out into the world feeling empowered again - if not simply clear headed!
Gigi
Tropic Heat Studios
But Brian Williams is hilarious! What I miss is is the Brian Williams who would appear on late night TV with dry comments and a straight face that would leave me falling on the floor laughing… The Brian Williams who would give a heartfelt and smart tribute to Tim Russert at his memorial service but had just enough humor to make it unforgettable. His blunders or horrible, but he's way more than a pretty face. I forgive him, I want the old Brian is back. It's time to forgive and move on!!
Gregory McLoughlin
Bob, open your eyes, your missing all the good stuff in the news and the "real" story!
Www.drudge.com. How does Drudge have more viewers than CNN, Fox and MSNBC combined?
He's the grassroots underground rockstar of the news world! He's the guy someone like you should be watching and covering!!
I'm not pushing "conspiracy" sites, just truth!
Watch the rise of the real news rockstars, your in the dark ages still if those "mainstream" channels are all your eating!
William Eric Paul
Agreed. Respect, humor, break it down, by the numbers' and no yelling.
Her piece on Spicer and his lack of communication abilities was "simply" a masterful (not a term used lightly) use of video and audio to dissect and explain Spicer's remarkable lack of same. A beautifully made teaching lesson for us all, as is much of her work.
Yours was a nice piece too, tim
Morton H. “Tim” Fry, attorney
I agree with everything except - "People are not dumb, they're smart".
People are dumb, Ray. People are most definitely dumb. Dumb enough to be brain washed by Fox. Dumb enough to fall for Trump's propaganda. Remember what Goebbels said; "the secret of propaganda is to simplify complex und complicated zings".
You're talking to the coasts - not the soft white underbelly. Those people click past Maddow the same way we click past Hannity - a hideous freak spewing garbage.
Cheers,
Tom Quinn
Amazing!!!!!! Out of the country. Out of the loup. Blessed. Yes, you nailed it!!!! I cannot wait til I read your observations on Fame. It's pretty poisonous, isn't it
KATHY ROWE
pbs newshour free on youtube
noticed you didn't mention it above
it is a disservice to you and your audience to discuss these other shitty commercial entertainment news sources and not the one place people can find quality unfiltered information
more important than ever and probably on its way out unless people like yourself start including it in their vocabulary
there's no shitty ads for pepsi and its a little less 'fun' so its probably no accident no one ever talks about it
who wants to hear a cogent, respectful conversation between two experts where you can't just yell along w the TV anyway?
rachel maddow is smart but its barely news - its entertainment and biased in the extreme
John Bartleson
Maddow makes $20,000 a day.
She and everyone else at MSNBC were complicit in kneecapping the Sanders campaign, crowning HRC months before the election, being as fucking wrong about the state of the nation as possible, and then continuing to browbeat actual progressives months later.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqPc7pqhk3I
She somehow gets a hold of two pages - TWO - of tax returns from 2005, a year where everything would have needed to be by the book because Melania was up for citizenship, a year that actually makes trump LOOK GOOD, and goes on an hour long self aggrandizing rant about it. Like the Clinton campaign, it wasn't about us, it was about HER.
Screw Maddow and all the corporate centrists pretending to represent the left; the revolution will decidedly not be televised, because all these clowns would never see it coming.
Chris Schetter
Rachel can pontificate all she wants however she is well aware the left lost.
c.chapin
For a Canadian, it’s hard to comment or conceptualize what an American patriot is…but inasmuch as I understand it, she is a patriot. Ph.d in politics, a good entertainer, breaks stories, tries to fight her ideology when she can, attempts to be balanced but is transparent about her politics, calls bullshit, sometimes hyperbolic but only when it’s something she’s really passionate or scared of. She is the best America has on TV, you’re lucky to have her and if shit got real, the true measure, end of days, who would you trust? Maddow.
Len Ottesen
Bob: please... I love your posts... read them religiously. Rachel Maddow is a hack. Granted, she is a very smart and sometimes approachable hack, but a hack nonetheless. If not 100% biases, she is 99.99% biased to a left wing agenda. Bill O'Reilly is everything you say, but he always provides opposing views, often agreeing with them. Even if his sometimes agreement is made up and part of his shtick to claim he is "unbiased," he does provide intelligent counterpoints. Rachel does none of that. She is lin all the way. I watch her only to better understand how the smart left think, but it is left nonetheless. Disappointed she gives you such a "shiver up your leg." --Ted Decker
Maddow is ok, but it takes her forever to make her point. Sometimes it's just excruciating. Surprised, but happy to hear she's beating O'Reilly. Sponsors leaving him in droves. Sexual predator past now catching up with him. He just took an unscheduled "vacation' in mid-week April. Maybe he will gracefully "retire" soon.
Willie Perkins
Bob,
I sleep very well at night, knowing that Pres. Trump is our leader, thank you.
Cathy Hancock ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Been loving Rachel for years.... and you too Bob.
Dan Goldich
If you really want to know what's going on in the world your gonna have to dig a lot deeper brother. Every first year communications major knows the news delivered by CNN,FOX etc. is pre - digested pablum. Racheal Maddow is a joke,merely the left wing equivalent of Shawn Hannity and no I am not equivocating. As a VERY left leaning person I find her embarrassing. Like you, I too am too busy to keep up on world events but at least I know I am uninformed.
The naivete that serves you so well when you write about your personal connection to music is a liability when it comes to writing about politics. If you want to be informed you have a lot of work to do. Here is a good place to start if you're interested. www.amazon.com/Manufacturing-Consent-Political-Economy-Media/dp/0375714.
Much Love,
Reeve Downes
I travel the world non stop and yes people around the world think we are bananas....Half laughing half terrified.
Your right about the music and no message to unite us.....Where is Buffy Saints-Marie when we need her....
Stevie Salas
So glad you featured Maddow. She has become the one news show I don't want to miss. In spite of the fact I'm more or less confined to home with endless time to follow news of the world she always tells me details I did not know. They should give her more time and a bigger research staff. She is one of a kind.
Mary Rand
MSNBC Morning Joe is all you need to watch.
Rachel is totally biased. Everyone knows this. Even you.
Don Coddington
Rachel Maddow? Really? Isn't this the same woman (?) who melted down on election night? Guess the left is getting crazier and crazier.....
Marc Ellis
Rachel Maddow is the great explainer, the only one who not only figures out the complicated stories but explains them to us in language we all understand. She is the best we have on the crazy news front.
I wish she would run for office. At least we could all grok the world situations that seem so complicated til she explains them.
Susan Nadler
"That's right, there's everything from Fox to CNN, MSNBC to Bloomberg, NPR and the BBC. I want to know what's going on."
You think those outlets help you to know what's going on?!?! C'mon bob, don't get caught up in a circle jerk. Unless ya wanna get jerked
Jeremy Backofen
Thanks for educating us in your own way.
M. Spencer
Watching MSNBC since beginning. Love Rachel and also Mika Brezinski plus the channel's bevy of serious women reporters... but miss Don Imus. -Bob Stevens, Toronto
Mad fucking cow is not to the left of anything. Just another fucking hilbot. And no clinton is left of anything either. It's all surfaces and images.
Talk about music Bob, put an end to the never ending primary season.
David Reilly
You mean this Rachel Maddow?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut0TaegQ-kw&sns=fb
This is not news. This is not reporting facts. This is pure partisan bias at its best.
Every night.
Ooh Wow, I love you Rachel Maddow:
bit.ly/LoveYouRachelMaddow
Cheers…
Marc Black
Agree 100%! She is awesome.
Best to you,
Alayna Alderman
She's the queen of tedious buildups. Nightly she stretches 15 minutes of content over 60 minutes. I like her a lot but often switch channels mid-buildup; it drives me nuts.
Reuteman
Bob... Rachel was the first to break the Christie bridge-gate scandal.. months before anyone else. She must have an amazing team digging through the dirt. Thanks for your missives! Lauren Ellis
You ever watch Philip DeFranco?:
youtu.be/XHyOTEpUHIU
I think he's like the YouTube Rachel Maddow for millenials (based on your piece. I don't watch TV).
Edgar Cepeda
Rachel Maddow is a full of shit provocateur. Avoid at all costs. DO YOU KNOW HER KIND IS WHAT"S WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY!!!
John Barone in Hollywood
Couldn't agree more... and there's a strange sense of satisfaction when I read that we're on the same page.
I've grown to saying 'Hi Rachel!' when she comes on the screen every night. I believe she's a major player on the team that will save us all.
Cheers,
Daniel James
Rachel Maddow is a joke !! She’s just terrible. You have been drinking this cool aide for so long your brain is calcified in bias liberal hatred and bull shit. You’ve lived in California too long. I know because I did. Shame on you. You’re in your 60’s grow up and really see and learn what is going on. Idiot !!!
John Rose / Songwriter
Thank you
Deirdre Hill
Hi Bob, good column. Rachel is great but I doubt if any of the almost 63 million people that voted for Trump ever watch her show. Hannity, Limbaugh, Levin and the rest of the radical right media hate talkers have a much bigger audience than Rachel and their demonizing of liberals and defense of Trump is 24/7. best, alan segal san diego,
I am tired of the politics Bob . Unsubscribe me.
Eric Godtland
You nailed this, Bob. With Rachel Maddow, the face she presents each weeknight on television is exactly who she is.
In the nascent days of Air America as she was emerging, along with Maron, as a star (I'll leave Al Franken out of the discussion since he had been on American television for twenty-five years and was thus a star long before I hired him), no one ever had the impression that Rachel was anything but smart, self-aware, and hard-working. No ego flare ups, no demands, no mishigoss. All Rachel has ever wanted to do on radio or television is be an honest explainer; a gold-standard storyteller driven by facts, not innuendo.
BTW, the other piece of this is the generational transition from music to politics. Also nailed. We’ve watched our small progressive media effort grow such that since the election our audience on Progressive Voices has doubled to one million. This is the opposite of normal post-election ratings cycle for news-talk-political commentary wherein audience declines due to lack of interest after the polls close. We are all unsettled by this man-child in the White House and everyone is suddenly very interested.
Jon Sinton
Bob, for the first time I disagree with you. I grew up in the same circles as Ms. Maddow and without getting into much detail she's what you would call "fake white liberal elitist".
Justin Long
The wife and I have been long time watchers of Rachel. We both thought the Trump tax return tease was wack but beyond that she connects the dots. Her program is not for the stupid you do have to follow along as she takes you on a journey to get to the facts. I love her show.
Kenneth H. Williams
So I assume, I may disrupt a talk that MS. Maddow gives at a university simply because I disagree with her? Mr. Lefsetz, you have set me free. Thank you.
What about the people in her audience that came to hear her thoughts and couldn't because of my actions? But then again it's all about me isn't it?
John Gibson
Rachel Maddow is to cute by half. Entitlements will not get better until the last Boomer is DEAD!
Jeffrey Farrell
Haha wtf, She's the left wing propagandist
Merv Pilgrim
MMG
Bob, I agree that you're "getting a ton of it from Rachel Maddow," but what you're getting has a distinctive odor which you fail to recognize. She's not "... laying it all out for us to make our own judgements," as you claimed. What's she's giving you is her opinions, her spin on what passes for news these days.
Just because her opinions agree with your own is no proof of their validity. They may have nothing in common with reality, and you're merely reinforcing your closely-held delusions. Lullaby, baby.
If you want intellectual stimulation, listen to those whose opinions differ from yours. You will strengthen your argument, and you might even learn something.
--Tyco Tom
I like her too Bob…but when it come to political knowledge sustenance, she is a candy bar. To draw from those music analogies you like so much: Watching Rachel Maddow is like top 40 AM decades ago, when those who really know music have switched to FM and have a couple of thousand LPs.
Kindly,
LAVON PAGAN
4-13-17
Rachel is a national treasure.
I've been listening to, then viewing her, since Air America and when Kieth Olberman first ushered her on to MSNBC.
She provides context for her reasoning, and includes a history lesson in the process.
The Trump tax thing was likely a promotional opportunity no one could've refused.
Jus sayin I agree, she's addictive.
Ted Currier
Hi Bob. I took an 8 year holiday from American politics. Did the same with baseball from ’94 until the Jays starting winning again. Now I’m re-addicted to both. I have Sonos/SiriusXM scheduled to come on at 9 pm every night so I don’t forget to catch Rachel. Matthews…I don’t like how he can’t stop himself from interrupting his guests and like you said, O’Donnell seems to have a dog in the fight, but Rachel is a story teller and I like that. The Intercept did a not so flattering story on her this week, her preoccupation with Russia. theintercept.com/2017/04/12/msnbcs-rachel-maddow-sees-a-russia-connection-lurking-around-every-corner/
As a Canadian on the sidelines, hot damn, I’m amused beyond the beyond with what’s going on down there. Except it’s not funny. No one has a handle on what’s right, what’s really going on, but Rachel makes her case each night.
Steven Ehrlick
Dear Lefsetz,
Thank you for your consistent and compelling writing.
I wasn't aware of Rachel Maddow. I will definitely look into what she has to say.
Pablo
Bob...agree abut Rachel..never miss her....
Jay Weston
She's a good broadcaster, but she's a bit of a shill too. You are well read...you should read The Intercept instead of watching MSNBC.
theintercept.com/2017/04/12/msnbcs-rachel-maddow-sees-a-russia-connection-lurking-around-every-corner/
s
James Di Fiore
Good article But your quote America used to be the leader, now we're not quite a pawn in their game, but other countries are suddenly no longer taking us that seriously, Can you really believe that? We've got countries quaking in their boots...thats not Obamas work bub. Thats all Trump. Like him or not...we are actually being taken seriously for the first time in a long time. Were no longer a door mat...were actually leading...what a concept
best,
Tres Sasser
Bob, You amaze me. If you think all Rachel Maddow does is report the news, you are deluding yourself.
America wants to learn? Maddow is CLEARLY liberal, and all she pushes is left leaning slants. I have one son graduating High School (accepted at all 8 schools he applied to) and one son a Junior in college. They both speak of the bias pushed in all the curriculum, postulates and examples, in high school and college. Your trouble is you think you're finding truth but all you do ultimately, is welcome what you hear that supports your already formed opinions. It's hilarious.
The only reason Maddow may beat O'Reilly (if she is) is the new paradigm that wins if you bash Trump, as in Colbert. If you also don't see the manufactured war against a President that beat a fatally flawed candidate you're deluding yourself. He's certainly imperfect but that doesn't retrieve her character. She lost! Get over it.
The Dems have attacked him because that loudmouth has addressed so many issues they've ignored for ages, and if he gets anywhere with those issues they'll not get back in office for a long time..
Merky1208
Yup!!
Margie Paris
Bob,
I'm afraid that you couldn't be more wrong. I find her to be belittling and threatening to honest thought and fairness. She is so far to the Left, that your endorsement, albeit subtle, is insulting to those looking for an independent view. Can we find an independent view in this country? Why does everyone in the press have a side to promote?
Your endorsement outs you as a Lefty as well. You couldn't promote her any other way. As someone that did not vote for Donald, I desperately seek an honest, fair assessment. Rachel is clearly not that! I listen to her angst and propaganda and cringe. I want facts and truth, not bluster and one-sided opinions. For you to portray her as an honest mouthpiece is insulting to your audience. We're not stupid.
Greg Badger
My 79 year old conservative ex-Marine (actually - once a Marine, always a Marine) very Republican (except Trump) father loves Rachel. I do, too. Rigorous journalism.
Adam Dohrenwend
Stopped reading, listening, watching or anything the news about 5 years ago. News outside of your geographic area is really meaningless as there is not a single thing you can do about it, except freak out, and that's a waste of time. Don't worry be happy
Alan Fenton
A couple of my friends swear by Rachel, so I checked her out. Like me, these friends are about as politically left as one can get. But I like to get my news balanced and unbiased. I found Rachel extremely biased and slanted toward the left. I don't have time to watch Fox, CNN, MSNBC, et al. So, for me, it's the PBS News Hour and, for radio, NPR. If I'm not mistaken you have spoken of everyone living in their own bubble; listening to news sources that will tell them what they already believe. News is not supposed to be opinion, it's supposed to be fact, so I'll stick to Judy Woodruff and that plethora of nameless, faceless, and excellent NPR reporters.
All the best,
Ted Myers
Great article on Rachel Maddow, our most valuable newscaster. I have followed her sage news analysis since the days of Air America on radio, and proudly watched her transition to television. But I must comment on how totally incredible her research staff is. Without them, she would not have the ear-and-brain worthy material that keeps us tuning in for more Monday through Friday. Strong research is the key. Perhaps record labels could learn from this example of successful research.
Keep up the great reporting work.
Richard "Ric" Fazekas
Rachel Maddow? You serious? Fake facts and propaganda to create mass hysteria; how come they’ve stop talking about the "wiretapping" claim for which Trump had no evidence? Maybe cause it’s been proven and it’s a
scandal 10 times bigger than Watergate?
There is no self-criticism in the left, they think they’re the supreme race and have the moral authority to tell every country in the world how they should live. But wasn’t Trump the authoritarian? Yes, of course, like any other
person that becomes president of the US, it comes with the job... And yes, he banned those 7 countries, yet Obama bombed them 3 times an hour in 2016 alone.
The big news isn’t that Clinton is and old lady and can’t handle a private and a public email server; the big news is what those emails revealed; the outerr-ring of a network of corporations, war contractors and morally
questionable "freedom fighters" working together towards a shared vision. You say Rachel Maddow, I say Julian Assange, the representative of freedom of speech in the digital wars.
Cheers.
A. Falcon.
PS: And Trump is starting to put on the same mask.
Hello Bob,
So much truth in this last entry. I've got the answers if you care to keep readin' How about we have a government that can no longer pick winners and losers, and no longer cares if it's fair or not? How about we have a goal of a government that protects the rights of those who sign contracts? How about a government who's only goal is to protect the lives, the freedoms and the properties of everyone? If government got out of the way & we all had our wealth back in our pocketbooks, we couldn't complain that someone else had a government supported advantage over us. Isn't that a lot of what the arguing is all about? No one would have government favors. No people, no corporations....... Nope, just a level playing field with the same government protections for everyone. And speaking about corporations, if they're hated as you say, isn't it because today they pay politicians to slant the playing field their way. Yes, I hate that, but it's not the companies' fault we've set up this system of giant government that hands out the favors. Well, if that government was neutered there'd be no more favors. Don't we voluntarily hand our money over to companies & people who offer us value for our dollar? If we don't hand over our cash, the company goes bankrupt. That's Capitalism. Too big to fail is horseshit government b.s. Problem is, you, and Maddow as examples, believe Collectivism, with it's gigantic government footprint into everything is the way to go. My God, California wants to subsidize 'safe places' for heroin addicts to shoot up. Well, if you look around at all that arguing, isn't it really about those who produce, fighting to keep what they produce vs those who believe they have a right to take that production away using the gigantic government force machine to do it? It's the Collectivists' love of government power that causes it all. Take that away and you better bring value to society or you won't be a happy camper in life..Take that power away, and do you think the farmer in Nebraska will go and attack the farmer in a Moscow suburb? No, it's governments, always. Take away the gigantic government power structure and you have local communities taking care of their own. You have people getting to know their neighbors. You'd have voluntary associations playing a big part in our world. You have companies innovating to offer more choices of everything, including healthcare and healthcare insurance. Who knows what the Spontaneous Order of Capitalism will conger up tomorrow? Probably something awesome.
Richard Case
Wow Bob and good morning.
Let me open by saying I consider myself politically independent, albeit socially hard left on abortion and guns. And I'm afraid of having a hard right SC which given the age demos and political leanings of the now 9 could well turn into 7 (righty) - 2 from 5-4 (albeit as a reminder Roberts was the swing thumbs up
vote on ObamaCare). The risk of a hard right SC and general fear of bloviator, 100% unqualified DJT was my key motivator in supporting HRC; I also made calls for her.
However, DJT won or, more accurately, HRC lost running a miserable campaign. He's not in 100 days and, yes, I'm goin to give him and the GOP a chance. They've earned it by winning.
But foremost I would like to see the 2 sides try to find some common ground. This absurd partisanship is not what govt was meant for and not getting the country anywhere.
As to your statement that "seemingly no one is happy" with Trump (that's at least implied), it's simply inaccurate. DJT's hard core say 35% of the country, they still almost uniformly believe in him and are happy he's there. They have lost no faith - none.
As to Rachel, showing DJT's tax return was wrong and, in fact, made him look good given the tax $ paid and tax rate % that year (05 I believe).
Rachel is as one way over board as Hannity, albeit presenting smarter. She's the crux of the horribly polarized, refuse to work together partisan world. Her bias is, simply, absurd. Old saying which I think has plenty of merit here, I'll paraphrase, you can always find something nice to say about someone else or something they've done or may look to do. However, her mind is closed to saying anything nice/positive about Trump or any person/anything GOP.
I'll also put in a somewhat unrelated plug for the Fox-owned WSJ. Say what you want about the editorials/opinions; however, they publish news in what I consider an incredibly unbiased fashion. Journalism integrity in story reporting is stellar. That's a beginning in this world.
Rachel is anything but.
Thanks for your incredible emails/blogs, but pls - on politics foremost - open your mind and that of others to find some middle ground so the country / world can move forward and give DJT and the GOP-controlled Congress a chance. I'm sure if you look back at your writings when you were a teenager or even in your early 20s you would find they were not up to snuff. DJT is like a teenager - sad but true. But give him a chance.
Thank you.
Howard Rosencran
hey Bob
been reading your blog for a bunch of years now. my daughter turned me on to it, because she works for the canadian
division of big loud records.
you were saying that you watch all the news outlets, like CNN, MSNBC, etc.
if you only watch the left slanted outlets, are you getting all the news ?
just asking. maybe doesn't matter as much to us, being canadians, but recently we started watching both sides
we watch mainstream outlets (have been for years) and we watch fox also. not bill o'reilly per say, but the regular news (like fox & friends)
it's interesting to hear both sides.
and is it really news anymore ? or just the advancement of one's agenda ?
Ken Deslippe
Enjoyed your piece on Rachel Maddow.
Rachel Maddow is a good detective, or good at playing one on TV. She got right on the Trump- Russia connection and stayed on it until Trump played a good hand and trumped the media and the rest of us into believing we had to bomb Syria and had to send naval ships to North Korea. All in effort to divert attention from his real problem-- his ties to Russia.
I like Rachel Maddow because she gets at the meat, and as you said, she explains, much like a litigator explains in the courtroom. And Maddow is just as dramatic as any litigator. That's how she gets viewers. She drives me crazy sometimes because everything is so dramatic but at the same time who else are we going to get serious info from? Maddow is paying attention. Which other news anchor can you say that about who doesn't take themselves so seriously? Bill O'Reilly--you were spot on about him and also about Brian Williams. But I'll take Williams over O'Reilly any day and I felt that way long before all the allegations against B.O. Maybe because Williams looks better.
Rachel Maddow will get back to uncovering the snakes in the grass. I trust her. Isn't that how we felt about past news anchors who actually investigated and reported news?
Martine Ehrenclou
Bob!
You are so right!! My wife and I are now addicted to Rachel's show. She is simple the BEST at the back story, bringing you up to what's going on - so you actually GET it.
We're also addicted to our phone news feeds, and the various late night shows - especially the intro and early segments - but nobody explains it quite like Rachel. She's pure genius at it.
Thanks for writing so articulately as you usually do - and pointing this out to so many. Much needed.
Best,
Frank Blumer
A light went on when I read this. I really wasn't a fan of Rachel's mannerisms or TV persona. I know that she is very well educated and I generally watch MSNBC so I've watched her show more recently.I agree with you that she can make complicated global issues more understandable; I have also gotten hooked on cable news to the point of waking to Morning Joe @ 6am.
I'm going to pay more attention to Rachel in the future by concentrating more on what she is teaching us & less on delivery & personality.
Love your stuff! Follower for a little less than a year.
Jim Hill
I have been a fan of Rachel since she came on MSNBC, and if I only had a
nickel for every person I have told, left or right, that she REALLY is fair
and balanced, but more importantly, without anyone in the rear view mirror,
she IS the smartest person on television. Period. Full stop.
And this may sour this whole response, but say what you will. Yes, he is the
worlds biggest buffoon behind the scenes, can't hold a job because he is
impossible to work with/for. But if MSNBC or the parents company suits had
any sense, the time is really right to bring back Keith Olbermann. His video
rants on his Twitter feed are like the Keith of old. People need to put
aside his arrogance and all they hate about him on the periphery and listen.
twitter.com/KeithOlbermann
Perry/Chicago
Long time reader, first time writer.
Thank you for writing what i have been unable to articulate about why I am obsessed with Rachel Maddow and have been for years.
I learn something every night she is on, she doesnt waste my time with paid pundits and she talks about issues that matter, not just the
most recent cray coming out of the white house.
She is the exact role model i would like for my daughter, who at 11, in this current climate, is growing up with very few models of what a fully formed woman should look like.
Smart, Poised, Funny, Intelligent, Curious…. the list could go on ad infinitum
Thank you again for your piece on Rachel Maddow
Jill
You had me at Rachel Maddow... I just threw up in my mouth. Good
grief man stop with your political perspective and rants.
-macrant (just a nobody subscriber that is a click away from unsubscribing)
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