Why Maddow Matters

by: Living Liberally

Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 15:15

Drinking Liberally Shot of Truth by Justin Krebs

Why are we all so excited about Rachel Maddow? News of her being tapped for own MSNBC program has excited the progressive grassroots/netroots, leading Living Liberally’s blog to be “All Maddow, All the Time” today in her honor.

So what’s the big deal?

Well, first of all, Maddow demonstrations that someone can graduate from the world of “progressive media” into a role in the “mainstream” media. People across the country know Maddow — if not from her stints on Air America, then from her confrontations with Pat Buchanan and take-down Joe Scarborough. She has become a brand, a recognizable name and face, and — according to that ultimate arbiter, the bottom-line of business-driven MSNBC — a bankable commodity.

This is a great success for progressive media, and the components of it that had promoted Maddow at different parts in her career. And it’s a signal to other smart, funny, liberal personalities that there is an avenue to advance their careers and their ideas.

Second, Maddow is a team player. She respects and engages the progressive movement. We, at Living Liberally, experienced that friendship when she wrote a guest post for Screening Liberally on her recommended weekend video rentals, and when she joined us for our 5th Anniversary party in May.

When we’ve asked her to participate, she’s participated. That’s a great quality.

And finally, it a strong, left-leaning voice will reach the homes of many more Americans. Yes, there are satiric news programs that do a great job challenging right-wing dominance, and some broadcasters like Keith Olbermann who challenge the administration, but we’re still short on proud progressive personalities in the spotlight. The right has them. Now we have one more too.

Part of building a progressive movement is ensuring there are structures that recognize and promote talent: whether candidates, organizers or commentators. Maddow’s next move shows that some of these structures are in place…we need to keep making them work.

And we need to tune in to MSNBC on Monday, September 8th at 9pm to help keep Maddow on the air.

Congratulations.

Living Liberally :: Why Maddow Matters

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Why Maddow Matters | 5 comments

Also, (4.00 / 1)

she is the first (that I know of) out, gay pundit to get their own TV show. In a landscape, that, as recently as 2002, ranged from Bill O’Riely to Alan Colmes, is a big deal.

by: Valatan @ Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 19:25:40 PM UTC

She's also (0.00 / 0)

A real hottie. And so smart and strong. What a treat–there’s been no one like her since Xena went off the air. We here in the West can watch her over dinner, too. Even better than Jon Stewart reruns. I am SO thrilled.

John McCain–He’s not who you think he is.

by: Mimikatz @ Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 20:15:18 PM UTC

I like Maddow (0.00 / 0)

She’s affable and articulate, like Tucker Carlson’s liberal lesbian twin sister. (I admit it, I kind of like Tucker, too.)

I’ve always thought that the best use of her talents would be a talking heads show along the lines of Maddow and Conservative to Be Named Later. A de facto hour 2 of Countdown would be a bad idea, I think, but a Crossfire/Hannity and Colmes-type of show would be a good use of her. MSNBC could use a show which isn’t someone behind a desk going through the stories of the day but which can focus on specific issues in more depth.

I’m going to miss Dan Abrams, though.

Things You Don’t Talk About in Polite Company: Religion, Politics, the Occasional Intersection of Both

by: Anthony de Jesus @ Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 21:31:26 PM UTC

Yeah… (0.00 / 0)

I love Maddow, but this would seem like a much bigger deal to me if she was replacing someone like Matthews instead of a true blue liberal like Dan Abrams. So…we get one liberal to replace another liberal. Someone explain to me how this will dramatically alter things.

Now, if they were replacing Morning Joe with Maddows that would be something!

by: Brett @ Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 23:32:00 PM UTC

Maddow on (real) air (0.00 / 0)

I’ve been waiting for this all my life. To have someone like that, so clear, so level-headed, so much in command, and ready to take it to the enemy is just exhilarating. It’s a symptom of what’s going on, I think — reflected in the Obama candidacy. These are the kinds of things that simply could not have happened at any other historical moment in the last generation.

by: Mr. X @ Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 00:34:43 AM UTC