In all the back and forth about Ms Maddow and where she sits in relation to the bus, bear in mind what she does for a living.
That’s right, she’s the host of a popular TV show.
As such, she needs to keep an eye on her ratings. You’ve heard about ratings? They are how corporations decide who stays on the air.
Now, it’s a good thing (I feel like I’m talking to the little boy in a Twilight Zone episode, in fear of getting sent to the cornfield), it’s a good thing to have someone on the air that advocates for progressive causes. Yea!
But there’s a natural limit to what she can do, and how she can do it. There’s an awful lot of infotaiment going on, in other words. Keep it snappy! Dig into controversy. If necessary, create some!
A prominent critic of many things about the way politics has become a game between warring tribes, Bob Somerby has been covering Rachel’s approach for years now. And he ain’t easy to please.
“Increasingly, Maddow is drifting out of her head. Given the power of tribal authority, we liberals can't seem to see this.”
Somerby is often dismissed by those on the left- primarily, it seems, because he doesn’t make nice with sloppy thinking. I’m not 100% behind what he says, but then, it isn’t a black and white world, is it? His perspective is valid, and should welcome in any debate.