MSNBC ... a veer to the left? Convince me I'm wrong .......

[Stinky The Clown]

I was listening to Stephani Miller for a few minutes in the car this morning. Apart from her mentioning DU and a quote from DUer Ocelot (cited in another thread), she also spoke about MSNBC. She said it appears they have their finger in the wind and the wind is telling them to move left. She mentioned both Scarborough and Carlson suddenly claiming they're libertarians (Tucker has always sorta claimed to be).

Her comments peaked my ear. I've posted about this before. I really do think there's a shift in the works at MSNBC and that the shift is good for us. Here are three recent posts on mine on this topic.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2706042

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2733301

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2756226

If there's a shift, it might be best to ascribe it to grovelling for viewers. It may be craven ratings numbers moving them. It might be just to sell more ad time. Frankly, I don't give a crap why. I'm only interested in us getting better on-air treatment and getting a place to say things they way **we** want to say them. I only want a truly honest news report. Its the results that matter more than the reasons.

Again, what do you think? Am I nuts? Do my rose colored glasses need cleaning? Convince me I'm wrong.

[hippiechick]

1. It's always about the ratings and the money ...

... so yeah, they'll follow whichever way the wind is blowing, IMHO.

[rman]

6. Ratings were the primary concern when the media corps were independent

The situation has changed when these media corps became the property of much larger (in many cases non-media) corporations. The big networks are no longer their own boss. These days, a major new factor is doing what the boss tells them to do.

[Bozita]

2. It may not matter. MSNBC is gonna be wall-to-wall Ramsey ...

... for the next few months.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. First off, they won't be alone if they do that

Second, that will be filler on any network that covers it unless there's actual news to cover.

True enough, NBC broke this latest story and they intend to ride it, but I don't think it will be as bad as it was in the past with some other stories. Here's why: ALL the media blamed the parents and the mother recently died .... before she saw this arrest. They will look like total fucking idiots if they play this too loose and fast. I actually hope that some of the worst offenders (You hear me, Nancy Grace??) will lose a lot of stature over this.

So I don't see this having the legs of other stories. It will get some big play for a few days or weeks, but that's it.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. You're probably not wrong.

It call comes back to the FDR days. You play by the administration/party's rules, you get access. If you don't have access, you can't compete with the networks that do.

Now, they see the handwriting on the wall. Now they're starting to come over to our side because they feel the tidal wave surging. This is why the "liberal bias" crap started - it was because we held the power for so long. But it wasn't an inherent bias - it was just good ol' fashioned ass kissing.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. " ...... it was just good ol' fashioned ass kissing."

And my left wing ass is hungry for a good kissing! :thumbsup:

[EST]

8. While I can partially agree with you, I cannot accept that there

ever was a liberal bias to news reporting. The fiction that weak minded right wingers are trying to present as fact is that the media outlets were in thrall of leftist ideology.

They (r/wingnuts) cannot distinguish between ideology and reality.
Science and truth are the correct descriptors of reality; ideology is the descriptor of the way they wish it were.

Science, truth, honesty, integrity--these are, and have always been, functions of the real universe and this fact disagrees with the absurd need, by right wing apologists, to reframe reality and our imperfect understanding and descriptions of that reality according to their ideology and it really pisses 'em off!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

18. No, there definitely was at one point.

It was one of the biggest things FDR did, actually, in revolutionizing how the media was used for political advantage.

[LaurenG]

7. I think the powers that be have used bush for what they

wanted and now that they're done with him he and his party are totally dispensable.

*sigh* Oh how I wish I hadn't been forced into becoming such a cynic...

[endarkenment]

9. When Scarface and F*cker veer left Pigs Will Fly

The standard out for rightwing turds who suddenly realize that their party is filled with religious fruitcakes and outright fascists is to suddenly discover that really they are right-libertarians. Sorry. That bullshit won't fly. These enablers whored themselves out and they do not get a pass back in.

Let me know when they start supporting universal health care.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. What does that have to do with MSNBC and the posit of the OP?

I'm not disagreeing with what you say, but how does it relate to the OP?

[endarkenment]

19. I guess that perhaps it was this:

"She mentioned both Scarborough and Carlson suddenly claiming they're libertarians (Tucker has always sorta claimed to be)."

But perhaps I misread that sentence. you tell me.

[Rude Horner]

10. I'm not buying it for a second

I think this is part of the plan up until election day - distance themselves from Bush. Make it look like BUSH and even some other Republicans are the failure, not Republicans in general. Bush is expendable now, but Repubs are terrified of losing the House and/or Senate because they know that criminal hearings may follow. If ratings and money were the sole driving force of this change, then this change would have been happening a year or more ago, when popular opinion polls showed Bush's ratings were in the tank and still dropping. Nope - my money is on this being the plan leading up to the election.

If you listen carefully, Scarborough and the like are not touting Democratic policies now. They are merely pointing out that some of the current batch of Repubs are wrong. The change they will be pushing for is not Democratic leadership, but NEW Republican leadership.

[Stinky The Clown]

14. That's a reasoned response ......

.... and as viable a possibility as my OP's posit. It bears considering. Thanks!

[rubberducky]

11. Scarborough quit wearing his little.....

repub American flag pin right after he came back from reporting on Katrina. Noticed a difference in his views immediately. After all what good things did the admin. do for the people of Katrina?? Tucker never did agree with Iraq. Yes I do see a subtle shift in politics on msnbc. They have left Kieth on, which kind of signalled a move to the left. I e-mail them every time O`Donnell takes over for Mathews, because that right-wing nut HAS TO GO. She belongs on fox

[Dinger]

12. They'd Have Me Convinced If They Brought Back Donahue (nt)

[GOTV]

15. Are libertarians to the left of Republicans?

I mean, sure, I'd be happy with their stand on getting the government out of my personal life but when it comes to the amassing of corporate power, wouldn't they be much worse than Republicans?

[Stinky The Clown]

17. I'm not arguing for Libertarian anything .......

.... but 'Libertarian' is the mantle every Republican-in-hiding' reaches for when the heat's on.

[GOTV]

22. Oh, OK....

... I thought their recent claims of libertarianism was supposed to be a sign they were moving leftward.

[endarkenment]

21. Arguably they are far right.

As they ignore the role of corporate power, their dystopia of a very limited propertarian state would transform society into a neo-feudal corporate system.

[Pale Blue Dot]

16. I've suspected that they may give Rachel Maddow her own show

She's appeared as a guest on Carlson's show, and she has the credentials to do an Olberman-style news show. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, because I adore her.

[Stinky The Clown]

20. I'm smelling whiffs of that and of Bill Press rejoining Tucker ......

.... to reprise their Spin Room roles from the old show they did on CNN. Press was a good moderating force on Tucker's latent insanity.

Rachel ...... yeah, I sense that possibility, too. I don't think she'd do a straight news show, though. Her forte is news analysis.

[flpoljunkie]

23. That would be fantastic! Let's hope MSNBC gets it!

[Hemperor]

24. I wouldnt call Libertarian more left

since libertarians are considered very "conservative" on domestic matters, and thats an understatement...

being one.. i find alot of democrats write me off for being libertarian, even if im at an anti war rally (its awesome living near dc)

[Clark2008]

25. It's because Keith is their highest rated show.

And, while Keith isn't exactly liberal, to the corporate suits who own all the media, he is. Afterall, the truth is liberal in a lot of ways these days.