Sometimes, Rachel Maddow makes me want to tear my hair out...

[regnaD kciN]

Granted, she's smart, funny, and communicates well on television, but she has such a take-it-for-granted pessimistic streak, she oftentimes winds up reinforcing right-wing talking points without intending to.

This seems to happen more on radio. Case in point: about two weeks ago, with Obama up in the polls just before the first debate, she announced, quite calmly, that she "expected" that "John McCain will be the next President of the United States" -- that, although there was "a chance" Obama "might" win the election, the likelihood was that McCain would be elected.

Today, she decided to hold a segment on the so-called "Bradley effect," in which her "expert" was simply some woman who had written a book about politics from the African-American viewpoint. This person was not a polling expert or anyone who has studied the history of elections extensively, but who simply assumed the applicability of the Bradley effect (although she gave some evidence that Obama isn't all that susceptible to it). Nonetheless, Maddow's ongoing assumption was that the Bradley effect has been scientifically proven to be the case (she said it was "not just some theory someone came up with"), that -- despite extensive studies showing it hasn't been present in American politics for around fifteen years -- it was universally applicable even today, and that you have to assume that any African-American running against a white opponent "has to be up 4%-5% in the polls just for it to be even."

Nice way of channeling David Gergen, Rachel. Also a nice way of giving permission for white voters to be racist, and providing cover for another Republican election theft. ("So, Obama was up by 4% in the polls on Election Day and wound up narrowly losing. It was only the Bradley effect. Move along...nothing to see here.")

:grr:

I like Rachel overall, but she isn't helping us with that attitude, any more than certain DUers who break out their Chicken Little impression anytime Obama drops a point in one of the tracking polls. :eyes:

[grannie4peace]

1. i agree with you:):)

[TornadoTN]

2. Maddow is a really frustrating asset - but she's still on the good guys side

I echo your sentiments. I'm glad I'm not the only one that sees Rachel see-sawing on a regular basis.

She's a "glass half empty" type of person I believe, but I admire her a lot and she does some excellent reporting.

[greyshade]

3. Hmm. I never considered that.

But I'm not sure that we should have enforced optomism, either. And how much is Rachel hurting? I mean, she's smart, but surely someone else would have figured out the same thing and offered that as explanation for the election theft, even if she never said it.

[gaiilonfong]

4. She is hanging with Pat RACIST SOUTHERN STRATEGY Buchannan too much

She also said Hillary was going to be the nominee...
She should stick to calling out the winguts with facts and let go of the predictions, for someone so smart she SUCKS at predictions

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Nice rant, Nick. uh, kciN.

And what about the yeldarB effect?

[Whalestoe]

7. I've heard of the yeldarB Effect--it's quite an interesting topic.

[bicentennial_baby]

6. You should read the Nation profile on her, where she states that

she's not an Obama supporter. She doesn't like either of them.

Therefore, I don't think she feels it's her job to "help" us.