I decided to post some of my quick thoughts on MSNBC after reading Politico and Gawker.com report on inner turmoil at the network.

I feel that MSNBC is a joke.  It actually was decent a few years ago when guys like Lester Holt and Jerry Nachman could be seen.  Then Olbermann entered and things slowly started to change and after the election in 2004, Olbermann completely lost it and set out on a Crusade determined to prove that Bush stole the election "again".  He never found this "proof" but did find a new direction for his show and dropped any hint of objectivity he may have once had.

Chris Mathews was actually watchable back then and remained tolerable until this past year.  Sure he could be annoying but he was somewhat fair.  Now it seems he is competing with Olbermann (who is said to be running things at MSNBC) and tries to out liberal him in a pathetic attempt to appeal to their small and radical audience.  Dan Abrams, who is now gone, tried to be fair at first as well but he also drifted to the left as Olbermann gained more influence.  I guess he wasn't leftist enough because he was fired so Rachel Maddow could take his place.  Maddow is the androgynous puppet of Olbermann, she is like him in every way and it is no wonder she will get her own show.  A failed radio host on a failed radio network (Air America) is good enough for Olby as long as he can control her.

Tucker Carlson is gone, but that is no surprise considering he's a conservative.  I never liked his whiny personality myself but he did have a decent fanbase, not sure how his ratings were on MSNBC but they couldn't have been much worse than everyone elses abysmal numbers.

David Gregory is a partisan hack and David Schuster is the same only more of a jerk.  Both of these guys actually have the nerve to suggest they are non-partisan and independent.  Just come out with it already.

Joe Scarborough is an acquired taste, I personally don't like his sarcastic nature (a common trait among all MSNBC hosts, no matter their politics) but his Morning Joe show is actually pretty entertaining and he was one of the first Republicans in a public forum who called out his own party on their fiscal irresponsibility.  This shows an intellectual honesty which is hard to come by at MSNBC, NBC or most media outlets for that matter.  I don't detest Mika as some do, but she doesn't have the same chemistry with Joe, Willy (who is hilarious) and the various guests.  Erin Burnett would probably fit that role much better thn Mika, the guys obviously have a thing for her and she gets along with them well.  As long as Chris mathews doesn't molest her on camera, just keep him away from the set.  Though she has said some stupid things, namely that toys containing lead from China are a good thing because they keep prices down.

Mike Barnicle and Harold Ford Jr. (who I personally admire even though we don't see eye to eye on alot of issues) should disassociate themselves with this network before their image is tarnished.

CNN is much more watchable at least.  Lou Dobbs gives a unique perspective on all the issues and is fun to watch and Anderson Cooper tries to be fair from what I can see, though he is a lightweight.  Wolf Blitzer isn't so bad either but everyone else on that network from Campbell Brown to Jack Cafferty is pretty slanted to the left.  John King can often be seen looking at Obama with adoring eyes and his profile piece of McCain, which I am watching onn CNN as I type this, focuses on alot of negative aspects of McCains life.  This is fine, but the Obama profile done by another reporter is much more sympathetic, apologetic and adulatory.

The reason why Fox News is the highest rated network, from what I can see, is that you get to see some great debates and discussions from a diverse range of voices.  Their biggest political analysts are Karl Rove (Republican), Dick Morris (Centrist), and Howard Wolfson (Democrat).  All three have strong political leanings and opinions but when it comes to straight poltical analysis they cut out the rhetoric and are quite informative.  Throw in the many other contributors such as Mara Liasson, Juan Williams, Bill Kristol, Kirsten Powers, Charles Krauthaumer, Michael Steele, Mort Kondracke, Fred Barnes, Jane Hall, Susan Estridge and the panel of Fox News Watch and you get a whole assortment of opinions and debates.  Their reporters and anchors are no doubt conservative but when it comes to hard news they tend to play it straight down the line.  Chris Wallace does a fantastic job on Fox News Sunday and Brit Hume sticks to the hard news for the first half of Special Report and then introduces opinion in the second half.  The O'Reilly Factor, the scourge of the left and especially Olbermann, domiantes its time slot every night and with every demographic.  Even liberals watch the Factor regularly.  Remember that debate between Geraldo and Oreilly about sanctuary laws?  I thought Geraldos moustache was in serious danger, the two were really going at it and it made for great TV.  You easily saw the passion of this debate, how two friends who respect one another can just lose it, and you heard where both sides were coming from.  That blow up taught me alot about how people can view this crucial issue from different angles.  Never will you ever see something like that on Countdown with Keith Olbermann.  His show is pure propaganda and often consists of him going on a 5 minute rant for some left wing cause, followed by him welcoming a guest who agrees compeltely with what he just said and backs him up completely (like Rachel Maddow).  Olbermann can't stand dissent on his show, backs away from debate on his show and now that he apparently runs things at MSNBC he is squashing dissent and debate among his own colleagues.  With Tim Russert gone and GE CEO Immelt dealing with Iran as they help kill American Soldiers, is there any reason to even watch NBC ever again?  MSNBC is a cable TV version of a comments section of an extreme left wing blog, nothing more.