MyDD :: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams!

Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams!

by Dreorg, Tue Aug 19, 2008 at 11:57:02 PM EST

Oh, hell, yeah. One of my favorite fellow GLBTs / progressives is going to replacing the milquetoast Dan Abrams on MSNBC!

Per the NY Times:

Just in time for the closing rush of the presidential election, MSNBC is shaking up its prime-time programming lineup, removing the long-time host -- and one-time general manager of the network -- Dan Abrams from his 9 p.m. program and replacing him with Rachel Maddow, who has emerged as a favored political commentator for the all-news cable channel.

The moves, which were confirmed by MSNBC executives Tuesday, are expected to be finalized by Wednesday, with Mr. Abrams's last program on Thursday. After MSNBC's extensive coverage of the two political conventions during the next two weeks, Ms. Maddow will begin her program on Sept. 8.

source: http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/ 08/19/rachel-maddow-to-replace-dan-abram s-on-msnbc/

I'm beyond excited to seeing a progressive, intellectual, out and open lesbian (and fellow Pioneer Valley transplant) headlining a prime time news show on a mainstream cable network. She's one of the smartest people in the media, bar none, and I couldn't be happier for her, and for the exposure she'll hopefully be able to bring to progressive issues.

Go, Rachel!

Tags: Air America, Rachel Maddow, Kick-Ass Lesbians (all tags)

Permalink :: 31 Comments :: Post a Comment

One more thing... (2.00 / 2)

...to add to the Tivo!

by Dreorg on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:00:13 AM EST

Re: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams! (none / 0)

i actually like abrams, I thought he was equitable and would always immediately call out the bs and spin. that being said Maddow has the same solid qualities as abrams, and much more, and is awesome in my book. I have wanted her to get in the big leagues and here is her chance. so cheers to her and I am sure abrams will be fine

by KLRinLA on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:13:14 AM EST

Re: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams! (none / 0)

I don't mean to wish the guy ill. I just couldn't really get into his show.

by Dreorg on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:41:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams! (none / 0)

oh i didnt think you were wishing him ill, besides, with maddow this is a positive net outcome

by KLRinLA on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 02:26:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams! (none / 0)

Sweet. Much better follow-up to Olbermann. Although now Olbermann will need to find somebody else to mock Bushie McCain with.

by EvilAsh on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:14:55 AM EST

Re: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams! (2.00 / 1)

Rachel is GAY????? (just kidding...)

Well, how can that be?

Someone really smart and honest actually gets a TV show?

Something is wrong with reality....

I couldn't be happier that she is finally full
time on "the TV Machine...."

On Nov 4th, we elected "the smart guy" and the world celebrated!

by WashStateBlue on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:25:00 AM EST

Re: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams! (none / 0)

I know, right? I'm still not quite sure how to process that info.

by Dreorg on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:42:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

I liked Abrams (none / 0)

Replacing Gregory makes more sense, that show is god awful. I currently watch Olberman, but I dont know if 2 hours of back to back echo chamber is what I am in the market for.

"Is there no keeping with class in whom we mingle with anymore?"

by Brandon on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:26:07 AM EST

that does it, (2.00 / 1)

NBC has lost total credibility. Now their whole lineup are Clinton haters, whereas Abrams at least had a different view than Matthews and Olbermann. I hope MSNBC goes under.

by Lakrosse on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:32:59 AM EST

Re: that does it, (2.00 / 1)

Yeah, Rachel is a real Clinton Hater....

Look, DiamondJay, I know anyone that doesn't get up in the morning and spend 3 hours in prayer at their Clinton altar is "a Clinton Hater" to you, but Rachel Maddow hates the Clintons?

That's crazy-talk, even by your standards.

On Nov 4th, we elected "the smart guy" and the world celebrated!

by WashStateBlue on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:37:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]

On the bright side (1.25 / 4)

If They are going to hate a Democrat, they might a well pick one that is irrelevant. If Hillary is anything, she is irrelevant, and so are the 3-400 dead enders that make a ton of noise online but dont exist in any serious numbers.

"Is there no keeping with class in whom we mingle with anymore?"

by Brandon on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:39:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]

i wish rachel well... (2.00 / 3)

but i wont be watching. while she wasnt part of the CDS crowd of sexist pigs at msnbc - she tacitly supported it by not speaking out against ass backwards reporting (and now profiting from it).

its too bad - because she's pretty awesome.

"Democracy! Bah! When I hear that I reach for my feather Boa!" Allen Ginsberg

by canadian gal on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:58:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]

From Nation magazine: (2.00 / 4)

Not speaking out about it?

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080818/tr aister

Mad for Rachel Maddow
By Rebecca Traister
July 30, 2008

In a year bursting with memorable moments in televised political punditry, the first may have come on January 8, when MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow explained one of the quick-spreading theories behind Hillary Clinton's victory in New Hampshire, a surprise win that had knocked many of Maddow's on-air colleagues on their asses.

"You want to know who they're blaming for women voters breaking for Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama?" a delighted Maddow asked co-panelist Pat Buchanan and host Chris Matthews, her eyes flashing. "They're blaming Chris Matthews! People are citing specifically Chris...not only for his own views but also as a symbol of what the mainstream media has done to Hillary Clinton."

Matthews sputtered dismissively, but Maddow wasn't done yet. "People feel the media is piling on Hillary Clinton," she said, "and they're coming to her defense with their votes." For Matthews, who'd been enjoying near rapturous pleasure over the presumptive early-season thumping of his personal hobgoblin, there could not have been worse news than that his own commentary might have paved the way for Clinton's triumph. Yet here was just this headline, delivered by Maddow, looking like Sylvester the Cat, practically licking yellow feathers from the corners of her mouth.

[...]Maddow didn't get here by bluster and bravado but with a combination of crisp thinking and galumphing good cheer. Remarkably, this season's discovery isn't a glossy matinee idol or a smooth-talking partisan hack but a PhD Rhodes scholar lesbian policy wonk who started as a prison AIDS activist.

All of which raises a crucial question: does Maddow's unlikely success, reliant on her ability to defy cliché and categorization at every turn, signal a move in punditry away from the thuggish and the angry and toward the lucid and sophisticated? Or has her powerful charisma and canny career management allowed her to break the rules--without actually breaking a mold? [...]

The quote above, about Tweety and the New Hampshire turn-out, was repeated all over the net, to much applause from Hillary supporters at the time, as I recall. Especially Digby and Dday, who praised her to the skies that day:

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/i -fucking-love-rachel-maddow-let-me.html

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

I Fucking Love Rachel Maddow
[....]

This is glorious. If the media can understand that their catty, elitist, high school Heathers-like mentality will ultimately backfire, maybe they'll shut their mouths for a second and rethink their job description. [...]

No matter who any of us wanted to win the nomination, we should all be very, very grateful that there are people like Rachel Maddow on cable news. This is a huge announcement.

by Dumbo on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 01:39:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: i wish rachel well... (none / 0)

Fixed the ratings abuse thrown at you, and that which you threw at others.

by Dreorg on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 07:25:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: i wish rachel well... (none / 0)

CG, I think you are wrong on this.

Did you watch all that much, because, on more then one occasion, Rachel was the lone voice calling them out?

She was incredibly neutral on who she was pulling for, on TV and on her radio show.

Bash Keith and certainly Tweety, but I think you are doing a bit of guilt by association here.

Just sayin....

On Nov 4th, we elected "the smart guy" and the world celebrated!

by WashStateBlue on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 11:18:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: i wish rachel well... (2.00 / 1)

admittedly i probably watched less than some after a certain point. that said - she certainly wasnt neutral. but that's not the point for me really since everyone is entitled to their opinion - what bothered me was that by not calling it out (and i mean not in hurrah way as another poster mentioned) or taking a stand, or in fact profiting from it, what does that say about her as a progressive and woman?

like i said - i like her alot. she's smart, liberal and entertaining - the perfect mix for a pundit. as a woman though, i have deep reservations about her role in what happened this cycle. i wish her well, and i think little old cg will not do much to the msnbc market share (that they didnt already lost in the primary) and so i wish her much success.

"Democracy! Bah! When I hear that I reach for my feather Boa!" Allen Ginsberg

by canadian gal on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:48:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams! (1.00 / 1)

It's too bad she isn't replacing Matthews or that awful David Gregory show.

"I don't know too much about Sarah Palin, but perhaps that's the good news." -- GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison

by Obama44 on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 01:45:37 AM EST

Re: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams! (none / 0)

since you're new, ill advise you politely that you are abusing the ratings system. good day!

"Democracy! Bah! When I hear that I reach for my feather Boa!" Allen Ginsberg

by canadian gal on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 02:21:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams! (1.00 / 1)

You made a trollish remark.

"I don't know too much about Sarah Palin, but perhaps that's the good news." -- GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison

by Obama44 on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 03:52:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

again... (1.00 / 0)

politely - although the your last few posts tell me that im wasting my time...

http://www.mydd.com/special/trusted

above are the guidelines here at mydd - one wouldnt want to get the reputation of say being a sockpuppet or anything would they?

"Democracy! Bah! When I hear that I reach for my feather Boa!" Allen Ginsberg

by canadian gal on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 04:18:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: again... (1.00 / 1)

Now you're stalking. More trollish behavior.

"I don't know too much about Sarah Palin, but perhaps that's the good news." -- GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison

by Obama44 on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 07:04:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

You evened the score! (1.00 / 1)

That's fine with me. I hope there will be no more hypocritic lectures about the guidelines after this.

"I don't know too much about Sarah Palin, but perhaps that's the good news." -- GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison

by Obama44 on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 09:14:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Rating abuse is a one way street with you. (none / 0)

"I don't know too much about Sarah Palin, but perhaps that's the good news." -- GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison

by Obama44 on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 09:26:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Rachel Maddow replaces Abrams! (none / 0)

I won't be watching. It's a logical move for MSNBC to double team that time range with Olbermann and Maddow, but I can't tolerate her.

I appreciate real world balanced viewpoint. Rachel slants everything and her insistence that McCain was the beneficiary of the extended Democratic primary and therefore became the November favorite was about as ignorant as it gets. I couldn't stop howling every time she launched her pessimistic blather. She obviously has no clue regarding situational influence. Scarbourugh and Harwood properly put her in her place several times, emphasizing the big picture easily trumped her fretful focus on recency.

Abrams's show had lousy graphics and a blase format. On top of that he masochistically used the same set of horrid guests, notably the goof from Huffington Post with the bags under his eyes.

Too bad, because Abrams is very solid with excellent balance and political instincts.

by Gary Kilbride on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 06:07:48 AM EST

Scarborough put her in her place? (none / 0)

Really? As I recall, he's the one that stormed off-set after she "wtfpwnd" him with the facts.

Maddow's "slant" is reality's liberal bias. Sorry.

I'm not sure where you're looking for a "real world balanced viewpoint" on network or cable news. Care to enlighten us?

The pebbles have voted and the avalanche has begun.

President-Elect "That One"

by Dracomicron on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 09:29:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Nah, Abrams is better (none / 0)

Maddow is too much of a partisan. We already have Olberman. Seems like overkill.

by ttjackson on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 07:41:39 AM EST

Re: Nah, Abrams is better (2.00 / 1)

Yeah, too much of a partisan.

One of the strongest Democrats on TV ever.

God, will you people STOP thinking anyone that wasn't for Clinton was NOT a democrat.

Look, Rachel was REALLY worried the primary was going on too long.

But, she was clear, IT WASN'T HILLARY, she would have been upset if it was Obama hanging on as well.

She was chicken little by her own admission.

Sorry, for all you Clintonites to kvetich about ONE OF THE MOST LIBERAL PERSONS EVER getting her own show is just acts of complete narcissism.

On Nov 4th, we elected "the smart guy" and the world celebrated!

by WashStateBlue on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 11:41:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

WTF? (none / 0)

What did my comment have to do with Hillary Clinton?

by ttjackson on Fri Aug 22, 2008 at 11:24:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Hmm (none / 0)

I liked Abrams. He was relatively nonpartisan and called out BS when he saw it. He also gets props for having General Clark on reasonably often.

Maddow should've replaced Gregory, whose show is godawful ("play date with the panel," really?), but this is a better timeslot, in my opinion.

The pebbles have voted and the avalanche has begun.

President-Elect "That One"

by Dracomicron on Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 09:36:06 AM EST

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