Rhodes Scholar Reporting the News Show Discussion

[jjj]

Speaking of the visual, if you did not see the final segment yesterday, it is worth looking it up to watch:  eel-like fish dropping from the sky in Alaska, possibly being dropped by seagulls.  They look like the creature from "Alien", and Rachel screeched her way through the segment while showing us the very unpleasant ring of teeth that are the mouth of this fish.  When Lawrence O'Donnell came on, he said, "Rachel, so much screaming!"

 

Bonus:  segment immediately before this showed a family of moose in Alaska enjoying a lawn sprinkler on someone's lawn. 

[attica]

And here I was thinking lampreys were eels. (They're usually a crossword clue for eel, anyhow.) Learned something new! Thanks, Rachel!

[attica]

When Rachel finished her wrap up of the 'Franklin Graham changes gay banks' story by telling us "I love this story so much I would go down to Graham's new gay bank and marry it...if it were a lady" I spit out my tea. I barked in laughter all through the commercials.

[M. Darcy]

That commercial.  It made me cry - how can anyone get angry about it. Two women learning sign language for the deaf child they are adopting.  Seriously, the only thing missing was a cute kitten.  A deaf orphan!  Getting a new family!!

 

Wow - two "woo hoos" from Rachel last night.

[Grommet]

Rachel saying that Graham's op ed piece said "this is not funny at all," while shaking her finger, is the funniest thing I've seen in a while. I just love this story.

[bj1968]

Can someone clear something up for me please? Is Billy Graham still alive because Rachel mentioned the 'late' Graham on her show last night but I have searched and I can't find anything that says that he has died.

[Moose135]

Yes, Billy Graham is still alive, he turned 96 last November.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Graham

Edited June 12, 2015 by Moose135

[M. Darcy]

Man, I start watching Rachel with a happy cry (that commercial) then a sad cry.  You know, I was raised Jewish and as a result of how I was raised, my only reaction if two consenting adults want to get married or want to adopt a child is to say mazel tov...or maybe asking where they are registered.  But I don't think you can blame religion on bigoted jerks.  They use that as an excuse.

 

Heh, that guy from New Hampshire kept using swear words.  It was kind of cute. 

 

And, I admit, I laugh every time I see the little girl get smacked in the face....and then I feel bad.  She is so adorable. 

Edited June 12, 2015 by M. Darcy

[attica]

The moppet-smacking soldier will never, no, no, never live that down.

[M. Darcy]

I know!  He could save the Queen from an assassination attack and the headline would still be "soldier who smacked little girl saves Queen".  His fellow soldiers must be having a field day.  And, even worse, he couldn't even apologize until the Queen left the room and he could stop saluting.

 

And, it was totally just a fluke of where they were standing in relation to each other.  But heh, pow!  I'm sure now that they will tell adorable moppets to step back after they hand their flowers to the Queen. 

[Wax Lion]

Can someone clear something up for me please? Is Billy Graham still alive because Rachel mentioned the 'late' Graham on her show last night but I have searched and I can't find anything that says that he has died.

 

I only got to watching the episode today off the DVR and I ended up saving that part to watch again. I listened for it and didn't notice her calling him the late Billy Graham, just that the younger Graham inherited his evangelical empire.

[kassygreene]

I only got to watching the episode today off the DVR and I ended up saving that part to watch again. I listened for it and didn't notice her calling him the late Billy Graham, just that the younger Graham inherited his evangelical empire.

She cleared it up the next night.  Rev Billy Graham is still alive (95) and retired.  I've never been a fan, but ZOMG the son is toxic.

[attica]

I know!  He could save the Queen from an assassination attack and the headline would still be "soldier who smacked little girl saves Queen".  His fellow soldiers must be having a field day.  And, even worse, he couldn't even apologize until the Queen left the room and he could stop saluting.

 

Worse yet, the follow-up reporting says that the moppet is the daughter of the soldier's boss. I hope he enjoys his next posting down a mine shaft! (TBF, he says he apologized and let wee Maisie wear his cap for a few minutes, which seemed to right her wrongs. Her dad, though: jury's still out.)

[M. Darcy]

Aw, she got to wear his hat!  Heh, poor guy.   All he had to do was salute the Queen that day.  All their lives, she has the best ice breaker story and he has the worst one.  Seriously though, considering he is in the military, I really hope that is the worst day he ever has.

[M. Darcy]

Oh, Chris Matthews is so wrong.  People do hate Donald Trump.   I can't be the only one.

[ktwo]

Oh, Chris Matthews is so wrong.  People do hate Donald Trump.   I can't be the only one.

Rachel expounded on the hatred for Donald Trump topic tonight - apparently he has a 57% negative favorability rating. And that's among republicans. Lowest for a presidential candidate since Pat Buchanan in 2000.

[stormy]

LOL   I actually like Pat Buchanan more!

Love Rachel's shout-out to her mom and birthday present to be Pope Francis story tonight.  Cute.

[M. Darcy]

On the upside, maybe this means no more Celebrity Apprentice! 

 

Happy Birthday Rachel's Mom!

[attica]

My takeaway from DT's speech: I wanna be POTUS so I can better rip off the places where I'm building hotels.

[jjj]

How many people can give their mother a story about the Pope for a birthday?!  And how many *would*?!  Happy Birthday, Rachel's Mom! 

[stormy]

Rachel showing clips to the 2012 republican candidates kissing up to Donald was so much fun. Especially Romney and wife, that was classic.

[Ohwell]

I don't watch Rachel much, but I saw some of her show last night when she was talking about the woman who spotted that Roof monster in his car and followed him until the police caught him.  What got to me was that Rachel couldn't stop referring to the woman as a florist.  Yes, Rachel, she's a florist.  You don't have to mention it ten times.  Rachel seemed to want to emphasize that the woman was "just an ordinary person" and she just sounded so condescending.

[kassygreene]

I don't watch Rachel much, but I saw some of her show last night when she was talking about the woman who spotted that Roof monster in his car and followed him until the police caught him.  What got to me was that Rachel couldn't stop referring to the woman as a florist.  Yes, Rachel, she's a florist.  You don't have to mention it ten times.  Rachel seemed to want to emphasize that the woman was "just an ordinary person" and she just sounded so condescending.

I disagree.  She was emphasizing ordinary person without saying ordinary southern white person.  There are a very large number of people who would not take that risk.  Rachel loved her as a citizen.  So does my mother.  And me.

 

Also, following someone known to be armed and ready to shoot is a Very Big Deal.  She was pretty sure he was the guy, to the point that she stuck with it.  I've lived and driven in the South for about half my adult life, and deliberately following a whack job is a brave and foolhardy thing to do.

 

That's sort of the overall point.  

[Ohwell]

I disagree.  She was emphasizing ordinary person without saying ordinary southern white person.  There are a very large number of people who would not take that risk.  Rachel loved her as a citizen.  So does my mother.  And me.

 

Also, following someone known to be armed and ready to shoot is a Very Big Deal.  She was pretty sure he was the guy, to the point that she stuck with it.  I've lived and driven in the South for about half my adult life, and deliberately following a whack job is a brave and foolhardy thing to do.

 

That's sort of the overall point.

 

Yes the woman was an "ordinary American" so why couldn't Rachel have just said that once, even twice, and left it at that?  She seemed to be fascinated with the woman being "a florist" and she just sounded condescending to me. 

 

Also, I did not question the woman's bravery in my prior post AT ALL  I agree, she was very brave.

[attica]

On Tuesday, Myrlie Evers. Yesterday, John Hawkins. Awesome interviews, unexpected and interesting!

[jjj]

On Tuesday, Myrlie Evers. Yesterday, John Hawkins. Awesome interviews, unexpected and interesting!

Yes, I had never heard Myrlie Evers (as far as I can recall), and she was wonderful. 

[M. Darcy]

 

Yes, I had never heard Myrlie Evers (as far as I can recall), and she was wonderful.

She is amazing - besides the work done with her late husband, she was also chairwoman of the NAACP, and she delivered the invocation at the second inauguration of President Obama.  If you are a movie buff, she was played by Whoopi Goldberg in Ghosts of Mississippi.   It is heartbreaking - back in 1963, she and her children witnessed the assassination of Medgar and now in 2015, another wife and child had to, if not see, they heard the same thing done to their husband and father for the same reason. 

 

Heh, last night I totally expected Rachel to open with the Supreme Court decision on capital punishment but instead we saw Miss Brazil.  And, Rachel, yes, that was Geraldo Rivera on Celebrity Apprentice.

Edited June 30, 2015 by M. Darcy

[M. Darcy]

If Rachel spent every night just talking about the downfall of Chris Christie, it would be the best show ever. 

[stormy]

Sadly, Christie and his big mouth look sane compared to Trump, Carson, Huckabee, Jindal, etc, etc etc.

[M. Darcy]

He has the same problem as Ted Cruz does - people in the Republican Party hate him.  And, I don't think you can win the nomination if the people with the power in party hate you.  I don't think its fixed but you really do need the people behind the scenes not to hate you.  If I remember correctly, there were a couple of primaries that Mitt Romney "won" but probably really didn't.

 

Heh, that is so bitchy and wonderful that Romney's people released his VP background information.  It sounds like they hated him more than McCain's people did Palin.

[attica]

I'm tickled by the 'You Know More Now' segments, and I'm beginning to really love Hapless Nick and his Walking (not Shooting) Star. And as much as I love a xylophone, Rachel could update to an audio clip activated by a button she pushes. Because I'm always nervous she'll hit a wrong note.

[Grommet]

I love Rachel but I'm tired of her harping on Fox News and the arbitrary top ten cutoff for the debate.  As much as I hate Fox, it's their party (pun only slightly intended) and they can invite as many or as few people as they want. Trump being on stage while Lindsay Graham watches from home doesn't give the short-fingered vulgarian an advantage in any primaries, IMO. I'd rather hear more about those missing birds than about this for the next 3 weeks. Which is why I DVR the show.

[Wax Lion]

I don't see it as an attack on Fox. Rachel has long history of liking "underdog" candidates (she might be happy that Sanders is doing well because he's closer to her politically but his success plays into the same part that followed Rand Paul back in 2008). There's a tendency for the media to try to dictate to voters who the "serious" candidates are and what the "serious" issues and she is clearly thrilled when realty makes itself too hard for them to ignore. Rachel always likes to see that blown up.

 

 

As much as I hate Fox, it's their party (pun only slightly intended) and they can invite as many or as few people as they want.

 

 

I think Rachel sees this as a battle over who the Republican party belongs to. Fox is a national media outlet and would rather voters just take their cues on how to vote in their state primary/caucus from them but there's a reason two small states are the first in the primary election. They're small enough that you can do well from actual on-the-ground campaigning and you don't have to have the money to buy a media campaign if your ideas are that compelling. So is the Republican party just for the people who can build a national campaign? Or do the state parties still matter? That's a topic Rachel always finds fascinating, especially when it was a matter of the progressive wing tearing down the DLC.

 

At least, based on how she covers it, that's how I think Rachel sees this story.

[stormy]

I love you Rachel!  Thank you for finding "TrumpYourCat".  It's brilliant!  I laughed till I cried.

I can't wait for the republican debate next month.  It's going to be like a celebrity roast with Trump as the host.

[EarlGreyTea]

Rachel's "the more you know" segment really hammered home how much of her show is visual. I usually listen to the podcast on the way to work, but the other day I caught the show on TV and absolutely howled at the stage hand carrying that rainbow sign past Rachel, and her using the xylophone (?) to make the sound. It wasn't at all apparent on the podcast how hilariously visual it really was. I now wonder what else I've been missing by only listening.

 

Looks like Rachel and the rest of MSNBC have caught the Trump bug. It seems like the new Bridgegate. It was funny the first few shows but I've got serious Trump fatigue.

[M. Darcy]

 

but the other day I caught the show on TV and absolutely howled at the stage hand carrying that rainbow sign past Rachel, and her using the xylophone (?) to make the sound.

I will never not laugh at the guy carrying the rainbow sign.

[attica]

And how she always sounds apologetic with her "Thanks, Nick" as he traipses by. Slays.

[jjj]

Rachel will be back today, which is a nice surprise -- I had assumed she had the week off.

[Sharpie66]

Don't forget that she'll be interviewing Rick Santorum tonight--I can't wait to see what she asks him!

[attica]

Man, Ol' Frothy Mixture must be getting desperate to get on the Fox debate stage, if he's condescending to appear with Rachel. 

[jjj]

I watched the show at the 1:00 AM slot yesterday, and had already forgotten that Santorum would be on; just managed to remember that Rachel would be back!.  It was too late to put the information together in my head, so thanks for pointing this out!

 

The thing I like about Rachel's interviews is that if a person comes on with firm beliefs with which she disagrees, she allows room for those beliefs.  She has no patience with hypocrisy or non-responsive talking points, which is just fine by me, but I appreciate the fairness of the interviews if the interviewee operates within a frame of reasonableness.    I'm not saying that I am expecting anything in particular from Mr. Santorum, talking points or genuine discussion, but just that she will leave room for a real discussion if he wants one. 

[irisheyes]

Loved the interview with Rick Santorum. I'm with Rachel, and disagree with him on everything but what day of the week it is, but I appreciate the fact that he was willing to come onto her show. Still don't understand how he thinks that the Supreme Court doesn't determine the constitutionality of laws, but then he gave away WHY he wants Congress to pass a gay marriage ban. He's just hoping RBG finally croaks. Keep waiting, Rick, she's going to outlive us all.

[jjj]

I loved the teaser before his actual segment, when she was saying that no Republican national candidates come on her show, but Rick Santorum was there, and "WHY are you HERE?"  The camera swung to him waiting, actually laughing and looking like he was in on the joke, and it was a charming moment.  I am glad she had a challenging second segment with him, but that first segment was classic Rachel "Glad you are here, I really want to have a conversation with you".

[M. Darcy]

Sad that she actually had to explain how the US Government works to a former US Senator.  Between him and the Maine Governor, I think politicians need to watch Schoolhouse Rock. 

 

It is amazing how many people like Rick Santorum know all these formally gay people who were "cured".  Sigh.  Honestly, him not saying if its a choice or not.  Whatever.   I think Rachel's right - if he doesn't get in that debate, its over for him. 

Edited July 23, 2015 by M. Darcy

[The Solution]

I bet Santorum wishes he'd gone to that U2 concert, although I can't imagine Bono letting him off the hook either.

 

Rachel got him to admit that homosexuality may be an immutable characteristic, he doesn't know, but that he still wants to enact laws to discriminate against homosexuals. You could actually see the uh-oh! in his eyes when he admitted it and then tried to walk it back. Good work, Rachel.

[Dagny]

Still don't understand how he thinks that the Supreme Court doesn't determine the constitutionality of laws, but then he gave away WHY he wants Congress to pass a gay marriage ban.

 

I was shouting Marbury v Madison at the TV. 

[attica]

So I watched Rachel on Seth's show; her high-tops were red. Now, I have no idea why she would insist they didn't match her outfit. I learned early that Red is a Neutral and goes with everything. It certainly goes with black pants and a grey jacket! Her sneaks looked super!

[M. Darcy]

Red shoes match everything!  Except maybe a totally pink outfit I guess. 

 

Hee, Wonkette described the interview as "Rachel Maddow Uses Tiny Words To Teach Rick Santorum How America Works
http://wonkette.com/591861/rachel-maddow-uses-tiny-words-to-teach-rick-santorum-how-america-works

[jjj]

I am no fan of his, but I have to give Santorum credit for being willing actually to have a conversation, however wrongheaded, instead of showing up with talking points.  I hate it when it is so clear that an interviewee has spent prep time just memorizing and spitting out talking points that might have no bearing on the question.

 

Yes, all of Rachel's pink outfits (!) would have been a mismatch for the red hightops, but this sounds like a stylin' outfit she wore.  Will find the Seth Meyers show OnDemand. 

[attica]

Raw Story has the clips.