Why Is MSNBC Airing Sarah Palin's Stump Speeches?

October 7, 2008 - 10:25 a.m. or so

Both today and yesterday, MSNBC has been airing what appears to be full stump speeches from Sarah Palin.

As I write this, they have been playing her speech in Jacksonville, Fla for ten full minutes, and it's still going on. No comments -- just the uninterrupted speech.

To my knowledge, they have not been running Obama stump speeches in this manner; or Joe Biden's or John McCain's.

Ah, now they're all chanting "drill, baby, drill" on the TV in the other room. (Yeah, it'll bring down the price of gas 2 or 3 cents in 10 years... good, broad plan, I'm real excited.)

Really, once the networks got changed from public service -- where they were not expected to make a profit -- to our toxic brand of capitalism that seems willing to poison our markets, our environment and our political discourse as long as it makes money, the news is under different constraints, and they're looking -- I don't know -- to stir up the controversy so the McCain-Palin lies can make the race closer and make it better for their business covering them. If Obama stays ahead, it'll be less profitable for them, probably.

MSNBC, stop it! This is extremely unfair.

Plus you are playing to Sarah Palin's one clear talent- - she is a good stand-up with insult comedy. That is her gift. In a different life choice, she could make a good actress in a sitcom. For the future of our country, I hope someone writes her a sitcom and she decides to star.

But in the Couric interviews, obviously she was exposed as someone who can't think on her feet. In the debate, she was snazzy and television-ready, but she didn't answer the questions, and just said sound bytes and phrases she had memorized, merely announcing she wouldn't necessarily answer the questions.

If, MSNBC, you want to run all four candidates' stump speeches throughout the day, fine.

If you're only running Palin as it appears you are, knock it off.

It is extremely unfair to give the Palin-McCain ticket (no, it's not a typo I made) this free publicity for them to knock down Obama with their lies and manipulations.

I hope anyone with access to people at any networks giving this free and unfair airing of campaign propaganda will contact these television producers people and tell them to stop it. If they have any shame. But then maybe people don't have shame anymore.

Comments

[zmadwoman]

I noticed the same thing on my cable provider Brighthouse's news channel, Bay News 9 , here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida (this is where Palin's supporters shouted "Off with his head" and "Kill him" referring to Obama. )
Bay News 9 often airs McCain and Palin's speeches without commentary, while Obama and Biden are only seen in snippets here and there --usually indirectly with someone defending an accusation against them from the McCain/Palin team, and with videotape of the offensive remarks aired yet again in full.
Unfortunately for too many folks around here - if it weren't for the mob mentality they'd have no mentality at all. I've got to get out of here!

[AZTrueBlue]

YES, YES, YES! Finally! MSNBC UNFAIR AND BIASED DURING DAYTIME PROGRAMING!
I listen to MSNBC most of the day while I work. The last two weeks of daytime broadcasting have been the most unfair, unbalanced, vitriolic filled hyping I have ever witness on a "news" show.
I support MSNBC because in the past, it has seemed balanced enough and I appreciate most of the anchors.
I don't like "monochromatic" David Gregory, the "yappie" Contessa Brewer and the "sigh" Mika Brzezinski­...oh, and the "puffed up daddy of us all" PAT BUCHANAN, who should just retire...U­gh!
Love Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. I even like David Schuster, Norah O'Donnell and Andrea Mitchell.
So what gives?
Free commercials for Palin and McCain, referenced as "news" ALL DAY LONG!
Palin is a race-baiting, ignorant, corrupt, dishonest, vicious woman who spews lies against Obama, a decent hard working America, who deserves all of our respect. In Obama world, people value education, accomplishment and devotion. MSNBC doesn't like these values? Not juicy enough? Not cheesy enough? Not dark enough? If this is about GE, it's parent company...­what's the problem? Obama doesn't support weapons manufacturers, nuclear power, oil?
He seems as if he centrist enough to still support all that stuff.
SO, PLEASE, MSNBC TRY HARDER TO BE THE TRUE FAIR AND BALANCED NETWORK.
I would really appreciate it!

[grata2ude]

MSNBC is Fox's MiniMe. They constantly give Palin and McCain's rallies uninterrupted coverage and they show the whole thing. You wouldn't even know Biden was a candidate , they barely give him a snippet of coverage. And Obama they show "live coverage" but they talk over it with two pundits. The Republican pundit outshouts the Dem and constantly interrupts the Dem when they talk and it never fails.....­....the Republican pundit is always given the last word.

The only shows I will continue to watch is KO and Rachel.

MSNBC needs to be reminded the Dems watched them and contributed to their ratings and earnings. If they lose us, they lose period because Repugs are hooked on Faux

[ObjectiveRealist]

Ditto to all that.

Also, I don't believe that seeing/hearing Sarah Palin for extended periods is likely to *help* the Palin-McCain candidacy. As Sarah Silverman said, Palin is as off-putting and gross as a beauty pageant contestant, without the desire for world peace.

[dukeitout]

Mr. Durang: It appears you are an Obama supporter. It's entirely possible Gov. Palin's monopolizing TV time is positively impacting Obama. The more she speaks, the more the polls favor Obama. Realize MSNBC is not the favorite channel of Republicans.

[ARTIST50]

She should have no coverage until she grants the MSM a press conference. We have no idea where she stands on any subject. Her opinions are all spoon fed. Up until 6 weeks ago I don't believe she had an opinion on any foriegn issue. The American people are being played.

[shel3364]

I asked myself that same question this morning... and then I switched to an old episode of Star Trek. Spock's great.


maybe they're hoping she'll say something incendiary or stupid???

IMHO, the chance of that happening is not worth sitting through her incessant babbling.

[Obibrenner]

Listen to the McPalin ticket, MSNBC is in the tank for Obama. Granted Keith and Rachel are opinionated lefties, (like myself) so NBC is trying to make MSNBC be favorable to McPalin in the hope they will snag an interview with verbally Flailin' Palin. Big Mistake!!!!

No matter how far up the McPalin's rectum MSNBC inserts themselves, Silly Sarah will not, I repeat will not grant an interview on any broadcast network because they won't allow to talk about what she wants, the talking points.

With the hatred and derision she is treating the media anyway, they are just playing into her hands. I've found the best way to goad another person is to totally ignore them. Ego Manics can't stand being marginalized.

Want Palin? Ignore her completely. NO COVERAGE AT ALL!

[DieHardObamaSupporter]

Thank you Chris. I noticed it over the past two days. I finally turned to CNN, which I do not care for either, but MSNBC is ridiculous.

[Carolab]

Glad to see it wasn't my imagination. I had to switch to CNN also. What in the H*LL is wrong with MSNBC?

[Carolab]

I just wrote MSNBC and told them I was switching to CNN except for Keith and Rachel unless they knock it off.

[laocoon]

A candidate who did not run in the primaries and is on the ticket by appointment and who has a limited history and who all but refuses to answer questions she doesnt want to answer. The press all but silent on this ploy. the founders must be crying in heaven at this. No one should cover any of her attacks on Obama until she answers questions about her own background and views.

[nestormcdade]

I just watched David Gregory and he just let a McCain surrogate lie for ten minutes with no rebuttal.

[MNinWI]

that's why I won't watch msnbc coverage of the debates-David Gregory is horrible! I don't know how he keeps his job. Even Keith can't save it, with Gregory there.

[Snowball]

My theory is, that as corporations, the owners of MSNBC and CNN stand to rake in big tax breaks if McCain wins.

Here's the rundown on how much our major media corporations stand to gain from McCain's proposed tax cuts:

GE (NBC) = $25 million
Time Warner (CNN) = $500 million
Walt Disney (ABC) = $640 million
News Corpse (Faux) = $80 million
Viacom (CBS) = $190 million

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/04/mccain-media-tax/

It's about the bottom line. There is no such thing as "The Liberal Media." They're corporations with shareholders to please and have vested interests in which party controls our government.

[Tanyars5]

i sent my emails....­....i encourage every one to do the same thing.....­this is disturbing­....

[Murph1964]

I wondered the same thing this morning!

[markdzmura]

Hmm.... Perhaps y'all are not giving the programmers over at MSNBC enough credit ??

My experience is that the only way for a rational person to view a Palin performance is as something akin to a 100-car pileup in slow motion. The only people who can watch her and come away with a favorable impression are the Republican base. She presents as nothing so much as a sexy, dumb version of Big Brother from 1984.

The peculiar folks who haven't made up their minds yet are smart enough to figure this out.

So, please, let's play Sarah Palin on ALL CHANNELS, 24/7 until the election!! C'mon, Faux News, here's your chance! SARAH! SARAH! SARAH! RAH! RAH! RAH!

[DMHendrix]

MSNBC is a really bad joke during the day...actu­ally starting first thing in the morning with the idiots on parade and then all day....had to completely tune them out....don­'t even bother tuning back in until 8:00 pm for KO & RM...other than that...."T­hanks but no thanks!"

[SheenaVa]

Until she starts giving interviews and press conferences, no one should be covering her. Everything she says in her stump could be turned around back at her.