The @Maddow Method: MSNBC’s Televised Left-Wing Blog Show

Posted on | January 10, 2014 | 12 Comments

. . . this Koch brothers-affiliated group . . .
. . . these Koch brothers-affiliated state groups . . .
. . . the Koch brothers-connected Florida group . . .
That’s the Koch brothers group . . .
The same Koch brothers group . . .
. . . this Koch brothers-affiliated group . . .
. . . the Koch brothers-affiliated group . . .

Having repeated seven times during this seven-minute segment that the Florida Foundation for Government Accountability (FFGA) is a “Koch brothers group,” Rachel Maddow must be pretty certain about this connection, right? I mean, that’s the main point of the segment, so it must thoroughly documented, right? Wrong:

Given that Koch has zero relationship with FFGA, Maddow based her claims on the fact that Koch has donated risibly small amounts — $40,000 over eight years — to the State Policy Network, and FFGA, which advocated for the Florida law, is a member of the State Policy Network. . . .
So Rachel Maddow’s entire segment was one big lie. Her central premise, that the Florida welfare statute was an initiative of the Koch brothers, was false, and she knew it. She made the whole thing up to fool the low-IQ viewers who form MSNBC’s base.

The actual policy issue at hand — mandatory drug-testing for welfare recipients — might be interesting in its own right, but that’s not enough to qualify it for a seven-minute segment on Maddow’s prime-time show. No, the point of the segment was that the evil right-wing billionaire Koch brothers were responsible for this policy. Except they’re not. However, this idea of a ginormous nationwide conspiracy funded by the Kochs is all the rage among left-wing bloggers and so that’s the story — a lie.

Live long enough, and you’ll notice that the left-wing bogeymen change from time to time. In the 1990s, it was the Religious Right, and then it was Halliburton and next it was Karl Rove and now it’s the Koch Brothers. But the Left always has to have such a bogeyman, and there is a premium on “investigative journalism” that connects (or, at least, appears to connect) the various dots of the conspiracy.

And what you find is that left-wing blogs like Think Progress are now providing this “investigative” function, which then gets regurgitated by liberal news organizations that show zero skepticism toward any claim that makes Republicans look bad.

Ace exposes Maddow’s “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” act:

Many large corporations donate to the State Policy Network — companies like Verizon.
Among the companies that donate to the State Policy Network, and therefore are champions of drug testing for people on welfare? MSNBC’s parent company Comcast.
So Rachel Maddow’s report could just have easily have been “MSNBC Leads Charge for Drug Tests for People on Welfare.”

In other words, if the only dots you’re trying to connect are Koch brothers dots, you must first resolve to ignore all other dots. And if the only viewers you care about are Democrats who seek televised left-wing blogging, you’re not going to get many viewers.

It’s not good TV.

With 616,000 viewers at 9 p.m. ET, Maddow was MSNBC’s fourth-highest rated program Monday. The network’s highest-rated show Monday was Hardball with Chris Matthews at 7 p.m. ET, which got 782,000 viewers. Maddow’s ratings are suffering in large measure because MSNBC executives got the bright idea to put another televised blog show, All In With Chris Hayes, into the premium 8 p.m. ET slot. Hayes got an anemic 600,000 viewers Monday, less than Matthews, less than Maddow, and also less than MSNBC’s 5 p.m. Ed Schultz show (629,000) and 6 p.m. Al Sharpton show (667,000). Let’s face it: If your ratings are lower than Al Sharpton’s, your show must really suck.

The Washington Post‘s Erik Wemple has more on Maddow’s Koch lies. See also Legal Insurrection, Just One Minute and Gateway Pundit.

Category: MSNBC

Comments

12 Responses to “The @Maddow Method: MSNBC’s Televised Left-Wing Blog Show”

CitizenEgg
January 10th, 2014 @ 8:30 am

Still find it odd that over a half million people can’t find their TV remote control. That’s the only rational reason for that many viewers. If/when the gov’t comes up with a national mental health task force, there’s a lot of low hanging fruit in those ratings numbers.

Oh, and in case nobody’s said it yet.

‘Rachel Maddow is a Koch head!’
WJJ Hoge
January 10th, 2014 @ 8:50 am

Where’s my check?
Sim427
January 10th, 2014 @ 10:19 am

RT @smitty_one_each: TOM The @Maddow Method: MSNBC’s Televised Left-Wing Blog Show http://t.co/XQO1w17A3O #TCOT
McGehee
January 10th, 2014 @ 11:44 am

She really needs to get help for her Koch habit.
MNHawk
January 10th, 2014 @ 11:49 am

Maybe she mentions Koch so much because of second thoughts she’s having about other choices she’s made in life?
Quartermaster
January 10th, 2014 @ 1:07 pm

Same place mine is. In the mail.
Bob Belvedere
January 10th, 2014 @ 7:42 pm

So Rachel Maddow’s entire segment was one big lie.

One hopes that John Hinderaker is not really shocked by this because this is what the Left does, this is who they are. S.T.O.P.
Adjoran
January 11th, 2014 @ 12:44 am

Her audience, like most of MSNBC’s, is composed of 500,000 true believer leftists and 100,000 conservatives anxious to see what outrageous lie she will parrot today.
Adjoran
January 11th, 2014 @ 12:44 am

I heard Hayes got his show and time spot at Maddow’s urging, she is a big fan of his.

So maybe she’s not all that manly after all.
Adobe_Walls
January 11th, 2014 @ 5:37 pm

I read somewhere earlier this week that FFGA pays membership dues to be a State Policy Network member. The money flows up in this case not down.
trangbang68
January 11th, 2014 @ 7:08 pm

What’s that dude Madcow know about Koch?
cmdr358
January 14th, 2014 @ 5:57 pm

I’ll admit to watching his show from time to time.
Know thyne enemies…