When the news was announced on March 22 that disgraced former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel had taken a job with NBC News to become an on-air contributor the initial reactions were from the right. Those were rather muted, however, ranging from “Meh, of course,” to “Well where else did you expect the failed RINO to land?!” But very soon the left began to react to the announcement and it was, to put it politely, unhinged.
On social media it was as hysterical as expected. You could practically see the spittle hitting screens as they banged out their ALL CAPS outrage. Soon we learned that internally at NBC there was just as much emotional fervor heard amongst the staffers. As a result, MSNBC made the tepid announcement that McDaniel would not be featured on the cable news network.
Then came Sunday’s “Meet The Press” interview, and on that supposedly esteemed program the hysterics only continued. Hostess Kristen Welker first came on to offer what sounded like a preemptive apology, and declared she had no hand in the decision to hire McDaniel. Then following their talk a round table was held to discuss the interview and what it all meant. Disgraced former host Chuck Todd was in attendance and he was unspooling at the presence of McDaniel.
There's a reason why there's a lot of journalists at NBC News uncomfortable with this. I don’t know what to believe. So she has - she has credibility issues that she has to deal with.
Chuck Todd…talking about others having credibility issues. Please.
The real amusement is as Todd bemoans the trust issues with having a Republican operative on the air he needs to ignore the laundry list of on-air personalities with direct historical ties to the Democrats - including Todd himself. But even this paled in comparison to the wave of emotional wailing seen on MSNBC. Show after show had the talent on camera bemoaning this decision and behaving as if the network had been rendered.
Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski weighed in on the decision Monday morning. They declared McDaniel would not be on their program, even after the edict was handed down by the network that Ronna would not appear on MSNBC. So brave.
Joe Scarborough and Mika criticize NBC for hiring Ronna McDaniel. pic.twitter.com/t6874Bo85Y
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) March 25, 2024
Rachel Maddow, on her lone Monday appearance also weighed in. She spent the first half of her program addressing this topic, displaying all of the hyperbole and hysterics about what a threat this hiring represented.
>> @Maddow: Ronna McDaniel was part of a project to reject U.S. elections. "It didn't work to overthrow the government the last time, but as long as you can build on that first effort... you are priming the American public to not accept the results of the NEXT election, either." pic.twitter.com/o1pHJ2LqWF
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 26, 2024
Lawrence O’Donnell announced during the day that he had questions for Ronna McDaniel, then on his show he peacocked how he refuses to…ask her any questions. Oh…kay then, Larry.
Lawrence O'Donnell has epic questions for Ronna McDaniel, "My first question would be, why did you change your name for Donald Trump? Before Trump ran for president, her name was Ronna Romney McDaniel. How does that feel? To change her name to curry favor with a madman? pic.twitter.com/pJdbrbSIXS
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 26, 2024
Joy Reid also had to get her mewling licks in on the topic. It was about as insightful as an Ikea cartoon instruction manual on how to disassemble a Russian laptop.
Of course, Jen Psaki also had to chime in. Seriously, of all the people who should avoid lecturing on biased party-based false coverage it should be the woman who negotiated her broadcast contract while serving as the White Press Secretary! But with a complete lack of shame or self-awareness, there was Jen, lecturing away. “Our democracy is in danger because of the lies that people like Ronna McDaniel have pushed on this country. Look, this isn't about Republicans versus Democrats. This isn’t about Red versus Blue. This is about truth versus lies.
Jen Psaki addresses the Ronna McDaniel story, and "right-wing ecosystem" comparisons to her.
— Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) March 26, 2024
Psaki says her political experience "only matters, and only has value to viewers... if it it paired with honesty, and with good faith" .. "service to the country vs. service to one man" pic.twitter.com/xaersK4DK5
Perhaps displaying the biggest example of a couch trip reaction to this was Nicolle Wallace. She had to purge some deep-seeded emotional angst over this, as if to prove her leftist legitimacy to her audience and cleanse herself of her Republican past. What we've said to election deniers is not just that they can do that on our airwaves, but that they can do that as one of us - as badge-carrying employees of NBC News. As paid contributors to our sacred airwaves.”
Seriously; she called MSNBC’s broadcasts “sacred airwaves”.
Nicolle Wallace meltdown on MSNBC about Ronna McDaniel hiring:
— Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) March 25, 2024
'What we've said to election deniers is not just that they can do that on our airwaves, but that they can do that as one of us - as badge-carrying employees of NBC News. As paid contributors to our sacred airwaves.' pic.twitter.com/udFu5046aX
Just, holy crap. There has to be a Prozac shortage currently at NBC News headquarters. How can these brilliant minds survive...the reality of NOT speaking to someone they do not want to speak with?!?!?!
All of this emoting and gnashing of teeth is over a woman who has not appeared on the network. She did not say anything on those sanctified programs, and the network brass has declared none of the programming would be forced to contend with McDaniel’s poisonous presence. They have nothing to wail about, and Ronna did not infect a single minute of their programming, and yet here was the entire stable of talent having a day-long struggle-session in front of the cameras.
This should have been an abject embarrassment for all involved, but it seems to be on the air at MSNBC you need to first become inoculated to fight off shame. These are some of the voices that will be guiding election coverage for the balance of the year. They will be influencing some of the network brass on how the campaigns will be reported on (or, just as likely, avoided.) Yet here they are lying energetically as they posture as if they are taking a stand against lying.
This is a network seriously in need of a laugh track for its broadcasts.
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