Can Rosie Punch Up MSNBC's Left Hook?

I'm torn... I do think there is a strong market for a progressive-centered gasbag show, but I don't think that Rosie is the right person to host it.

She's simply too "hot", and a host needs to be "cool" to be effective with progressive audiences; Rosie runs the risk of becoming the female Chris Matthews -- someone who is more concerned with getting their own opinions acknowledged than responding to what her guests actually say.

I support anyone who has the guts to speak out about the crimes we are told to ignore (and go shopping instead). Sometimes we must resort to the jesters to speak the truth. Perhaps she can invite David Ray Griffin, or architect Richard Gage (http://www.ae911truth.org/) to help her out.

I just like that the left-wing network is officially trying to out-crazy the right-wing one.

MSNBC is on every evening in my household and I make sure i watch Olbermann's show every day. I watch MSNBC for news content and analysis. The last thing I want to see is Rosie O'Donnell on a news network. She is not a journalist.

Right now following Olbermann, is Dan Abrams, a competent anchor who brings a vitality that is very effective. O'Donnell would bring too much baggage and detract from whatever stories she may end up discussing.

If MSNBC must hire her, give her a morning show. Besides, doesn't the network have too many people named O'Donnell anyway? (Kelly, Norah, Lawrence)

I like MSNBC and I usually consider it to be fairly moderate. I don't think it should turn left just for ratings. I already feel that Olberman is a little too left. Rosie is gonna be an exponential shift. Olberman's okay as a sports guy sometimes on NBC Sunday night football, but he just harps too much against Republicans (in my opinion).

I realize that Fox News is a conservative station, but I don't think other stations need to balance that out and "out-crazy" FN. There needs to be actual news channels, not "pandering pandas." I even like CNN, but apparently, all the anti-Hillary Dems attack it as the Clinton News Network. The news needs to be less politicized.

If MSNBC must hire her, give her a morning show.

I think Rosie would be okay in one of Carlson's (or Matthews) early evening time slots....

In fact, I would prefer that Rosie replace Matthews. His show has turned into Crossfire, with Matthews paying the role of both Novak and Begala.

But at 9PM, MSNBC should have "smart" programming...someone like Bill Moyers. (it would be great if they could hire Linda Ellerbee)

Mr. Steinberg misleads his readers with his opening sentence: "Riding a ratings wave from 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann,'..." WHAT ratings wave? Olbermann finishes dead LAST every night. Even O'Reilly's 11 p.m. re-run does better than Olby's first-run 8 p.m. broadcast.

Well, now that AMESSNBC has finally admitted to being a liberal station, I guess the Republicans should boycott it, a la` the Dems and Fox News.

Who cares?The move was to keep Phil Donahue to show balance.Now it is just pandering to a country that has turned away from conservatism and George Bush.Whoever makes decisions at MSNBC should be fired.

Carol... MSNBC is gaining audience (especially the most demogarphically desirable audience sectors) thanks to the success of Keith Olberman.... while Fox and O'Reilly are losing viewers. The added MSNBC viewership constitutes a "wave"...

and I know that people like you who get their news from Fox are ignorant, so I'll give you a clue. Disapproving of Bush is a CENTRIST position in America, and television shows that are critical of Bush are reflective the CONSENSUS view of Americans. MSNBC isn't liberal, its centrist.

It has to be better than CNN...giving viewers the choice of Lou Dobbs on CNN and Glen Beck on Headline NEWS. Who is trying to be FOX?

I would do anything to keep Rosie O'Donnell off of any TV show, magazine, radio show, book cover, website, or any other form of media. She is the epitome of the mindless American loudmouthed idiot.

Hmm... maybe instead of the guests coming to the talk show they can outfit an RV to go cross country. A quick survey of the folks on the street before talking with the guest of the day. Rosie O'Donnell seems to work best when she's working a crowd (a hold over from her stand-up days?). And to pump it all up a bit, have the UK's Jeremey Clarkson along to provide the "View from the outside".

Yeah.. or just not.

p_lukiask: I'm ignorant because I watch Fox News? Ah, I just love liberal tolerance. By the way, you should get in touch with your internet provider because obviously a virus has attacked your computer; either that, or you have trouble reading simple Nielsen numbers. COUNTDOWN comes in LAST. Is that too difficult for you to understand?

According to the lastest CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, the Democratic Congress has a 75% disapproval rating. Following your logic, disapproving of the Democratic Congress is the CONSENSUS view of Americans. Therefore, Fox News is centrist, not conservative.

I love it when they pull out the poor ratings of the current Congress, as if all the Republicans suddenly vanished.

Job Rating of Democrats in Congress:
Approve: 36%
Disapprove: 58%
Unsure: 6%

Job Rating of Republicans in Congress:
Approve: 32%
Disapprove: 63%
Unsure: 6%

Source: http://www.pollingreport.com/congress.htm

You're not looking too informed there Carol.

My point, SpotWeld, was that the Democrats' disapproval ratings are very high, and after such great expectations.

Speaking of gaining viewers, FOX NEWS SUNDAY beat FACE THE NATION, THIS WEEK, and MEET THE PRESS this past Sunday, November 4th. Fox is gaining even more viewers, not losing them.

@James - "Can you make a liberal Fox News?"

James, if you'd just listen to the daily indoctrination on talk radio (3 hours a day is all that Hannity asks of you), you'd already know that all other news on TV IS liberal. There is nothing to "make" since it already exists.