Rush Limbaugh has begun humorously describing MSNBC as "government-controlled television." Trying to watch coverage of President Obama’s Cairo speech on MSNBC last night would certainly give you that impression. Obama’s speech was so impressive that not only were mouths agape in amazement in Afghanistan, Rachel Maddow’s official critical reaction was exactly these words: "Dude, no way. He said what? Huh-uh. Dude, come again. Dude? Did he really just say that?"
The American audience was rocked because Obama "hit them with hard truths and you want to make them fall over." She also compared the speech to an incredible fireworks display. First, Maddow ran footage of NBC’s Richard Engel from the evening newscast:
MADDOW: Our friend, Richard Engel, NBC‘s chief foreign correspondent, watched the speech in Afghanistan and described to "Nightly News" tonight the way he saw Afghans reacting to the speech.
RICHARD ENGEL: A lot of people in Kabul and across the Islamic world simply had their mouths open when they were listening to this speech. They couldn‘t believe what they were hearing. They have not heard this kind of language from an American president.
MADDOW: And it‘s not just in the Muslim world. Judging from the media reaction today in the United States, the American audience for this speech appears to be rocked back on its heels as well -- which is exactly where you want an audience if you‘re about to hit them with hard truths and you want to make them fall over.
Then she was stunned that Obama was so frank that he talked of an American role in the Mossadegh takeover in Iran:
Wow. He just admitted that the U.S. overthrew the Iranian government in 1953. If you were at the state fair and this was a fireworks display, at this point, you might turn to the person next to you and say, "Wow, can you believe that? What an incredible finale. No topping that, time to go home." The thing is, this fireworks display was just getting started.
Later, she adored this passage about 9/11 and the Obama admitting the U.S. tortured:
OBAMA: 9/11 was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable. But in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideas. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.
MADDOW: For those of you keeping score at home, that would be, dude, no way. He said what? Huh-uh. Dude, come again. Dude? Did he really just say that?
She counted off eight amazing things Obama said that were the "third rail" of Middle East politics, so the "Dude" reactions came with her counting on eight fingers.
She followed up with an interview with former Jimmy Carter adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski : "When the president took time and he went into both of these issues in some detail, he took time to debunk both 9/11 and deniers of the Holocaust, and then announced pointedly that he was on his way to Buchenwald next. Is there a reason to believe that he thinks that those issues are holding back political progress—that those specific sort of conspiracies and misconceptions about modern political history are part of the problem in terms of moving forward?"
Maddow did not consider that President Bush also decried Holocaust denial and 9/11 conspiracy theories, so is he somehow utterly unique? But how clumsily can Maddow put it, that the president "debunked" 9/11? That makes Obama sound like a conspiracy-theorist, not an opponent of conspiracy theorists.
NBC’s Richard Engel also showed up on The Ed Show hours earlier to tout the Cairo speech:
ED SCHULTZ: Richard, I understand you listened to the speech in Arabic. How did it play? How did it translate, in your opinion?
RICHARD ENGEL: It translated very well, Ed. It was clearly designed to be translated. It was broadcast live on all of the major Arabic language networks, Egyptian state television.
And he was using all of the key tools of Arabic rhetoric. There was a lot of flattery involved, many references to history, and extensive use of Islam. All of these are common in the Arabic world. It sounded very much like an Arabic speech that was given by a well-spoken leader in the Arabic world.
The location was also highly significant. Cairo, being the cultural and media capital of the Middle East, and from the Cairo University, which has seen so many important graduates leave that great rotunda where he spoke, including the Nobel Prize winner for literature, the Egyptian Naguib Mahfouz, and many politicians, even some controversial, like Yasser Arafat and Saddam Hussein have all studied there.
So it was the right city. It was a place of great symbolic importance and it was used—the speech was carried out in translation in Arabic very effectively, Ed.
According to Engel, "all of the commentators" he saw on Arabic-language networks (all of them) described Obama’s address as a historic watershed:
It was described by people that I spoke to today, and all of the commentators that I listened to on a variety of Arabic language networks, as historic, as a potential turning point. This speech will actually be the focus of a major debate show tomorrow on al Jazeera. Al Jazeera is the main Arabic language broadcaster here. Their program, similar to "Meet the Press," and they‘re billing it as a potential turning point, a potential new beginning for relations between the United States and the Muslim world. It was something that many in this part of the world had been waiting for.
How can people watch this, and not see MSNBC bathed in the glow of utter servility?
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Dude!
June 5, 2009 - 16:09 ET by jdlybrandI need to get me one of them Harvard Degrees so I can talk like Spicoli. That would be gnarly.
The absurdity never abates.
June 5, 2009 - 16:09 ET by mattmThe absurdity never abates.
Madcow!
June 5, 2009 - 16:09 ET by blazermaniac"FURRR SHURRR DUDE"!
She's just auditioning for
June 5, 2009 - 16:14 ET by Ken ShepherdShe's just auditioning for "Dude, Where's My Car 2"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4056eW2hiCc&feature=PlayList&p=7237EBEEBDAE1921&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=21 [1:52 in]
More like "Dude,
June 5, 2009 - 17:01 ET by BeukeboomMore like
"Dude, Where's My Journalistic Ethics?"
or
"Dude, Where's My Truthfulness?"
or
"Dude, Where's My Brain?"
Actually, she was just
June 5, 2009 - 18:36 ET by motherbeltActually, she was just imitating the Muslims' reaction to him.
They are the ones who were saying Dude, no way!! Did he really say that, Dude?? (Peace be, like totally upon him!)
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
Maddow does Spicoli
June 5, 2009 - 16:20 ET by slickwillie2001Give her a break folks, all that Xanax in the mineral water makes the folks at MSNBC very excitable.
I can see by the photo that
June 5, 2009 - 16:22 ET by BKeyserI can see by the photo that Maddow's learned to count to 12. Keep on, keep'n on, Rach...
She learned it from
June 5, 2009 - 17:08 ET by kgShe learned it from Olbermann on "Count Down", Dude.
"DumbAssity of Dope"
Rush is right-the MSM is now the SCM.
June 5, 2009 - 16:35 ET by R D HelmMay as well be.
-Dave
"Dude....I'm a Dude...."
June 5, 2009 - 16:36 ET by NavyBuckeye"woh, man...dude...look at the size of my package!!! Chris Mathews eat your heart out, dude!!!!"
"You see Obama is going to tax those not paying taxes...those making over 97,000 dollars ayear. Once you make that much you don't pay taxes...he's going to make them pay. And I will finally get a break." -My mom who is on welfare and food st
This should all be
June 5, 2009 - 16:56 ET by bigtimerThis should all be embarrassing to anyone seriously in the news business....but we all know they could care less anymore...the majority of them are all in the same bed.
They are a despicable disgrace...every last one of them.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
They're a running joke...
June 5, 2009 - 18:43 ET by jdlybrand... you can't fix stupid!
but you damn sure dont have
June 5, 2009 - 19:00 ET by urbuggenmebut you damn sure dont have to watch "stupid"
yet
Chris Matthews
June 5, 2009 - 16:59 ET by BeukeboomThe big question: Did Chris Matthews gotten more tingles down his leg?
Gee Rachel Maddow - did you ask Brzesinski & Carter about this?
June 5, 2009 - 17:04 ET by Gary HallGee Rachel, did you ask Brzesinski & Carter about this - 'how we got the USSR to invade Afghanistan (my bold, for obvious impact)?
Just curious here - did Obama apoloize for that one also?
A personal note: The fact that Brzezinski claims that they knowingly suckered the USSR to invade militarily is certainly of historic interest here. The fact that he and Carter helped the Mujahideen defend against the USSR - I support, as I did Pres. Reagan's effort. And, thank you Charlie Wilson.
What I find disgraceful - hypocritical, etc., here, is that our left wing media has smeared Reagan, and Reagan only, for two decades now for aiding the Mujahideen in the fight against the USSR imperialists. Why don't they hate President Carter, instead?
Of a curious nature here, is that the MSM has not used this story to diss the Right's claim that Reagan brought down the USSR, via giving credit to the Carter administration (oddly enough, in hindsight - I guess Carter gets a bit of credit as well - in an odd sort of way). Might it be that by the time this story became public (1998) they had so so thoroughly trashed Reagan over Afghanistan covert funding (stingers, etc) that they couldn't admit the truth. Better to keep it a secret?
(;~/ gary
Gary... Once again thank
June 5, 2009 - 17:15 ET by bigtimerGary...
Once again thank you...I just learned some info I didn't know here in your post.
You reminded me that I need to read that book Charlie Wilson's War I think it is...I need to stop being on the computer so much...on the other hand, I learn a lot here too.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
bt..
June 5, 2009 - 17:30 ET by Gary HallActually the movie, Charlie Wilson's War - was rather good. A whole lot is left out, of course - but if you know much of the actual history - it's a hoot. That reminds me, a lot of the reviews of the movie took great care to trash Ronald Reagan over the covert funding to help the [then] freedom fighters beat the USSR. They never bashed Carter! I suspect that most in the national media don't know the actual history here either - all they know about are the left-wing anti Reagan talking points, and their news has been presented thru those colored lenses for more than two decades now.
Yea - I'm with you on the computer time issue, ha. (;~> gary
Re Rachel and Brzezinski
June 5, 2009 - 17:55 ET by slickwillie2001Whoa now, I was not aware of this. If this is true, then the lefties' nutball claim that it was Reagan's support of the mujahideen that gave al Qaeda and UBL their start means that Carter is in fact responsible for that as well. With one goes the other.
Hey slick..
June 5, 2009 - 18:07 ET by Gary HallOn the "if this is true," thing. What ya mean, "if?"
Seriously - of course most people don't know about this. Read my view again. The national media is in a bind on this one. It's not in their interest in the public knowing the story. When Charlie Wilson's war came out, they had every chance in the world to go back and review, and to come to the American people with a correct view of history and all the players. It actually could have served well, to breach some of the great political divide in this country between the warning parties. That, of course, is not in their interest. The MSM's main purpose each and every day is to promote hatred of the other side of the isle.
"Oh, I don't know. I
June 5, 2009 - 17:22 ET by bretzysdude"Oh, I don't know. I thought that was really great journalism." - balboa
I went and read every word
June 5, 2009 - 17:27 ET by Clear thinkerI went and read every word from the transcript of his speech in Cairo, and it seems that the liberal taking heads heard a different speech. There was NOTHING in that speech that was mind blowing, earth shattering, or even news worthy.
It was a speech designed to pander to the Islamists in the Mid-East, but sadly for Obama, it did NOT have that effect. Please, can someone send me the speech that people like Maddow listened to!?
http://iamnotaracist.wordpress.com/
Hey Clear..
June 5, 2009 - 17:42 ET by Gary HallThey hear what they want to hear and not what they don't want to hear. What do you think they heard (of course -- the MSM didn't exactly put it up on top, did they) when President Bush delivered these thoughts to the Muslim world - while in Turkey - back in 2004?
President Bush did deliver a speech to Muslims, while in the Muslim world..
Obama was breaking new ground?
MADDOW: And it‘s not just
June 5, 2009 - 18:46 ET by GregEMADDOW: And it‘s not just in the Muslim world. Judging from the media
reaction today in the United States, the American audience for this
speech appears to be rocked back on its heels as well -- which is
exactly where you want an audience if you‘re about to hit them with
hard truths and you want to make them fall over.
Uhhhhhh, I don't think "judging from the media's reaction" regarding Obama is much different than judging from the steam coming off a pile of dog crap in January.
9-11
June 5, 2009 - 18:59 ET by iveseenitallIn Egypt, Barry claimed that after 9-11 we lost our values. What an insult to those who died that day. No, Barry, we have spent years after 9-11 honoring and defending those dead by fighting against Muslim terrorism. Our values are in tact. Is is yours that need to be questioned. Your arrogance and your ignorance are despicable.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
"Dude, no way. Huh-uh.
June 5, 2009 - 18:58 ET by urbuggenme"Dude, no way. Huh-uh. Dude, come again. Dude? You really have that viberator on HIGH? Dude!
Dude
June 5, 2009 - 19:07 ET by iveseenitall"Dude, no way"--- how mature. I feel so safe and confident with this manchild in the White House and his little buddies in the MSM. America has been given over to the children and no good will come of it.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
dude
June 5, 2009 - 22:24 ET by seesalrunthere's like noway like dude that there are like people like that think like really believe this bs is like news, like network truth, like really?
Maddow, where is your dignity, like uh, you really, uh like are a credentialed journalist? lololololol
Not
Now we know the MSNBC audience dynamics
June 5, 2009 - 22:38 ET by mizflame98Stoned college students.
“It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds”
Samuel Adams
"She also compared the
June 5, 2009 - 23:18 ET by RR GOP"She also compared the speech to an incredible fireworks display."
Now we know there's one man out there that can bring Madcow to orgasm.
Hm.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).
RR GOP
June 6, 2009 - 08:23 ET by GecksYou stole my line dude!!!!
But to hear the libs speak, he is no mere mortal male, he is the "ONE", so it really isn't a suprise that he gets her off!!
Destiny rarely calls on you when it is convenient!
Despite his deplorable
June 6, 2009 - 16:20 ET by Tom PaineDespite his deplorable political views, the one thing you could say about Walter Cronkite is that he always projected a quiet dignity and class in everything he did and said. I grew up watching his coverage of the space program and he was always first rate and professional. Contrast that with the behavior of these nut jobs on MSNBC. It's like comparing Johnny Carson to Conan O'Brien.
Maddow Who?
June 8, 2009 - 07:53 ET by Mr.BohHer ratings are so low does she even deserve mentioning on NB? The only people watching are the Left zealots and angry Conservatives who like torturing themselves. I watched her for about 1/2 a week when she first started. She is Olbermann's female counterpart.
Now these are adult
June 8, 2009 - 12:52 ET by rbosqueNow these are adult journalists on MSNBC?