Dan Abrams has declared that MSNBC is the place to go for
all things political. But the politics are obviously are anti Iraq war and
anti Bush. Even Dan Abrams can read the polls. So I am convinced this is not a
liberal bias but nothing more than a business plan.

The most successful cable news outlet by far, is Fox news
consistently drawing 3 to 5 times the viewers than MSNBC in total viewers and beats
most others in the 25-54 demo most of the time. MSNBC consistently runs a
distant third in a three man race. (CNN being the other.) Fox has been
successful in building content that appeals to a more conservative viewer and
the numbers are large because primarily these viewers don’t have anywhere else
to go.

MSNBC has implemented a counter-programming strategy running content to appeal to the anti-
Bush and anti-war audience hoping it is large enough to gain on CNN and Fox, well
CNN anyhow. First there is the Fox news bashing that all of the prime time
hosts participate to one extent another, most notably by Keith Olbermann who is
opposite O’Reilly. This is not to attract viewers away from Fox but to gain the
rep of being anti Fox and attract that element of viewers to them which are
probably watching CNN or does not watch cable news at all. I must say this is
having some success because there is plenty
of evidence on the left wing blogosphere that MSNBC is becoming their TV Air America. This
aspect probably accounts for much of MSNBC rise in viewer-ship.

Second are the attitudes and positions of the hosts and the
guests in the MSNBC prime time lineup. Three of four prime time hosts are self
identified anti-Iraq war and two, Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, are
virulently anti-Iraq war and anti-Bush. Tucker Carlson can be considered
lukewarm at best on Bush but he self identifies as anti-Iraq war. Joe
Scarborough I think fairly could also be identified as lukewarm on Bush and
says he supports the war in Iraq
but you would never know that by watching his show. The guests on these shows obviously
tilt to the anti war anti Bush side. Even Howard Kurtz has criticized Olbermanns
guest list.

Matthews has always been a democratic partisan so he fits
nicely into the strategy without any coercion. Carlson and Scarborough
are just trying to keep their jobs by complying with the bosses as much as
possible without losing their dignity and or their jobs. Olbermann is just a
shameless self promoter who will do anything for a buck.

With this business plan they just want to attract enough viewers
on the margin to stay afloat. I don’t know what MSNBC will do after Bush leaves
office but my guess is that are hoping a Republican gets elected. Shameless!!!!!!