Despite the resignation of DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, MSNBC journalists touted the Democratic convention as “fun” and “exciting.” Host Rachel Maddow basically told Sanders supporters to stop whining. But first, Brian Williams insisted, “This won't be [like the Republican convention in] Cleveland, but it won't be boring.”
Maddow used euphemisms to spin the chaos: “This might be way more fun and way more exciting to cover than Cleveland.” Later, she noted progressive convention speakers, as well as a far-left platform document. So, despite the leaked e-mails showing the DNC was plotting against Sanders, Maddow wondered, “It is hard to explain what the grievance is, especially after you got Debbie Wasserman Schultz's head on a platter to start your convention.”
She ranted, “To say that you are so aggrieved that you are going to shut this thing down and basically try to ruin this as a political moment for Hillary Clinton is something.”
Earlier in the evening, Chris Matthews insisted that no matter what happens at the Democratic convention, Hillary Clinton’s speech will be “magic.” Echoing Maddow, Matthews on Thursday night said that the Democratic convention will be “a lot of fun.”
In contrast to all the “fun” and “exciting” talk of the Democratic convention, MSNBC hosts attacked the Republican convention as playing to racist “coded language.”
A partial transcript is below:
MSNBC live coverage
7/25/16
7:02BRIAN WILLIAMS: Tonight's speakers, aside from Senator Sanders, include Massachusetts senator and chief Donald Trump agitator, Elizabeth Warren and First Lady Michelle Obama, one of the more popular figures in the Democratic Party addressing the delegates and a national television audience tonight. This won't be Cleveland, but it won't be boring.
RACHEL MADDOW: No. This might be way more fun and way more exciting to cover than Cleveland either. Any time a national party starts its national convention with the head of the party having to resign under pressure, thanks to a phone call from the White House that she was fighting not to leave until the very last minute according to reports, that's a sign that it's going to be an unexpected few days. I think the most important thing, the most interesting thing to happen today, is when it turned out this wasn't the liberal revolt we expected, Democratic Party is having a liberal revolt, I think the key moment today came when the man who was perceived to be the leader of that revolt actually had them turn on him as well. It was when Bernie Sanders himself got booed and heckled and shouted down today that there was a sign this was not something predictable even from the left.
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7:42
RACHEL MADDOW: The dynamics between the factions here, it is very interesting. We thought this was going to be and we keep sort of talking about this as a Sanders faction versus the Clinton party, but you see Jen Palmieri speaking for the Clinton campaign being incredibly complimentary of Bernie Sanders, signaling and indicating trust in Sanders saying yeah, of course he should talk a lot about himself, he's earned it, he has a lot to be proud of, no, we don't necessarily even need to see the speech, we are working with them together on this stuff. To have that relationship overtly between the campaigns, if you are a Progressive and you are looking at whether or not this is your party, to see your guy Bernie Sanders being treated that way by the Clinton folks, and then to see the lineup of progressive speakers tonight, not just Sanders himself but Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker and Raul Grijalva and Keith Ellison, and labor leaders and dreamers and Bill McKibben, the environmental activist, all the Sanders supporters speaking, it is hard to explain what the grievance is, especially after you got Debbie Wasserman Schultz's head on a platter to start your convention. To say that you are so aggrieved that you are going to shut this thing down and basically try to ruin this as a political moment for Hillary Clinton is, is, is, is something.
