For reasons unknown to Man, NBC News and MSNBC have hired former RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDanniel as a commentator. And no, this is not a parody article from The Onion. This is real, and it’s hard to imagine what NBC is thinking. The obvious attempt at an answer answer is that, her being a former RNC chair, this supposedly adds important and valuable substance to the network. Except that’s no answer. After all, MSNBC already has a former RNC chair on their staff, and Michael Steele not only does a solid job, but they even gave him his own show. And MSNBC also has a former Republican White House Press Secretary -- and not only gave Nicolle Wallace her own show, as well, but they even expanded to two hours daily, the only single-host show on their weekday schedule that long. And two regular MSNBC analysts are conservative journalist Charlie Sykes and conservative operative Tim Miller. All of them give significant insider analysis of today’s Republican Party. MSNBC even has former GOP Governor John Kasich on staff as an analyst. So, not only does NBC not need another Republican analyst – let alone show host – and not need another former RNC chair, but they absolutely don't need someone who enabled Trump and his fascism so much that Ronna (“Don’t call me Romney”) McDaniel literally changed her name for him! Even more to the point, no credible news organization needs to hire someone who very possibly could be indicted as a co-conspirator for Jan. 6 Insurrection to overthrow democracy. And no, that's not just me voicing a baseless opinion. Your honor, I offer Exhibit A -- The only positive part of this story is that a Wall Street Journal article says MSNBC president Rashida Jones "told employees the cable network has no plans to have McDaniel on the channel." This came about after MSNBC anchors and producers voiced concern. Though good for MSNBC, assuming this policy holds (and though there’s no reason to doubt it won’t, though no reason to doubt it will, it’s just wait-and-see) there is no similar disclaimer from the larger, more-watched parent division of NBC News. There are so many horrible problems with this “What on Earth were they thinking???) decision. But high on the list, even beyond credibility, is that when you reward someone who enabled Trump and his fascism so much that she changed her name for him – not to mention made phone calls with Trump to pressure Republican officials in Michigan not to certify the state’s election results -- it only encourages others, knowing there is a major $300,000 payday waiting for them to legitimize their actions. Do not expect one whiff of honesty on behalf of democracy from Ronna (Romney [sic]) McDaniel. That wasn’t her brand running the RNC, there’s no reason to expect her to change what’s worked for her now. When she appears in any segments on NBC News, I will be switching away when it is on the air. If it turns out that she does end up on MSNBC, the same holds. In fact, from all that I’ve been reading of the unbelieving outrage on social media, I’m far from alone. Indeed, some people have even written off the two channels until this disastrous hire is reversed. A friend wrote to me wondering if McDaniel is “ready to come over from the dark side?" I was surprised and disappointed by the naivety of the question, since he is a smart, insightful person, to whom “naïve” would never be ascribed. No, I don’t believe for one second that Ronna (Romney [sic]) McDaniel is planning to come over from the dark side. She has much, much, much too much personally invested in defending herself and her actions for the past seven years. You don’t suddenly flip 180-degrees overnight and say, “Erp, y’know, I was wrong enabling fascism for seven years and trying to overthrow democracy and the government, and should never have changed my name to appease Trump. Boy, was that stupid!!” Even if every rare while she said, “Well, on occasion, maybe Republicans possibly were somewhat a bit wrong on this point,” that would be meaningless, since it would overlook all the time she spent supporting fascism, lying and supporting the Jan. 6 Insurrection, to the degree of being at risk of indictment. Even if she spent 80% of her time on NBC criticizing GOP criminal actions and efforts against democracy, it still would leave enabling Trump and fascism 20% of the time. Which is 20% too much. Defending Trump and fascism to any degree is like being “only a little pregnant.” You refute fascism and you refute the racist, congenital lying, anti-Semitic, adjudicated rapist, adjudicated business fraud, malignant narcissist Trump, period, full stop, because otherwise you leave your support open, and allow it to fester, grown and infect. It’s like putting a bandage on someone’s broken arm and saying you fixed the problem. People don’t change what they’ve invested their life to, 180-degrees overnight – especially for something so devil” and dishonest. That’s something that takes many years of soul searching and introspection – or being in prison and having nothing to so all day but think, “Oh, my God, what have I done to my life?????!!” And then begin weeping uncontrollably. To think maybe, possibly, she will suddenly come over from the dark side overnight is having one’s “being polite” gene malfunctioning, And worse, this isn't just someone who enabled and defended Trump for seven years -- but someone who is at risk of being indicted as a con-conspirator for trying to overthrow the government, being caught on a recording with Trump trying to pressure the Republican chair in Michigan and another member of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers not to certify the results there. If she had even a whiff of thinking she’d should “come over from the dark side,” her first stop would be to knock on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office to be a cooperating witness and save herself from jail time. Not go on TV to admit her crimes. And this is who MSNBC hired as a commentator!! More to the point, if anyone had just the slight question whether Ronna (Romney [sic]) McDaniel might possibly “come over from the dark side,” all they need do is check out her appearance yesterday as a guest on Meet the Press. Come over from the dark side?? Oh, heavens, please. McDaniel wouldn't even acknowledge that President Biden won "fair and square," the best she could offer was only that the results were "certified." Worse, she then said “I must push back” and insisted there was on “uncertainty” about the results – sure there was, because Trump and his enablers lied to Republicans about it, and because she herself pressured state officials with Trump not to certify official results!! – adding that we must all agree that elections should be safe. Well…they are safe! Trump’s team tried to prove otherwise, and lost 60 court cases. Trump’s own head of election security told him directly how safe the election was. And Trump fired him. And she was just getting warmed up. There was this following exchange with host Kristin Welker – McDANIEL: Voters right now in this country are going to be making a choice is November, and they don’t care about 2020. WELKER: A lot of people say that it’s fundamental to our country’s democracy. McDANIEL: I think they’re thinking about inflation, the border, crime… Let that sink in a moment: McDaniel just totally dismisses Jan 6! Literally says the public “doesn’t care” about the Insurrection, storming the U.S. Capitol, about the violence, the deaths, the beating of police, the noose for vice president Pence, and about Trump and his conspirators, including herself, trying to overthrow the government!! Yet even at this, even putting aside the Insurrection to overthrow democracy as if it was unimportant, she goes into her default Lying Mode and tries to flim-flam viewers into ignoring the reality that inflation is down (in fact, lowest in the world), crime is down (in murders, violent crime and home crime), and House Republicans voted down a border bill. As she pushes the GOP lie. And this not even Day One yet, she’s just there on NBC as a…"guest". Following her appearance on "Meet the Press," Lynn Cheney posted a tweet which said, "Ronna facilitated Trump’s corrupt fake elector plot & his effort to pressure MI officials not to certify the legitimate election outcome. She spread his lies & called 1/6 'legitimate political discourse'” That’s not 'taking one for the team.' It’s enabling criminality & depravity. " Come over from the dark side??! Ms. McDaniel is like a possum. She’s a nocturnal animal. She lives on the dark side. And she’s already burrowing deeper to avoid the light. Ronna (Romney [sic]) McDaniel is an enabler and defender of fascism, who has regularly lied for seven years, pressured state officials not to certify the election at risk of being indicted as a co-conspirator, and bent over backwards so far for Trump that she changed her name for him. And the powers that be at NBC News, for reasons that are both inexplicable and reprehensible -- apparently blissfully unaware about her history defending fascism, lying and participating in the Insurrection -- because being aware and just not caring would be (even before the history of democracy in the United States is written) irresponsibly too pathetic... -- hired her as an analyst.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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