Rachel Maddow in the New York Times
She appeared on her way to a career as an AIDS-policy advocate when a funny thing happened: on a lark she auditioned to be the news reader and sidekick on a wacky FM morning radio program in the area. She got the job, which had her occasionally donning an inflatable calculator costume at a local Ford dealer. She acknowledged that the work was not exactly what she had in mind when she graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and from Oxford University, which she attended on a Rhodes Scholarship and where she earned her doctorate.
In 2004 she somehow parlayed her varied academic and drive-time radio experiences into a job as a co-host on a new morning program on Air America. That put her onto the booking lists of any number of cable news programs desperate for a fresh liberal voice.
“If you want a left-right fight, in 2004 or today, there’s this roster of dozens, if not hundreds, of conservative talk-show hosts to book,” she said. “On the left there’s Alan Colmes. Oh, wait a minute, he’s taken. I think I got booked, initially, by default.”
- FILED UNDER: Editor Posts
- July 17, 2008
By Uffdaguy July 17, 2008 - 3:05pm
...She is intelligent, witty, and easily able to destroy neocons without resorting to shouting and namecalling like her opponents.
I think that is the core of exactly why she is such a great host, be it radio or television. All one really needs are the facts, and she has the rare talent to deliver those concisely and with clarity. I don't know if it's still on, but David Gregory was (is?) hosting a show called "Race for the Whitehouse" (or something like that...) on MSNBC. There was a segment where he had on two 'righties' and two 'lefties'. One of the 'lefties was Rachel, and one of the 'righties was Pat Buchannan. He was clearly frustrated by her, because though he is very good at delivering republican talking points, she'd always shoot them down with facts. Facts that most tend to forget amongst all the other outrages foisted on us by this administration, but she was quick to recall and remind. That's just great stuff!
- parent
By roadgoddessJuly 17, 2008 - 8:00pm