MSNBC’s Ratings Problem? THEY'RE BORING!

As you may have heard by now (or at least can tell by the multiple squirting orgasms over at FOX News) MSNBC’s prime time ratings have done a cliff-dive over the past two months.  Now of course the right-wing is crowing that it means the demise of liberalism (despite majority approval of same-sex marriage, immigration reform, and gun control), that the country is turning away from Obama (never mind his high approval numbers), or that the White House “scandals” are taking their toll (only so far as people just aren’t paying attention to them).  This is because the right-wing believes the rest of the country hates Obama as much as they do.  They also believe everyone needs an echo chamber of talking points fed directly into their synapses in order to feel good about themselves.  Liberals have also weighed in with theories that are equally ridiculous, citing some imagined rightward shift by the network because of comments from some of it’s more high-profile pundits like Chris Matthews.  I tend to dismiss this idea as well since to date I have yet to hear Matthews (or anyone else on the network) call Obama a Socialist, Communist, Kenyan, Nazi who’s hell-bent on destroying America.  Besides which, I’ve always felt that constructive criticism of this president, and legitimate questions about his policies, are a good thing.

When you put aside all of the hand-wringing analysis, blame-gaming, finger-pointing, and general over thinking, the reason for MSNBC’s recent ratings slide can be summed up in just two words.  CHRIS HAYES.  Now before you all click off the page and un-follow me on Twitter, I’m not bashing poor Lambchop.  I happen to like him.  He’s smart, delivers intelligent dialogue, and is not prone to hyperbole or histrionics (although he does posses a kind of wide-eyed idealism that I find annoying).  The problem is not Hayes specifically, but his show “All In”.  Quite frankly…IT’S FECKING BORING!

Spare the Rod, Give the Kid a Gun

Last week we heard the story of a 5 year old Kentucky boy accidentally killing his baby sister with a rifle that his parents bought him for his birthday.  Just yesterday the story came out about a 13 year old boy in Florida accidentally shooting his 6 year old sister playing Hide-and-Seek.  All of this comes on the heels of the Senate's failure to pass a Background Check bill, and emboldened efforts by the NRA to arm every man, woman, child, cat, dog, and goldfish with an AK-47.