Reply #12: Since he mentioned he watches too much cable news

[Hansel]

I suspect he's talking about people like Ed Schultz and Keith Olbermann, and probably some of the pundits they have on. Arianna Huffington and James Carville come to mind, although Carville did a mea culpa recently. And just about every so called "progressive journalist" that goes on Morning Schmoo is only allowed on there if they are going to criticize the administration.

I'm amazed at the number of people on this board who think criticizing media personnel, whether on the left or right, is the same as insulting your base. I could give a flying crap what he says about any of them, except maybe Rachel Maddow because she has earned my respect. Most of them are sensationalists peddling gossip and have egos as big as Texas.

Rachel has her times, but she makes solid arguments based on principle and backs them up with facts. And she has no problem correcting herself when she is wrong on the facts.

These folks have finally clawed themselves into prime time air that has been dominated by the right and as far as I'm concerned, all but Rachel have wasted the opportunity they could be using to provide real leadership and give progressives a genuine fact based voice and a call to action. They waste nearly every minute whining and exaggerating the flaws of this administration and anyone that doesn't operate in lock step with what they want done.

They aren't holding anyone's feet to the fire because they haven't earned the respect necessary to make anyone in power listen to them. You don't peddle gossip, insult people and accused them of operating in bad faith--without having all the facts--and expect them to listen you. They are wasting theirs and our time.

They are not the moral equivalent of Fox but the quality of their programming is nearly as useless.

The professional left are paid political journalists, talk show hosts and pundits, and commentators. They aren't us.