A series of essays.....
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| RACHEL MADDOW OF THE "RACHEL MADDOW SHOW" |
.....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes
Many newscasters and hosts of their own cable news
programs are taking the quality and style of relating current events way beyond
the ordinary. If they do their job well enough, watching their shows on a daily
basis will make it seem like we have embarked upon a journey into the sobering
reality of our world based upon their hard work, in depth reporting, and the
brilliant unleashing of lies and cover-ups.
I am a news junkie and will always be the first to admit
it. My 'mainline' of information is through MSNBC although, my itchy finger has
been known to push the CNN button, every now and again. And, while I am
frequently on FaceBook during any given day, my heart says kittens and pictures
of Paris but, my open, inquiring mind will ultimately focus on current event
posts and the reaction to these stories by the many who share and comment on
them.
If the average person fails to take any opportunity they
may have to become more aware of what's transpiring around them, they
risk becoming oblivious to life itself and may become numb to the eventuality of losing their basic human rights. The most encouraging part for me
is seeing people slowly waking-up, unfolding like flower petals in the morning
light, stretching, yawning, and stirring the old 'brain stew' to a point where thinking, in and of itself, has become popular once again! Congratulations
going out to open minds and free thinkers!!
When you discover certain people who instinctively know
how to push your 'think-for-yourself' button....it may be prudent to let them
into your life and learn what they have to say.
She is not too old to be hip. She is not too young to be
boring. She stirs the stimulus pot vigorously every weekday evening and does it
in such a simple, step-by-step manor that the knowledge she and her staff
uncovers reads like a mini-novel filled with emotion, intriguing characters,
and, often, almost unbelievable plot lines. Her name is Rachel Maddow and she is
the host of the highly acclaimed "Rachel Maddow Show" which airs on MSNBC at nine
o'clock Monday through Friday evenings.
Rachel Anne Maddow turned forty-four years old this past
April Fool's Day and certainly contradicts any chicanery or negativism that this
particular day may conjure up. She has been described by a Time profile as being
"whip-smart" and suggests that, "She radiates an essential decency that her career
rise might signify that 'nice is the new nasty.' "
I find it very easy to love her style. Even the utter
simplicity of her hairstyle and dark clothing helps to create a calm, transparent
personality who tends to smile and giggle often under the influence of both
truth and utter disbelief. "Watch this space," is her not so subtle catchphrase
for explaining that further developments are expected and more information will
be given later.
For me, Rachel is a hot-wired bundle of passion and
facts and is capable of backing-up each one when you realize that she is the
recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship and holds a doctorate in politics from the
University of Oxford. A smart cookie and not just a cute face, describes her
well.
I find her method of handling the news and its factual
content consists of a seemingly innocent 'How To' approach where the story she ends up with is brilliantly pieced together, fact by fact, thread by thread, and
character by character. What we end up with at the completion of sixty minutes is a thought
provoking piece that begs for more questions to be answered and expects our own intellectual spirit to seek them out. The soufflé is baked, the
bookshelf has been completed, and the crops are sown....now, we are encouraged
to devour, compile, and harvest the next steps on our own.
You can bet that no matter what political happenings occur
during any given day, Rachel will have a unique way of detailing an intricate
storyline that night that may or may not include the obvious events presented by
the likes of Lester Holt at six-thirty on the evening news.
Rachel's personality assists in heightening the factual
drama of today's political scene that has, seemingly, drifted into the hands of a few competent reporters like manna from the heavens above; Spiritual nourishment of
divine origin. When her passion exceeds normal bounds, she begins her show with
her long neck flushed with deep color and warmth. She unabashedly gulps in the air
around her and proceeds to gasp out the story she has meticulously set-up to tell
us. When she is exceptionally unnerved by the content she is revealing, her body
bobs and weaves like an Olympic skier mentally navigating each icy turn of his imminent
downhill run.
Interacting with Stephen Colbert this past Monday night,
Stephen described Rachel's style as one where she places all of the components
of a car out on the front lawn and then proceeds to put the vehicle together bit
by bit until it becomes a roadworthy unit. To be able to accomplish this feat in
less than an hour always amazes me.
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| CHRIS HAYES Photo: Courtesy Wikiquicky.com |
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| LAWRENCE O'DONNELL Photo: Courtesy MSNBC |
Her nine o'clock time slot is sandwiched between "All
In" with Chris Hayes and "The Last Word" hosted by Lawrence O'Donnell where the
commitment to in-depth reporting seeks to hold our leaders accountable for their
actions while they speak with knowledgeable people who bring different points
of view to the table. O'Donnell draws upon his experience as a former chief of
staff for the Senate Finance Committee and never fails us when he offers his
take on the political stories driving the national conversation. Like younger
and older brother figures, each reporter offers his appropriate impact leading
up to Rachel's show and the creation of continuity of ideas afterward. Stellar
reporting is presented by all!
Rachel is realistic enough to understand that all things
must and will change.The style of reporting the public craves today may be in
complete contrast to what they require in the future. As long as Rachel Maddow
opens up new horizons of accountability among today's politicians, she will have
my vote for "Nasty Woman" of the year! Candidate Trump may rue the day he called
Hillary, "Such a nasty woman." His spark of impropriety has already lit a fire
among women that will never be extinguished.
Copyright © 2017 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved
