Reply #12: Why? [View All]

[Demit]

They just get shouted over. They don't persuade anybody who doesn't want to be persuaded. Do you suppose that there are thoughtful people looking for informative discussion amongst experts who watch these shows? All I think that happens is that the Scarborough fans get off on his smackdown techniques and it feeds their aggression. Scarborough knows his audience. He let the Republican strategist talk and talk and talk, and he didn't interrupt. O'Donnell says a few sentences and Scarborough interrupts to chant "Larry...Larry...Larry..." to drown out the rest of the point that O'Donnell was attempting to make.

You're right to call it muck, but I don't think there's any advantage gained by going on a show that is designed to make fools of people they don't like. O'Donnell couldn't be effective here, and wasn't. I think he lowered himself.