April 10, 2008 12:27 PM

Air America host Rachel Maddow

Mark_Wolf(Q) Welcome Rachel Maddow.
Rachel_Maddow(A) Hi Mark -- thanks for having me!

capncrusty(C) ahoy, rachel!
Rachel_Maddow(C) and ahoy back to you, capn!

Mark_Wolf(Q) From Ted: Rachel, I enjoy watching you on Countdown. (Olbermann is a hoot) Why do you think there are so many more right wing political radio shows and personalities than there are on the left side? I’ve always thought that it is because people on the right need to be told how to argue their positions. For example when Clinton was elected several right wing people that I know assured me that the economy would go to Hell. When the exact opposite occurred and the economy was better than ever they told me it was because of Reagan’s policies. When I pressed them about where they got this theory, it was something they picked up from Rush Limbaugh. Good luck in the future, I root for Air America simply because it provides a small amount of balance.
Rachel_Maddow(A) Hiya Ted -- I think you're right that the Right has made a better go of this whole media business. They've got discipline in their message, and a tactically admirable resistance to the facts. I don't think liberals and centrists are looking for that from their media, though, so we've got to find our own path to WORLD MEDIA DOMINATION (cue scary sound effect).

shizzy24(Q) My spidey-sense smells a future Rachel Maddow-anchored show in MSNBC. Possibility or my wishful thinking?
Rachel_Maddow(A) Your spidey sense smells?! That's freaking awesome. I've made no secret of the fact that I'd love to have a show on MSNBC some day -- that said, I have no idea whether they'll ever want to hire me for a gig like that. The rumors of my impending TV stardom have long exceeded the facts...

chemgirl(Q) Does she think Congress will ever reopen their investigation of the Justice Dept. federal judges scandal? And will anything ever (punitive) happen to Gonzales, Rove, etc, for their roles?
Rachel_Maddow(A) Hiya chemgirl! I can't really figure out if there's an organized plan behind the Congres's investigative forays. Seems like Henry Waxman has a lot of investigative ideas... Conyers has some... Feingold has some... but I'm not enough of a washington insider to know what it takes to get them to revive an investigation they've already started, or to build up momentum to really stay on track with one. As for torture guy, Karl, etc -- presumably they get TV shows now, right?

capncrusty(Q) Here's my first ? Rachel, I'm a little confused about your new show format, which I believe starts next week. Could you give us an overview?
Rachel_Maddow(A) Oh capn, always right to the heart of the thing I'm least sure about. You're mister perceptive pirate pants, as usual. I just found out today about Randi leaving Air America, and I'm still not sure if that means the rest of us get rejiggered around in the lineup. Til I'm back in New York (or emailed to death by management today) I think I'd probably be wrong no matter what I predicted for next week...

chemgirl(C) Hey, Cap'n, was *that* your "Stump Dr. Maddow" question for this session? It was good, but I'm expecting better (rubbing hands together deviously).

Mark_Wolf(Q) From Koran999: Hi There, We all want to know when Gen. Betray-us is going to be arrested for lying in front of Congress and violating his oath of office to uphold and defend the constitution?
Rachel_Maddow(A) What were his lies?

Mark_Wolf(Q) From Peter: What has happened to the Listen Again (for 24 hours) facility for TRMS?
Rachel_Maddow(A) Another great question about AAR that I'm not informed enough to answer... When we got our new website, we got lots of new capabilities and lots of shiny-show new formatting. But the "you can listen to the most recent show for 24 hours for free by clicking here" feature... got lost in the shuffle. I've squawked about it thus far -- the persons to whom I've squawked responded by asking for a meeting with me on Tuesday. Usually when the answer to something is "oh darnit didn't notice i did that!" you don't ask for a meeting with the person who pointed out your error. Which makes me worry about whether free streaming is coming back. But i guess i'll find out tuesday.

Mark_Wolf(Q) From Smudger: I love the new header with photo on the new TRMS official website. It has great contrast, composition, balance, etc. I was wondering if a very talented artist from western Mass. had anything to do with it?
Rachel_Maddow(A) YES. It's Paul Teeling, you smudging fool. That's the other thing on the agenda for my Tuesday meeting with the web guys -- the flipping photo credit that got lost along with the streaming link.

Mark_Wolf(Q) On yesterday's show you talked about Lanny Davis' op-ed in the Wall Street Journal regarding his discomfort with Barack Obama's relationship with Rev. Wright. Do you think the extended nomination fight will encourage more of this and damage the eventual Democratic nominee?
Rachel_Maddow(A) I don't think the democratic nominees are being "damaged" by the ongoing fight -- i just think they're incurring an incredible opportunity cost by going after each other when john mccain really needs some going-after.

snoman(Q) What do you mean specifically by "...when john mccain really needs some going-after."
Rachel_Maddow(A) john mccain's default relationship with the media is so positive that if he isn't facing direct and focused political attack, his path to the white house will be paved with glowing "maverick" profiles.

capncrusty(Q) ah. Stump Dr Maddow. Okay, here it is. Dr, Maddow, I've been thinking of "going solar" for my electicity needs. One of the problems--and this applies to automobiles as well--is the difference between "batteries" and "capacitors". The first supposedly can "produce" electricity, but both can store it. Now if storing energy for later use is what a capacitor does, then it seems to me that with all the problems with batteries (shelf life, disposal, et al), capacitors would be a better way to go. Yet I never hear of capacitors being suggested as a viable substitute for batteries in "green" power systems. What am I missing?
Rachel_Maddow(A) Three part answer: (1) I have no idea. (2) Don't capacitors pose significantly greater safety risks (delivering accidental shocks) than batteries? (3) See (1).
chemgirl(C) Oh dear lord, this sounds like a question for the physics subcommittee of TRMS SAB...
capncrusty(C) I just checked our old friend Wikipedia; there seems to be a potential for a capacitor to deliver a dangerous electric shock, but it also seems that that can be gotten around. I would think if constructed properly, it would pose no more of a danger than a wall-socket. But I agree with chemgirl, if anyone else on the SAB would like to chime in, either here or on the blog, please feel free. And that's my Stump Dr Maddow question for today. ::smile

shizzy24(Q) I was excited that the Rachel Maddow Show was being extended to a third hour but couldn't help but notice the third hour doesn't so much have any Rachel Maddow. I like the guy but why is the "David Bender Hour" considered TRMS?
Rachel_Maddow(A) we thought when we set up hour 3 that i'd be off the tv machine more days than i'd be on it -- so david and i would essentially share responsibility for taking calls that hour, and he could take over on his own when i had to go to tv-land. hasn't turned out that way...


AC(Q) What should Dems go after McCain for, in order of signficance? And what do you think the public reaction would be if both Obama and Clinton refocused the attacks on McCain instead of each other?
Rachel_Maddow(A) Second question first -- i think there's a risk of media (and possibly public) backlash against the democratic candidate(s) going after mccain... since the standard media position on mccain is so positive. but the dems don't have a choice in the matter. you don't win the presidency by complimenting the other guy who wants it instead of you. as to the first question -- i think that mccain has a million vulnerabilities. everything from his lobbyist problem to his (deliberate?) battyness about the middle east to his pandering to his enthusiasm for setting the next war to a beachboys tune. take yer pick!

snoman(Q) Maybe...for now. The battle on the left has to shake out before the BIG $$$ from Soros and MoveOn starts to to be spent through the left-wing 527s on attacking McCain. That should start this summer. Last I heard there was about $500M in the McCain Attack Fund all ready to roll. Any comments??
Rachel_Maddow(A) What "battle on the left"? I always only find out about these things too late... All the 527 attack ads in the world don't stack up to a sustained effort by a major party nominee to define his/her opponent.

snoman(Q) ALL politicians listen to lobbyists. The NYTimes attack on McCain was unsubstantianted and has lost all traction. Done deal. McCain is no more or less "batty" on issues then Clinton and Obama. At least McCain is truthful when he claims he was shot at in a warzone. And the "Bomb Iran" story is also about as lame as it gets. If this is what the left hopes to use to win the WH this year, well, that is pretty poor. Do you have anythiong substantial to actually say about this election or do you just throw out the usual AAR talking points?
Rachel_Maddow(A) Snoman, you are a charmer, did anyone ever tell you that? If the next president wants to be elected on the basis of his expertise in foreign policy and warmaking? It would be awesome if that president knew that Al Qaeda were sunnis. Agreed?

Athena1955(Q) Hiya Rachel.. I was listening to your show last night and heard you talking about the importance of infrastructure for making/keeping our country great. I know you are wicked busy.. but, have you ever thought about writing a book about infrastructure? I think you could make it interesting.
Rachel_Maddow(A) That's very nice of you to say! The book I'd write on infrastructure is already written, better than I ever could: i don't think i can post html links here, but it's stephen flynn's "the edge of disaster". true, i'd probably come up with a way to include poop jokes and references to the evil child actor twin dictators of poland -- but aside from that, my book would be, essentially, "what steve said! ditto!".
Athena1955(C) LOL!

AC(Q) Can Dems coalesce around the eventual nominee? I notice the Repubs who a few months ago were saying they'd never back McCain seem to be coming together.
Rachel_Maddow(A) Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line. I wish democratic love was more, um, belligerently hierarchical, but alas. Dems are living a kumbaya lifestyle in a sisboombah world.

malthus(Q) It appears that the DNC is petrified of letting the Denver convention run its course and the ensuing nomination skirmish between Obama and clinton - so much so they have talked about a pre-convention gathering to throw Hillary from the train. At what point did the DNC estimate the value of renegging on the will of the people versus the expediency of presenting a unified front? And does the cynicism implicit in this end run not chill you to the core?
Rachel_Maddow(A) Is it really the "will of the people" that the democrats don't pick their nominee til six months after the Republicans do? And it's hard to see how getting the superdelegates to commit before Denver is throwing anyone from any train. Sen. Clinton is widely thought to have a lead among supers, as far as I know. I don't know which Democratic candidate would benefit from the Democratic nomination being chosen before August -- but I do know that John McCain is the candidate who benefits if it isn't.
malthus(Q) So it's kosher to hold a pre-convention selection meeting? Has that ever occured before?
Rachel_Maddow(A) I think since it's now mathematically impossible for the nominee to be picked by any means other than the superdelegates, it's no less kosher to ask the superdelegates to commit now than in august.
malthus(C) Yet it is without precedent, and it does render the August convention and peoples' delegate participation largely moot. That hardly seems very "Democratic" to me.

AZ-Turq(Q) Some of the chat rooms think you are leaving radio to take over Bow Tie Boy's slot on MSNBC after the election.Any comment?
Rachel_Maddow(A) See my earlier answer about the rumors of my impending TV stardom long outpacing the facts. I'd love to have a TV show, I have no idea if I'll ever be offered a TV hosting gig, I have no intention of leaving radio. But the speculation is very flattering... thanks.

mgmonklewis(Q) Has AAR management (Mark Green, Isiah Thomas, or whatever incompetent person is running the show) ever put pressure on you to be more pro-Hillary Clinton? Or pressured you to be more "centrist" and DLC-oriented in your show?
Rachel_Maddow(A) Nope. Never. Honestly.

mgmonklewis(C) Re: My previous question--just to clarify, I wasn't implying that Ms Maddow's show was "incompetent"; far from it. I meant that AAR's management is lacking in wisdom and competence.

Tree: (Q): I really enjoy her show and wish it were on during the afternoon where I could listen to it more.

Rachel_Maddow(C) No worries, y'all. Hey I actually have to run so I can make the radio show thing happen. This has been fun! Thanks so much for coming. And snoman... looking forward to our date.

Mark_Wolf(P) Thanks to Rachel, who had to wedge this into her Conference on World Affairs and radio schedule. And thanks for the excellent questions.

capncrusty(C) thanks, rachel!
Athena1955(C) Thank you Rachel!