Crazed Right-Wing Shill Provides the Perfect Example of Why MSNBC Shouldn’t Book These Crackpots

On Tuesday’s edition of The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC, Melber hosted what was supposed to be a discussion of racial division in the era of Donald Trump. That’s a timely topic that had the potential to be enlightening and productive. There’s just one problem. Melber made the mistake of inviting right-wing bomb-thrower Candace Owens on to take the conservative side of the debate.

Ari Melber, Candace Owens, MSNBC

Melber began the segment innocently enough with a summary of what he expected it to cover. He welcomed his guests, Owens and Prof. Michael Eric Dyson, with this introduction (hair-raising video below):

“President Trump again attacking prominent African-American. He’s just impugned the the intelligence of LeBron James and Don Lemon. Which echoes the way he singled out the intelligence of Congresswoman Maxine Waters or the academic credentials of Barack Obama.”

And it was all downhill from there. Melber begins the discussion by asking Owens if she thinks that Donald Trump is embracing racial division. Her answer was a long-winded filibuster that produced nothing but anger and hate and entirely evaded the topic. She began slowly, pretending to be responsive, but shortly diverted to an unrelated subject about the recent rash of gun violence in Chicago (about which she opposes any action on guns). And that rant somehow morphed into her own travails in public where she has been confronted by opponents. And finally she went off on an extended tirade wherein she exalted Trump’s (imaginary) achievements, whined about black conservatives being criticized, and asserted that Democrats have always been racist, ignoring the party realignment that took place in the 1950s and 1960s.

All of that occurred in a wild-eyed display of bluster where Owens refused to stop yammering, ignored Melber’s pleas to be civil and fair, and generally behaved like deranged mental patient who traded her meds for Snickers bars. But what needs to be recognized here is that this was not a spontaneous outburst. Owens came on the show planning to leap off the rails from start. That’s evident in her evasion of the questions which she was told in advance would define her appearance. And it’s evident in her obviously prepared raving and disrespect for civil discourse.

Considering what occurred in this segment, MSNBC, and other conscientious news networks, should realize that booking people like Owens is a futile endeavor. Their only purpose is to derail the conversation and insult the participants. And they should not be given a platform to do that. Not only is it a waste of time, it prevents the discussion of important issues that would be useful to the audience. Owens belongs on Fox News and Infowars where haranguing the left is central to their mission. But real news networks need to learn from this that booking these cretins is just giving them leeway to crap all over free speech.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Advertisement:

3 thoughts on “Crazed Right-Wing Shill Provides the Perfect Example of Why MSNBC Shouldn’t Book These Crackpots

  1. And was Owen a Russian plant? That would fit the Bannon/Miller schematics.

  2. I enjoy Ari Melber’s “ The Beat” and have never heard a harangue such as Ms Owens’ last evening. Apparently the invitees are advised in advance of the subject at hand and she went off on Prof Dyson the likes of which I have NEVER seen . Melber had no chance to calm her irrational behavior. I ate at least 1,000 flies……. couldn’t close my mouth upon hearing her venomous blather.
    This was so beneath anyone’s dignity and I pray MSNBC will ban this lunatic from any further tv appearances.

  3. Since these people choose to ignore the Host and the topic with their petulant behavior acting like jackasses none should be allowed the chance. It’s how we got the petulant Family Values Republican president. He was allowed to monopolize the airwaves by denouncing all the other Republican Candidates along with their wives and families. If it were not for the Electoral college and the Russians invading our US elections the US would be far better off. He is the one that unleashed all these other crazy, vicious, anti-American losers, much like the Brown shirts in pre-War Germany. They have no sense of Loyalty to our Nation and would tear down our Society if he gives the word. Be aware or pay the loss of our Nation.

Comments are closed.