From what I saw, this was yet another vacuous gab session which ignored actual teachers in favor of pundits and politicians. But they did seem to amp up the propaganda even more this time around: both Chris Christie and Michelle Rhee were given a platform to spew their anti-union, anti-tenure, and anti-teacher rhetoric with no challenge whatsoever.
Now, Rhee is a demonstrated failure, both as a teacher and as a superintendent; no one who knows anything about education takes her seriously anymore. And Christie has already shown he is incapable of winning a debate with anyone informed on education where he doesn't control the mic (that link still cracks me up - @stopthefreezeNJ completely embarrassed the guv). Which leaves me to wonder...
Was it a condition of their appearance on Morning Joe today that they would not have to face hard questions from competent adversaries? Is that why there were no representatives from the NJEA on today's show? No education researchers who challenge the NJDOE's misuse of data? No reporters who have questioned Christie's orthodoxy on education? No parent advocates who have documented the abuses occurring under ACTING Commissioner Cerf's watch? No teachers who are critics of Christie's and running for political office?
For that matter: no smart-ass teacher-bloggers?
Did anyone from MSNBC think to ask any of these folks if they would like to come on the show and force Chris Christie or Michelle Rhee to answer some hard questions about their reformy agenda? Or was this simply a piece of political theater, engineered to sell the public on the ridiculous idea that America's problems can be traced back to a handful of "bad" teachers who have tenure?
There's one way to find out: MSNBC needs to come clean about today. Was anyone from the NJEA asked to be on the show? Did the NJEA contact MSNBC and ask to participate? What were they told?
Did any of the producers of Morning Joe even try to get someone on the show who could competently present an opposing point of view?
You can tweet these questions to the following folks:
@Morning_Joe
Joe Scarborough: @JoeNBC
Mika Brzezinski: @morningmika
And here's the Morning Joe Facebook page. You can also contact them through the MSNBC page.
The question is simple: did you attempt to contact the NJEA or any other critic of Chris Christie and/or Michelle Rhee to appear on this show?
If you didn't... well, we may as well just watch Fox. At least we know where we stand with them.
Look at Mika's expression: awkward...
I watched some of this (post Christie and Rhee). Unfortunately, it continued in the same vein; glamour over questioning and thinking. After a while, I continued to watch with sinking hopes for a hard discussion.
ReplyDeleteDuke....this was a setup plain and simple. They got a free platform to lay out to the world why the union and tenure are evil and now on Monday the anti-tenure bill will be discussed. Coincidence? I think not. The Germans did the same before invading Poland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Himmler
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately in this case we are Poland.
i think you have it wrong. I watch MSNBC often and it is a liberal channel. "Morning Joe" is its one conservative show, hosted by Republican Joe Scarborough. That would have been a decision by the show not the network. Most other hosts on that channel would have asked them the tough questions. Why do you think they went on "Morning Joe?" And most people who watch MSNBC are liberals already and not the kind of viewers who would be swayed by the rantings of a liar and a cheat anyway.
ReplyDeleteMichael, I hear you, but...
ReplyDeleteThis isn't even a matter of liberal/conservative - it's a matter of professional ethics/no ethics. Even the worst shows on Fox give the people they attack directly a chance to come on. It's bizarre that NBC would not.
To Mark Hattem: "liberals" were some of the biggest fans of Waiting for Superman.
ReplyDeleteDuke, I think you've got it just right.
ReplyDeleteThere are no Walter Cronkite's anymore. They all come to story with bias and an agenda that shines through, and they don't even care. They go out in search of sheep, not thinkers.
As far as 'Morning with Joe', I gave up watching him eons ago.