I Should Have This Guy's Job

This news is about 2 months old, but it's kind of upsetting to me, as a blogger, as someone whose ultimate goal would be to write for pay.

Two months ago, CNN hired a blogger named Erick Erickson to join their political panel. Erickson headed a website called redstate.com, and has said in his blog more irresponsible things and has used more irresponsible language than I could have ever dreamed of saying in my most incensed moods.

Erickson, for rough comparison, is Rush Limbaugh with advanced rabies. Let's take a look at his record: "Upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, Erickson called him 'the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09).'1

Don't forget the Hitler card: "He declared that White House spokesperson Linda Douglass “really is the Joseph Goebbels of the White House healthcare shop” (TPM, 10/12/09)."2

“Erick’s a perfect fit for John King, USA, because not only is he an agenda-setter whose words are closely watched in Washington, but as a person who still lives in small-town America, Erick is in touch with the very people John hopes to reach,”said Sam Feist, CNN political director and vice president of Washington-based programming. “With Erick’s exceptional knowledge of politics, as well as his role as a conservative opinion leader, he will add an important voice to CNN’s ideologically diverse group of political contributors”3.

Hey, we could reel in some of Glenn Beck's audience if we put up this guy. The author of the AlterNet.org article is right: "CNN is the most trusted name in news? Really?"

They were looking to appeal to the lowest common denominator, and I truly cannot forgive them. Of course, after Dobbs left, they needed their token Teabagger, but come on. This will come across as semi-elitist, but CNN is supposed to be the most trusted name in news precisely because they do not regularly accommodate such people.

I pulled the Hitler card ONCE when talking about the Idaho Republican gubernatorial candidate's endorsement of political violence. And quite possibly the worst thing I ever said about anyone was probably the Pope: "The lowest worm in the highest seat," which is completely justified. It doesn't make sense. You don't call a Supreme Court Justice a goat-fucking child molester and get hired by a reputable news network (Fox doesn't count), though Glenn Beck started on CNN.

Yes, I'm incensed, though more about the support Mr Feist lent to Erickson. "Exceptional knowledge of politics"? You're kidding. Tell me you're kidding. "Erickson is very much in touch with the people John King is trying to reach." That may be true, but why is King trying to legitimize xenophobia? There are places you just don't go, even for ratings. And if you are trying to reach them, try to educate them. Don't bring them on board infected by small-town ignorance.

There is something I hold quite dear, and CNN (until now) and even MSNBC adhere to it: We need actual discourse. We need mutual respect. This makes for better governance through policy education. We need less knee-jerking and more fair evaluation of policies. When you knee-jerk, you don't have much else, and it shows.

Erick Erickson is not someone who would be appropriate on an actual news network, much less a self-described trusted one. Glenn Beck's lost sheep are either still with him ideologically, or are no longer interested in his Nazi Tourette's4. Hiring Erickson only hurt CNN, because no educated person wants to tolerate the Hitler card.

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Hitler:
-Can be played once every 10 games. If card is played any more than that, player will be laughed at by all other players and s/he immediately forfeits the game without exception.
-Most effective when describing policies or sentiments that severely violate civil liberties (such as supporting militia action5); it backfires against policies that are intended to directly benefit people (ie the healthcare bill comparison makes Hitler look slightly less evil, instead of making Obama look more evil).

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I think I should be sitting where Erickson is. But of course, I don't appeal to Sarah Palin's America, which was their objective in hiring him. I think he's poisonous to their network, and I think he's poisonous to constructive governance. I think it's fine that he has his own blog, but I don't think it's fine that his "goat-fucking child-molester" comments should be given any legitimacy in the mainstream. I think it's amusing that another anchor on CNN grilled him on the air for his comments, and he apologized profusely6. This is not what CNN is, nor is it what CNN should aspire to be. CNN =/= Fox. Isn't there a more responsible Republican commentator that could be found? *silence* It's funny that MSNBC took all of the good ones for their Sunday shows. Liberal news network, what?

1) http://www.alternet.org/story/146070/erick_erickson_is_the_new_cnn_go-to_bigot%2C_misogynist_and_homophobe/?page=1
2) Ibid
3) Ibid
4) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/13/lewis-black-glenn-beck-ha_n_574659.html
5) http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/03/idaho-republican-rex-rammell-governor-election-miltia
6) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/02/stewart-slams-cnn-for-hir_n_522949.html