Civil war at MSNBC

The media is one of the most important elements of any election season, especially when we are electing a president.

Its primary role is to act as an advocate for the people. After all, none of us will likely have access to any of the major players as we approach the election.

Some forums do provide citizens the chance to ask questions to candidates, but those events are usually tightly controlled and don't allow any significant give and take.

Therefore, the media's responsibility should be to ask the questions we would ask if we had the opportunity.

While that seems pretty clear cut, it is not always that easy because many voters believe certain media outlets have a bias against certain candidates.

For example, conservatives often complain about newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post as examples in the media that present news with a liberal slant.

Conversely, most liberals will express similar frustrations against a news outlet like Fox News. Such criticisms from both sides are pretty common during elections.

However, voters very rarely get a glimpse inside a news organization as it develops its strategy to cover a campaign. We got that glimpse recently when MSNBC demoted Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as co-anchors of political night coverage.

Both will remain as commentators, but their roles have been diminished.

Most who follow politics know Olbermann and Matthews from the shows they host each weeknight on MSNBC. Both shows are commentary shows meaning that very little actual news reporting is done. Basically, both men provide their points of view on the issues of the day.

Both (but especially Olbermann) have recently enjoyed a surge in popularity from liberals because of their criticism of the Bush administration. In watching both men perform, it is pretty clear that their political ideology leans to the left.

Within the context of their shows, there is nothing wrong with that. They are paid to present opinions, and they both do so with passion and flair.

However, things went wrong when both were awarded anchoring duties during the recent national political conventions. Basically, MSNBC put commentators into a situation best handled by a news reporter, and as most understand, there is a big difference between being a reporter and a commentator.

The situation reached a low point when Olbermann made several sarcastic comments at the Republican convention. For example, after vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin made her acceptance speech, Olbermann compared her to Reese Witherspoon's character 'Tracy Flick' in the film Election.

If you didn't see that film, trust me, the comment was not intended as a compliment.

MSNBC made a big mistake by putting these men into these roles. However, what is perhaps even more puzzling is that there wasn't much of an outcry when they were first chosen.

If ABC had assigned a conservative pundit like Rush Limbaugh to anchor its coverage at the conventions, criticism would have been loud and long. However, the selection of Olbermann and Matthews caused little criticism.

Based on published reports, it took an internal rebellion from within NBC's news division to get Olbermann and Matthews demoted.

Now, newsman David Gregory will handle anchoring duties for upcoming events.

One has to wonder whether this problem would have occurred if Tim Russert were still alive. Russert was known for his ability to remain impartial and had the most clout within both the NBC and MSNBC news divisions.

My guess is this never would have happened.

Chalk this up to growing pains caused by Russert's loss. However, it couldn't have occurred at a worse time.

Lots to be thankful for this year

We are now a few days removed from another Thanksgiving, and I hope the holiday was a special one for everybody reading this.

Thanksgiving can mean different things to different people, but I hope all of us took time on Thursday to give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy.

We all have problems that we struggle with both on an individual level and as a nation. However, despite these problems I believe we can all agree that we have it pretty good.

On a personal level, I appreciate the way God has blessed my life. I am grateful Jesus chose to act as a sacrifice for my sins so that I can spend eternity with Him. Additionally, God has blessed our country in many ways, and I hope those who don't realize that will understand it soon.

Also, I am grateful that I got to spend Thanksgiving with my family.

There are folks scattered all over the world who would love to spend this day with their loved ones, but they cannot for a variety of reasons. However, I got a chance to spend the day with mine. It is a blessing that is easy to take for granted, and I hope I never do.

There are a lot worse ways to spend a day than being with your family, eating a delicious meal, and watching football until your eyes won't stay open.

I am thankful for the health and comfort I enjoy in my life. Like I wrote earlier, we all have challenges that try our patience, and for many folks, the primary challenge they have is with their health.

As I stumble into middle age, my bones creak in ways that I never thought possible, but other than that, I am grateful the problems I experience are manageable.

I am thankful that I live in the United States. If a person were to judge our country only by what is reported on the nightly news, he would shake his head in dismay.

True, we are a country with a lot of problems and challenges. But we are also a big-hearted and wonderful country.

We have been blessed with a wonderful amount of liberty and freedom, and I know that I take that for granted. Just being able to have a blog like this without the fear of governmental censorship is one way that I get to enjoy my freedom.

However, freedom comes at a cost, and many people throughout our nation's history have sacrificed greatly just so we can enjoy this freedom.

An important question we all need to ask ourselves is: Do I make the most of the freedom that I have been given?

It's an important question that we see people answer every day if we will open our eyes.

For example, though there is a lot of disagreement regarding the Iraqi War, I think most of us would agree that the people serving in the armed forces are an excellent example of people willing to sacrifice to protect our country's interests.

On the other hand, there are others who seem to view freedom as a commodity to be consumed without giving anything back. They are content to wallow in their own crapulence without understanding that our way of life could go up in smoke if it isn't nurtured carefully.

In the coming year, there is a way all adults can play an active role in nurturing our nation's way of life.

Next year is a presidential election year, and the last eight years have shown us all just how close these elections can be. Cynics will cry that one person's vote does not make a difference, but the closeness of the 2000 election showed us otherwise.

If you are not already examining the candidates, start doing this now. Tennessee's primary is only a little over three months away.

Remember, we get the government we deserve. If the voting public remains apathetic and uninformed, then we will get elected officials that reflect that.

Or if people really pay attention and hold our leader's feet to the fire, then the people we elect will reflect that.

The choice is yours.