Gosh, I am getting so fed up! To get the radio on and hear Bender is a terrible let down. Did he say if she was going to be on at all today? They know this ahead of time and could be respectful to their listeners if they let us know ahead of time. Come on, Rachel, without us, you wouldn't be on radio or tv, we aren't going to leave you when you are not on, we'll be back when you are on. Just let us know, please and not make us wait till the radio goes on.

Part of Bender's problem would be a problem with most other subs sub. It's not his gig, there isn't as much of a support team as there is on a TV show like Countdown, and he has other stuff to do.

I suspect almost anyone they got to fill in would do a call-in show just because it takes less time to prepare one. Heck, Rachel herself did an hour of call-in show the other day when she had to fill a third hour.

Not that I like Bender any more than you guys. But I don't listen to any radio pundit other than Rachel, so I hardly count.

One definition of "almost," the one you chose to use, is "just short of."
Other definitions are "nearly, roughly."
Perhaps you are unaware of the other definitions of the adverb "almost." But I think you are quibbling because you can't find something valid to complain about.

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." Dwight Eisenhower

If you aren't picking on Rachel, then why pick this forum to address your concerns so thoroughly? This is after all the Rachel Maddow forum, and you used her recent comment as an example and went further in subsequent posts..sure sounds like you exploited her recent comments for your own agenda and concerns.

Yes, Rachel is one of the brightest (and I'd add cogent ,hard working and ethical) political analysts/journalists out there--so why all the fuss here and now?

Take your gripe elsewhere, where it really applies. Her point was simply that a large number wouldn't be present. Why pick at such minutiae?

Of course she makes a few minor goofs now--that's called being human! That's bound to happen with the amount of info she needs to stay on top of...

What you seemed to have left out here is that unlike many others, she is consistently humble and quick to own her minor mistakes as soon as she grows aware. Goodness--even when she mispronounces something, she acknowledges it--and she often graciously qualifies existing limits of her knowledge and expertise before she engages certain discussions. I admire her tremendously for doing so.

Personally, I think it would be kinda scary if she didn't have an 'oops' every so often!

Your larger points are certainly correct (about ratings and Republicans dumbing down of material) but they don't apply here nor to Rachel--as she clearly does neither of these!

You really need to pick your battles and re-direct your energy to those who don't bother to do their homework ever, to those who repeatedly, maliciously and intentionally twist and distort facts for selfish gains. There are plenty enough out there doing serious damage.