They Had No Choice

CNN isn't doing very well lately. Compared to other networks, their audience share is rather low. Their best years of the recent past were definitely the Trump Presidential years; they constantly beat him up at every chance. There was no fair and balanced to CNN then, and it is doubtful they will ever be able to move to a centrist news position now. Since Trump left office, their ratings tanked so badly they had to keep talking about him to try to improve their ratings.

This week, they suspended Chris Cuomo after emails proved he lied about the extent of his participation in helping his brother Andrew Cuomo when he was pushed onto the poliitcal gallows trap door this past summer. Cuomo hosted the top rated show on CNN, which in comparison to other network news commentaries usually rated dead last.

CNN doesn't bother to hide the fact that it is a mouthpiece for left-leaning liberal politicians, We all watched Rachael Madcow make a fool out of herself with her Trump Russian tirades, we've seen Don Lemon be nothing more than a lackey for boastful Democrats who lie (like Adam Schiff, who claimed he had the goods on Trump with Russian collusion in an interview with them and then when asked on the Congressional record, admitted he didn't)  ... and Brian Stelter, who would look more intelligent if he were a mute. Considering the foolishness that has come out of her mouth. Joy Reid is, of course, another example of a closet bigot who takes completely non-racial stories and interjects racial bias into them (as in the Gabby/Laundrie murder mystery this past summer).  Still, CNN stands behind these fools as long as they don't commit mortal sins, and even Toobinators manage to keep their jobs after completely embarrassing the network with (almost) off-camera jollies. Frankly, with the current list of on-camera personalities at CNN, I'm baffled as to why anybody would bother watching them.

Ah, but Chris Cuomo's sins rose above and beyond; even CNN couldn't ignore them anymore. When NY Attorney-General Letitia James decided to run for Governor next year (when she earlier said she wouldn't because it would look like she went after Andrew Cuomo to take his job), she had a few Aces up her sleeve - the "report" that summarized both Cuomo's activities following Andrew's trip to the woodshed. Andrew didn't want to resign, but it became pretty clear if he didn't, he would be impeached by his former friends in both Houses of the NY Legislature.

So now, today (12-4) we see CNN decided to fire Chris Cuomo for good, citing a review by a "respected law firm.' I'm no fan of either Cuomo (I've written about them before), but I do find irony in the fact that CNN can't even fire Cuomo without the excuse of a law-firm review. No review was needed; we've seen enough of Chris Cuomo threatening to throw somebody down a stairwell, we've seen enough of his lies in his Covid-quarantine video clips and we've seen enough of his big ego when he's shooting videos of himself lifting weights. CNN should have axed him long ago and the fact that it took them this long to finally do it speaks volumes about the morals and ethics of those running the show in the CNN boardrooms.

As for the advertisers that keep giving CNN money for ad slots, if I were them, I'd tie the price of that time on CNN to their Nielson audience share. Less viewers, lower ad rates ... or simply direct their advertising budget to the networks that do get consistently good audiences. Why spend money on networks with poor ratings?

So, arrivederci, Chris. Like Fredo in Godfather II, I guess you got whacked.

They only question is, in the casting of lots at the bottom of your cross, what CNN lackey is in line to take your seat?