Rachel Maddow

Rachel Maddow (www.nytimes.com)

Rachel Maddow is a political news commentator on MSNBC-TV’s “The Rachel Maddow Show”. Prior to working on television she was the host of a political radio show currently aired on the left-leaning Air America. She filled in for Keith Olbermann on his MSNBC-TV show “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” when he was out of office. She was so well-received that the network brought her back and gave her a program at nine o’ clock pm following “Countdown”. She has drastically improved MSNBC’s ratings and even topped Larry King.

Rachel Maddow is my hero because she has made a major impact on my life. Unlike most other pundits on the news, she is not monotonous, boring, loud, obnoxious, or rude. She makes me feel as if she is talking directly to me. Obviously this makes politics a lot more bearable.

She has done what I previously believed was impossible; convince me to watch the evening news with my parents. Not only has her personality made learning easier for me but also the show itself. With segments like, “Scrub, Rinse, Repeat (because this is going to take a while)” and “Lame Duck Watch” paired with a bright set, event reenactments, and cartoons, it is difficult not to pay attention. She keeps the news interesting for me. In turn, I have become more politically aware and less ignorant of my surroundings.

Maddow is my hero for more than what she has done in her entertainment career, however. I admire her for her intellect. She is a prime example of the type of person I want to be. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Stanford University. She was also the first openly gay Rhodes Scholar. Maddow holds a doctorate in political science from Oxford University in England.

Even after all her achievements, what I admire most about her, is that she dresses “like a 13 year old boy”. A self-proclaimed dork, she has shown me that you can be yourself and still go far in life. When asked what item of clothing every talk show host needs she responded, “For me, it is sneakers, which I can wear 80 percent of the time, secretly behind the desk. That reminds me who I am, even though I am dressed up like an assistant principal in order to meet the minimum dress code for being on television”. One of the main reasons she is so popular is the fact that she is always being herself. Only Rachel Maddow can use words like “duh” and “dork” while managing to remain the smartest news anchor on primetime. She has been quoted saying “I geek out on the news”. Rachel Maddow is my hero not only because she brought out a side of myself I didn’t know I had but also because I can see a lot of myself in her. It’s nice to think that someone so similar to myself can be as successful as she is.