Lindsey Graham: People Wouldn’t Watch MSNBC With A Gun To Their Heads (VIDEO)

FILE - In this Nov. 29, 2011, file photo Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. speaks to reporters following a Republican policy meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Lawmakers who came to Washington demanding budget cuts fac... FILE - In this Nov. 29, 2011, file photo Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. speaks to reporters following a Republican policy meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Lawmakers who came to Washington demanding budget cuts face a tough test now that President Barack Obama and military leaders want to shrink the force, shut down bases and cancel weapons to achieve them. "It's funny that we want to save money everywhere except when it can bother us," Graham, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said in an interview. He's one of the few lawmakers who favors another round of domestic base closings. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Lindsey Graham doesn’t think MSNBC could improve its ratings even if viewers were issued a deadly ultimatum.

At least that seems to be what the South Carolina senator was suggesting Thursday during an interview with Newsmax’s Steve Malzberg.

Graham dismissed the idea that a possible merger between Comcast (which owns MSNBC) and Time Warner Cable will limit television platforms for conservatives.

“Here’s my general takeaway about MSNBC,” Graham said. “People are in this business to make money, right, the cable companies. I don’t think you could increase MSNBC’s ratings if you had a gun to people’s heads. I’m not worried about that. “

The New York Times reported this week that MSNBC endured some of its worst ratings in seven years last month. Its flagship sunrise talk show, “Morning Joe,” fell to third place among its cable news competition.

Graham’s response was worthy of the ratings-obsessed Bill O’Reilly, who routinely reminds viewers of his dominance over his MSNBC rivals.

Joining Fox and Graham in their mockery of MSNBC is the long-suffering CNN, which drew a ratings spike with its wall-to-wall (and often ridiculous) coverage of the missing Malaysian Airlines plane.

Scarborough reacted harshly to his ratings fall, lashing out at CNN for “its phony breaking-news headlines and breathless coverage of random ocean debris.”

CNN responded like O’Reilly.

“Joe has clearly become unhinged by his third place ratings,” a spokesperson told TPM in an email.

h/t Mediaite

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: