Greetings. CNN is reportedly attempting to pressure cable operators into blocking an anti-Lou Dobbs ad produced by "Media Matters for America" -- related to Dobbs' continuing ranting about President Obama's supposed birth certificate illegitimacy.

The brief spot that CNN is apparently attempting to block (which will no doubt get far more publicity now thanks to CNN's efforts!) is viewable here.

I've watched the plummeting of Lou Dobbs' legitimacy for years, and with some pain -- given that he was once a pretty fine reporter. But in CNN's continual search for an evening ratings booster against FOX News' politically skewed opinion programming masquerading as news, CNN has found the "reinvented" Dobbs to be an effective pull at a key (largely right wing) demographic.

Lou now unfortunately routinely bumps shoulders with concepts and characters who range from semi-racist to outright racist -- occasionally sort of "apologizing" when a guest is later revealed to be "too deeply" in the racist camps. His tirades against illegal immigration have become legendary. It was unfortunately to be expected that he would veer into the anti-Obama wacko camp (e.g, the birth certificate war).

However, there is still some value to watching Lou Dobbs, since his nightly viewer polls continue to be highly amusing. Generally structured in such a way as to guarantee a 95%+ agreement with his premise by his self-selected audience, they tend to be worded something like:

Do you feel that it's time that the U.S. government starts caring about its own citizens instead of everyone else in the world (who incidentally all hate our country and want to see us all dead), and should our government immediately take steps to eliminate the deadly and massive threat posed by illegal aliens who steal our jobs and bring massive crime into our country and who might break into your home and kill you while you're watching this very program? Yes or No?

Like I often say, that's entertainment. And CNN, an organization for whom I've had a great deal of now rapidly declining respect over the years, understands this dynamic all too well.

--Lauren--