I have a Google Alert set up for Rachel Maddow. I know, I know. But nine or so months ago when I set it up, alert emails came sparsely and usually contained the excerpted text from an article on some tiny local radio station announcing its affiliation with Air America Radio.
These days the emails are much more frequent. Sure, tiny local stations are still teaming up with Air America, and using the ever-more-absent Maddow as a selling point for potential audiences, but there’s more. You’ve got your infrequent bio pieces, your right wing screeds against her, your posts upon posts from blogs who do all but draw little hearts around her head (which I would totally do: I’m not tryin’ to hate), and, of course, your monthly “Joe Scarborough was a dick to Rachel Maddow” piece.
Today’s New York Times piece feels big. Maybe because it’s not a three year old article about Rachel and her partner Susan, it’s not a story in the Stanford Alumni Association mag, it’s the gosh darn Times.
The article comes with a few great photos (That shot of her in makeup with her image reflected in the little compact mirror? Neat!), and was written by Jacques Steinberg (most recently seen being attacked by a copy of Photoshop).
Biggest of the points included is that it does seem to be – as my uninformed-yet-hopeful self said last night – a matter of “when” and not “if” MSNBC installs Maddow in an anchor chair of her very own. Phil Griffin didn’t get promoted to President over at the network because he can’t see great opportunities when they present themselves. And Rachel Maddow is nothing if not a freaky-smart, compelling, fresh personality just waiting for the opportunity. She also knows her cocktails, so she’d be an asset in the office during a long news day! Basically, what I’m saying is do the right thing, MSNBC.
The story offers more odd facts about her road to the radio/tv machines (for example, I knew about her stint on local radio, but the donning an inflatable calculator costume at a local Ford dealer… bit was new to me, and also the best thing I’ve imagined all day), and an unbelievably cute quote about when she and Susan first met.
For nigh on a year, visibility and acclaim for Maddow has been snowballing; today’s article exponentially increases that snowball’s size. And now I’m going to drop that metaphor because I’m not sure where I’m going with it. But I can tell you how grateful I am to have been introduced to Maddow through her first few guest appearances on Countdown. Seeing her ever more frequently is a joy. Without question, it’s a good time to be a fan of Dr. Rachel Maddow. And, one must assume, a good time to be the good doctor herself. This isn’t the last big article we’re going to see about her. It just goes up from here.
Chicating on 
