Rachel Maddow Speaks To Vaccine Fear, Weighing Risk, Makes The Case That the Vaccine Is Not For You

[ancianita]

[qazplm135]

1. unfortunately

the people with the mentality of do it for others, are not the folks who need to be convinced to get the vaccine.

[ancianita]

4. Knowing that MSNBC's audience has grown, she's counting on new viewers to think about

these things.

As I watched, I realize that she chose to go beyond preaching to the choir this time.

She seemed to take the commonly used side of 'speaking from experience' with anyone who has thought of themselves as being doubting and rational like her, slowly taking them to the point of realizing that this act can also be like a thoughtful life strategy they've already used with other decisions, as well.

[qazplm135]

11. she's an optimist

I'm not so much. The people amenable to her arguments don't really need convincing.

[ancianita]

18. Yeah. Well, democracy works like that -- we try to change minds, that kind of thing. If she even

changed one mind to get the vaccine, who knows how many others that one health decision would have helped. Covid spreads. Across hundreds for every one contact with ten.


So yeah, I'm for optimism and her trying to get people to change, even if they do the right thing for the wrong reason, like 'everybody's doing it and okay, so I guess I will.'

[qazplm135]

20. no democracy works

on the rule of the majority. This is about the vaccine, and herd immunity, not democracy. 51 percent won't cut it for the latter. Neither will appealing to the better angels of Trumpers.

Know your audience is the first rule of persuasion.

[ancianita]

21. Obviously. However a herd immunity works, it still depends on the spirit of democratic discourse,

so if you don't think this vaccine talk is about democracy, tell it to Joe Biden.
As of yesterday, 20.5%, 68,202,458 Americans had been fully vaccinated. Not bad in under 100 days, but no herd immunity until June unless enough get shots.

As for the audience, this is also about TRMS being #1 on all of cable, not just cable news, because its viewership grew. You're saying that she doesn't know her audience -- no one here but you is saying that they're Trumpers -- yet given their market research, Maddow and MSNBC know the growing viewership better than we do.

[qazplm135]

25. no

it depends on enough people believing basic science over conspiracy theories and/or having the empathy for others to do things they don't want to for the good of the whole. Those folks don't care about Joe Biden. Or Rachel Maddow.

The RMS, really any cable news show, at its peak, has about 3 million viewers.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. Unfortunately, those people are not likely to take advice from Rachel either.

[soothsayer]

2. That backfired with masks. Those people don't care.

[ancianita]

6. I hear you. I just think she's trying to rekindle their caring.

imo, she's trying to get people to care about themselves as not just fearless, smarter or better, but as a positive force for family, friends they don't want to lose.

[soothsayer]

8. Preaching to the choir with her audience I reckon

But it’s good to try

[mucifer]

12. I know some dems who won't get the vaccine. She did get one of her points wrong. You can

die from covid more than 2 weeks post vaccine. It's just verrrrrrrrry unlikely.

From the Chicago Tribune:

No vaccine is perfect, and that’s true of these three. In Illinois as of Wednesday, 581 fully vaccinated people had tested positive for the virus more than two weeks after their last dose, resulting in 21 hospitalizations and 12 deaths, according to the state health department.

While tragic, the fatalities statistically are rare, compared with the 2.5 million people fully vaccinated in the state.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/vaccine/ct-prem-covid-surge-vaccination-chicago-20210409-cq2qlvlvcna5vgls65dwx5h3sm-story.html

She just needs to be honest. She shouldn't say you won't die from covid 19 if you are vaccinated. She should say it's EXTREMELY unlikely.

[soothsayer]

14. Yeah, definitely shouldn't be so absolute

We’re still early days

[ancianita]

15. She did say that the odds of covid death are "near zero." She's saying that the near zero

is better than over half a million dead, for any reason.

[iluvtennis]

3. Rachel Maddow keeps it real - love her. nt

[Wild blueberry]

7. Very compassionate

Her last point: there are two paths, one with zero deaths (vaccines) and one with over 560,000 deaths. Which will you take?

[ancianita]

9. Yes. Her last point was her best, imo.

Last edited Sat Apr 10, 2021, 06:54 PM - Edit history (1)

[mucifer]

13. It's ALMOST 0 deaths. But, it's not. See post #8

[ancianita]

16. All or nothing was not her point. The spirit of her message was: pick your path.

Why are you so fixated on perfection of the zero path unless she's 99% right.

What's the good of that, anyway.

[mucifer]

17. I think when we talk to people who don't want to vaccinate we need to be completely honest. I

was lucky to get the the vaccine at the end of December because I am a nurse. I am VERY pro vaccine.

It's not 100% effective. But, it's AMAZING and saving a lot of lives and we should say that because it's true.

[ancianita]

19. She was completely honest, telling of a past bad shot reaction as the basis of her fear, but

deciding that in the end, it wasn't about her and her past experience. So, as honest as the science and consumers can describe the vaccine, given that no vaccine is 100% in immunizing against microbes (even polio requires more than one dose), she was honest, imo.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. Rachel was great last night

[Evolve Dammit]

22. She made her best, genuine appeal. If you give a shit about anyone, get the damn shot(s). nt

[Upthevibe]

23. ancianita......

Thank you for the post.

I thought Rachel was great last night.

[ancianita]

24. Hello, Up.

Thank you back.