MSNBC Switch

It suddenly occurred to MSNBC producers and schedule planners that calling Lawrence O'Donnell's show "The Last Word" and giving Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz additional words in the time slots that follow seemed kind of silly, so starting this week, Schultz and O'Donnell have switched time slots.  Lawrence O'Donnell has returned to the 10 PM Eastern slot he started out in, and Ed Schultz is now in the 8 PM Eastern time slot O'Donnell has vacated.  This allows Schultz, a populist with working-calls appeal, to be on for five weeknights a week, with the more polished, buttoned-down O'Donnell on for four weeknights a week, in recognition of the fact the MSNBC begins its laughable weekend documentaries Friday nights at 10 PM Eastern.

This makes sense for MSNBC's viewers, who will be more able to tune into Ed Schultz at an earlier hour.  And by putting him on earlier, MSNBC has acknowledged that his meat-and-potatoes-message rings strongly with a wider audience in this new Occupy Wall Street age.  And O'Donnell, whose commentary has gotten more passionate but has remained as polished as he is, is a strong closer for all of MSNBC's commentators.  But MSNBC's ongoing game of musical chairs with its hosts suggests that, while they're aware of what their mission is, they seem less sure on how to convey it . . . or on who should be conveying it.