Tuesday night's meltdown by MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan (while interviewing Mark Williams of the Tea Party Express) has become a viral sensation for news & political junkies. And now MSNBC's Ratigan has announced on his Facebook page that he's taking the next few days off. MSNBC's Ed Schultz is filling in for Ratigan.
A video clip of the meltdown posted on YouTube earned 13 Honors from around the world, and became the #1-Most VIewed News/Politics video of the day and was the 26th Most Viewed clip overall on YouTube. Ratigan's ranting and raving wasn't just a viral Internet hit, the segment was served up for fodder by Fox News Channel's Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. Gutfeld found great joy poking his competitors over at MSNBC:
Mark Williams said the experience was overall a positive one:
"As a talk radio host I learned long ago that when you've got a crazy person who is about to make themselves and their movement look foolish, you let them have all the rope they need to do it.
"If this is the best those who oppose the tea party movement can come up with, then I submit that the tea party movement may have already won the day in the battle of ideas.
"And as for Mr. Ratigan, I suggest a Beer Summit."