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The Worst of MSNBC in 2015

December 30, 2015

Give MSNBC credit: The network's higher-ups realized the channel was in drastic need of a change in 2015.

Five shows were canceled. Daytime programming was dramatically altered to focus on hard news instead of light-weight liberal commentary.

But true to its ultra-progressive nature, MSNBC still had another bizarre year, from Melissa Harris-Perry decrying the term "hard worker" because it demeaned slaves to a panelist suggesting Bobby Jindal was trying to appease conservatives and "scrub the brown off his skin."

The network gives Hillary Clinton a tougher time than it ever has President Obama, but with a presidential election around the corner, defenses still had to be mounted. Morning Joe's Mika Brzezinski publicly grumbled about Clinton's struggling candidacy in the wake of her private email scandal, saying she was frustrated with Clinton potentially missing an opportunity to make history, and Joy Reid wondered whether the emails on Clinton's unsecured server were safer than they would have been in a government system, saying, "I don't even understand it."

Chris Matthews remarked that Franklin D. Roosevelt, "probably the best president we ever had," was "secretive" and "manipulative," then adding that since Clinton was also "secretive," "is that going to help us get any further here?"

Like a lot of Matthews' points, it wasn't quite clear where he was going with that one. Presumably, Clinton's illicit server and mishandling of classified information were somehow positives for her as a chief executive because Roosevelt was also a shady White House figure.

Matthews also laughed at a Latina woman who said she liked being in the Republican Party, and he remarked that GOP presidential hopefuls Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz were "Cuban nationals." Harris-Perry asked the Attorney General of the United States to "quack like a duck," and now-canceled Ed Schultz wondered if it was time to think about "disarming the police."

There was more inanity from the supposedly straight news reporters, as well.

Foreign affairs corresopndent Ayman Mohyeldin said that Chris Kyle, the Navy sniper and late subject of the hit movie American Sniper, went on "killing sprees" in Iraq, and Andrea Mitchell and reporter Kerry Sanders took viewers on an intimate tour of the San Bernardino killers' apartment in a low moment in cable news history. In fairness, MSNBC was not the only offender.

Morning anchor José Díaz-Balart gave Obama an assist on climate change during one broadcast, saying "Mother nature may be making his point for him." His reasoning? The president's speech on the liberal hot button topic was pushed inside because, wait for it, it was hot in August.

There's plenty more in the video above. Thanks to MSNBC for another solid year of leaning forward.