Rachel Maddow Was Destined To Be A Game-Changer

On a breezy evening in northern California in the spring of 1990, Castro Valley High Scool graduated. Rachel Maddow gave a speech at her graduation that was more responsible, articulate and straightforward than speeches most adults dare attempt. Only Rachel Maddow herself as an adult has given as relevant a speech in recent memory.

I found it amazing listening to a barely 17 year old give this wise-beyond-her-years speech especially knowing how her life has turned out thus far. Her aim was/is true. The intellectual prowess and concise reasoning made it clear that she was destined for greatness from the beginning. The faculty must have cringed when she announced she wasn't going to deliver the planned speech and those behind her looked uncomfortable at times with her new and improved speech as they sometimes looked down at their feet. I know it's written on my sleeve how amazing I think Rachel is, but what is even more significant is that she apparently always has been. I've watched this video several times in awe. How does any 17 year old command that much intellect, compassion, and avant-garde thinking? We have a bunch of fifty-something-plus politicians who can't speak in complete sentences!

She's on record saying she grew up in a very Catholic conservative household and even has two aunts who are nuns. Can you imagine her poor parents reasoning with their very progressive daughter? She must have been a handful. I remember reading an article with her mom in which Mrs. Maddow talked about their mother/daughter arguments in Rachel's teen years and how she would realize Rachel was winning so she'd just say, "We're not going to talk about this anymore." Obviously the confidence and facts were always her forte. You've got to believe, there are no two parents anywhere who deserve to feel more proud than the Maddows and I'm sure they are. As I leave you to watch the video, the socks, sandals and shorts made me laugh. There she is wearing dangling earlings giving an awesome speech and I was thinking afterwards, I'll bet she left the house with a nice pair of slacks and nice shoes. The lady has been a non-conformist from the start. She is simply amazing. We're lucky to have her, but the more we see of her and who she is, the more I wonder, is MSNBC actually holding her back?