A lot of articles like this one and this one are attempting to discuss why Phil Donahue's MSNBC talk show was cancelled. They all seem to be analyzing it in terms of whether or not (a) there's a market for liberal viewpoints and/or (b) whether MSNBC was just plain afraid to have an anti-war advocate on the air if and when we start leveling Iraq.
All those points may be valid but no one seems to be noting that all the shows on MSNBC either get cancelled or, like Hardball With Chris Matthews, certainly have the ratings to justify termination. If Donahue was axed because the audience isn't there for a liberal talk show host, what was the reason for dropping Alan Keyes Is Making Sense, apart from the fact that he so rarely did?
They also seem to be ignoring the simple possibility — which dawned on me, first time I saw it — that Donahue's show wasn't all that good. I like the guy but I don't like the 9-minute questions which involve attacking the guest's position three times and apologizing twice before allowing him to reply, then cutting him off to go to commercial. Once in a while, Phil connected — but I always found better things to do than waiting for that to happen.
There may be no market for a liberal political talk show, I don't know. But there are certainly plenty of other reasons for the failure of Phil Donahue's show, starting with the fact that it was on a channel that no one ever watches. Perhaps Michael Savage and Jesse Ventura will fare better, but that will have more to do with theatrics than politics.