Rachel Maddow: “Turns out gay marriage is a ‘defense of marriage’ act.”

Rachel Maddow points out that since gay people started getting married in Massachusetts five years ago, divorce rates have descended to pre-1940 levels.

Says Maddow: “Turns out gay marriage is a ‘defense of marriage’ act.”

According to her website, Rachel has a doctorate in political science [she was a Rhodes Scholar] and a background in HIV/AIDS activism and prison reform. She shakes a mean cocktail, drives a bright red pickup, hates Coldplay, loves arguing with conservatives, spends a lot of money on AMTRAK tickets, and dresses like a first-grader.

Rachel’s work with MSNBC began in 2005 when she was a regular contributor to “The Situation with Tucker Carlson.” She was also a regular commentator and occasional guest host on “Race for the White House with David Gregory,” and a frequent guest and sometime guest host on “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” before taking the helm of her own MSNBC TV show in September of 2008. She’s also been on the air with Air America Radio since its inception in Spring 2004, first on “Unfiltered” with Lizz Winstead and Chuck D, and then with her own eponymous show. Before AAR she worked for WRNX in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and WRSI in Northampton, Massachusetts. There was also an early stint with a jungle-themed company called Expresso Bongo, but she doesn’t want to talk about it.

Rachel is 36 years old and lives in New York City and rural Western Massachusetts with her partner, artist Susan Mikula.

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