Should CNN replace abruptly departing Lou Dobbs with Rick Sanchez?

As Latino groups began to step up their protests against CNN "advocacy anchor" Lou Dobbs, the one time business expert and last remaining anchor from the newschannel's earliest days abruptly announced he was leaving the channel, effective today.

In a long statement, Dobbs told his audience about the move during his 7 p.m. show, saying "some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond my role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving, as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day.  And to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible."

This was not the first time Dobbs had left CNN; an anchor at the newschannel since its 1980 inception, he departed for two years in 1999 to join the Web site Space.com. (Citing unnamed sources, the Web site AllYourTV.com says Dobbs is considering a run for political office, perhaps president)

Dobbs has faced criticism from various groups over statements expressed on his CNN show and his radio show, from suggestions that the issue of President Obama's birth in the U.S. may be an open question to his refusal to correct mistaken reporting about illegal immigrants spreading leprosy in America.

Dobbs turned resistance to illegal immigration into a cornerstone of his programs, drawing heated criticism from Latino groups which accused him of demonizing Hispanics and spreading misinformation about the negative impacts of illegal immigrants.

(I experienced his wrath firsthand a few years ago, when I had to end a 2006 interview after he questioned my intelligence and abilities three different times; the situation was so combative, a CNN public relations staffer called me back after the interview ended to apologize)

A group called BastaDobbs.com -- which says it is a Latino-led grassroots coalition of several organizations urging CNN to fire Dobbs -- released a statement earlier today announcing a digital "sit-in" on the newschannel's iReport service. In this protest, members would send thousands of anti-Dobbs personal messages into CNN's Web site devoted to citizen journalism. The group had also protested during CNN's launch of its Latino in America series, arguing that the newschannel could not be fair to Latinos if it kept Dobbs on its payroll.

None of this was mentioned directly in statements released by Dobbs and CNN tonight. And despite the anchor's talk of moving on, no specific reason was given for the anchors abrupt departure -- announced without fanfare or a successor named (The New York Times quotes a spokesperson from Fox saying it has not had discussions with Dobbs for the Fox News Channel nor Fox Business Network).

Given the damage Dobbs punditry has done to its brand with Latinos, perhaps CNN will consider replacing him with Rick Sanchez, the former Miami anchor who has turned their 3 p.m. hour into a showcase for his Twitter-fed reporting and occasional opinionating, often on issues affecting Hispanics.

It would certainly be a delicious irony. And there's not nearly enough of that in the media game these days.

Comments

[Daisy]

Rick Sanchez lied about Rush Limbaugh making racists remarks that he never said. Sanchez even ran over a man with his car drunk, and he left the scene. Please!

[Steve]

Bye Louie

[Eric Deggans]

Rick Sanchez is already an anchor at CNn and has worked in Tv news for many years. Calling him unqualified seems insulting and stereotypical.

[Ricardo]

Yeah, replace Dobbs with an unqualified Hispanic. Talk about pandering to an ethnic grroup!!!

[RagsTTiger]

Rich Sanchez is a journalistic joke. His biased reporting on any subject defies credulity.

Let's not forget he was run out of Miami, having been convicted of a vehicular homicide, as the result of a DUI.

Further "Although he initially thrived at WSVN, Sanchez originally left the station when it was discovered that 1985 wiretaps recorded him trading favors with Alberto San Pedro, a self-proclaimed political fixer described by police as "a major corrupter in Hialeah" and who following a federal grand jury indictment for bribery of a federal public official and conspiracy to commit bribery, plead guilty to the conspiracy charge."

Yep, a real upstanding guy. He's so bad even MSNBC canned him.

Give the guy a job because he's cute? Yes, that says a lot for the status of journalism today. How about the first criterion being professionally competent?

Send him off to Twitterland.

Rich Sanchez is a journalistic joke. His biased reporting on any subject defies credulity.

Let's not forget he was run out of Miami, having been convicted of a vehicular homicide, as the result of a DUI.

Further "Although he initially thrived at WSVN, Sanchez originally left the station when it was discovered that 1985 wiretaps recorded him trading favors with Alberto San Pedro, a self-proclaimed political fixer described by police as "a major corrupter in Hialeah" and who following a federal grand jury indictment for bribery of a federal public official and conspiracy to commit bribery, plead guilty to the conspiracy charge."

Yep, a real upstanding guy. He's so bad even MSNBC canned him.

Give the guy a job because he's cute? Yes, that says a lot for the status of journalism today. How about the first criterion being professionally competent?

Send him off to Twitterland.

Rich Sanchez is a journalistic joke. His biased reporting on any subject defies credulity.

Let's not forget he was run out of Miami, having been convicted of a vehicular homicide, as the result of a DUI.

Further "Although he initially thrived at WSVN, Sanchez originally left the station when it was discovered that 1985 wiretaps recorded him trading favors with Alberto San Pedro, a self-proclaimed political fixer described by police as "a major corrupter in Hialeah" and who following a federal grand jury indictment for bribery of a federal public official and conspiracy to commit bribery, plead guilty to the conspiracy charge."

Yep, a real upstanding guy. He's so bad even MSNBC canned him.

Give the guy a job because he's cute? Yes, that says a lot for the status of journalism today. How about the first criterion being professionally competent?

Send him off to Twitterland.

[RagsTTiger]

Rich Sanchez is a journalistic joke. His biased reporting on any subject defies credulity.

Let's not forget he was run out of Miami, having been convicted of a vehicular homicide, as the result of a DUI.

Further "Although he initially thrived at WSVN, Sanchez originally left the station when it was discovered that 1985 wiretaps recorded him trading favors with Alberto San Pedro, a self-proclaimed political fixer described by police as "a major corrupter in Hialeah" and who following a federal grand jury indictment for bribery of a federal public official and conspiracy to commit bribery, plead guilty to the conspiracy charge."

Yep, a real upstanding guy. He's so bad even MSNBC canned him.

Give the guy a job because he's cute? Yes, that says a lot for the status of journalism today. How about the first criterion being professionally competent?

Send him off to Twitterland.

[Jeff]

Maybe Lou was just tired of the constant death threats? And of his wife getting shot at while out in front of their house?

Think we've taken things a bit too far in this country yet?

[Roy]

Peter, yer knot makin enny since!

[peter a.]

finaly he is going next to the other idiot glen back

[Mike]

will the last conservative at CNN please bring the flag with you? Oh yeah, he probably did.

[Peter]

Sanchez is a spin master. A loser in all categories. You would do just as well with Rev. Wright.

[RagsTTiger]

Rich Sanchez is a journalistic joke. His biased reporting on any subject defies credulity.

Let's not forget he was run out of Miami, having been convicted of a vehicular homicide, as the result of a DUI.

Further "Although he initially thrived at WSVN, Sanchez originally left the station when it was discovered that 1985 wiretaps recorded him trading favors with Alberto San Pedro, a self-proclaimed political fixer described by police as "a major corrupter in Hialeah" and who following a federal grand jury indictment for bribery of a federal public official and conspiracy to commit bribery, plead guilty to the conspiracy charge."

Yep, a real upstanding guy. He's so bad even MSNBC canned him.

Give the guy a job because he's cute? Yes, that says a lot for the status of journalism today. How about the first criterion being professionally competent?

Send him off to Twitterland.

[Darrell]

Lou Dobbs had become somewhat repetitious in his program presentation, just as every other cable commentator. Be it MSNBC, CNN. or Fox. But when a conservative voice is silenced, a liberal seems to take it's place. Our country is becoming more segmented in our beliefs each year.

[Ben G]

Tbpirate: It was not Lou Dobbs' job to spread misinformation on a mainstream media outlet. In fact, CNN execs told Dobbs to lay off repeating his crazy nonsense about Obama allegedly not being a citizen.

No responsible journalist would have ever leveled such an outrageous charge. Even if Hawaii had not been a state when Obama was born there, he was born to a mother who was a U.S. citizen and Obama's mother could have given birth to him anywhere on earth - even Russia or China - and Obama would have still been an American citizen.

[CAKay]

Dobbs was awful - the only hour I turned off CNN. I like Rick Sanchez when I'm home during the day; he gets into the controversial subjects; John King should be good; Anderson Cooper is my favorite - however he's always on the move and would have a hard time sitting in the chair day after day.

[Conservative Tom]

Break the law get into this country illegally-check. Thugs and murderers in our jails illegal aliens-check. California out of money-check. Give a guy a job based on ethnicity-check and not reverse racism-check. Call Rush a drug addict loser-check, even though he is most listened to man in media - check. Payback has started liberals, we are taking our country back - CHECK

[Sid McNames]

Rick Sanchez should have 2 hours...from 2PM to 4 PM daily. He is informed, adorable and in the midwest we love him. Besides, he deserves this additional hour.

[Cherry Thompson]

I love Rick Sanchez ,he is smart. Lou Dobbs was very rude..

[Everett St. John]

These talking heads make me sick of both liberal and conservative persuasions. Rush Limbaugh flunked out of college, has been divorced three times, and was convicted for drug abuse. They are generating distrust and anger at our government when people should respect and admire how difficult it is to be President in these terrible times.

[Super Scribbler]

Give Rick the job. CNN needs a hit and run killer in prime-time. Sanchez will drive the network out of a ditch into a wall.

[VULTURE]

Don Lemon, TJ Holmes are good choices

Betty Nyugen, Fredrica Whitfield, Soledad Obrien another good choice.

Rick Sanchez isn't really a good choice, unless they just moved his show from 3 PM to 7 PM and basically made it the same but just different time slot?

There's always that lady who subs in for Lou Dobbs too, but she's just a sub in, and is really boring, so idk. CNN needs something that'll boost it's ratings at 7 PM. Most teenagers and college kids watch 106 and Park on BET or some other show at that time so idk really who could boost it's ratings?

Maybe they can make CNN cartoons based on the anchors and correspondents and just show them from 7-8 PM??? I'd love to see my favorite anchors in cartoon form!!!

[Karol]

NYC_Guy is correct. Ric Sanchez is a disaster. He is not objective at all and if he goes anywhere it should be away. He must have been hired to fill a quota as he has no talent whatsoever.

Don Lemon is a very good, personable reporter who might fill the spot.

[Karol]

I like Lou Dobbs a lot. However, I quit watching regularly as so much of his show was about immigration and I began to feel I had heard it all - many times. He is right about illegal immigration. Obviously those who came illegally should not be here. However, I thought he disparaged legal immigrants also.

I like his humor and his intelligence. He will do well wherever he goes.

[NYC_Guy]

Replacing him with Rick Sanchez while ironic, would be a death blow to CNN. Sanchez is at best mediocre. Not to mention that he's a bit of a hypocrite as he's got some really dirty laundry and has no business throwing stones.

[Eric Deggans]

Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from responsiblity for what you say.

It also doesn't mean anyone has the right to a job appearing on TV, no matter how many viewers they upset with their opinions.

Just as folks like Dobbs have a right to say what they think, others have a right to respond with their own criticisms, petitions and protests.

That's true freedom of speech...

[Tbpirate]

Dobbs may said things that rubbed some people the wrong way but that was his job. It seems today that everyone has forgotten that freedom of speech and the press means hearing things that your don't agree with. But now all you have to do is protest, scream that the person is not politically correct, and that person is slienced. That is what is wrong with our society. "I may not agree with what you have to say but I will defend, even to my death, your right to say it."