I Like Olbermann, but ....

[ThomWV]

I used to turn the show off after the first 30 minutes, I had no use for the drivel they put on during Countdown's last half. Now I find myself turning it off during the first 15 minutes too. I thought Keith understood that the people are tired of the horse race, we want substance. His humor and Special Comments are unique, but to tell the truth much of his show is turning into a real bore.

[Saturday]

1. I totally agree, don't watch him anymore. nt

[0007]

2. Joe is better than a sleeping pill.

[leftofcool]

3. I love KO

but he will be fawning over McCain just like the rest of them. He works for a Republican owned corporation and in the end will say what they tell him.

[Medusa]

16. Once heard him say on the radio

he'd VOTE for McCain--this was in 2006 on the old Dan Patrick radio show. WTF? I've never brought his act that he's a liberal friend at all. I think it was always about him trying to get more ratings for his show and promote himself.

[soundguy]

4. Same Here n/t

[Ordr]

5. Yeah.

I can't stand him.

[liberal1973]

91. KO

is great.

[MonkeyFunk]

6. Same here

I used to watch him every day.

Now, I haven't watched him in weeks.

[dkf]

7. KO is an equal opportunity snark machine.

He hits whatever he feels is fair game.

He was never a Dem partisan, like how Hannity shills for the right. I fully anticipate that he would attack a Dem President just as strongly as he attacks Bush if he has a problem with what they are doing.

That is why Hillary people are not pleased, cuz KO is holding her feet to the fire and calling her bad behavior out.

[havocmom]

12. Yep. He is not a partisan hack. He is a journalist.

He is not into the 'with us or with the enemy' gang that puts ideology over facts. And it's a fact that there are bad things going on right and left.

[niceypoo]

55. Hmmm, could have fooled me...

...seems he is just a tab biased for a 'journalist,' doncha think?

[walldude]

69. Reality does have a liberal bias... n/t

[Klukie]

76. Great line.....

Mind if I use it?

[bvar22]

84. Reality also has an Obama bias.

Reality:
Hillary cannot win the nomination.

Reality:
Hillary's continued campaign is only wasting resources and hurting the Democratic Party.

[selador]

71. there is a difference

there is a difference between having a bias, and being a partisan hack

KO clearly has a liberal bias. i don't think he'd deny that. it doesn't follow that he will not hold those on the left to task when they are acting foolish or whatnot.

that is the distinction, and something i respect KO for.

somebody who is liberal (or conservative) can still be nonpartisan.

[roguevalley]

78. I wondered how long it would take before people turned on him.

[ThomWV]

14. I think you may be missing the point

I really don't care who he 'attacks' although I hardly consider reporting the news a form of attack. What has become so very boring is the incessant campaign nonsense, the personality contest, the he-said, she-said. None of this shit is news and it goes on and on while real news is ignored. Every day there are Congressional Hearings at which newsworthy information is disclosed, every day there are new assaults on the Constitution coming from the White House, and it goes unreported more and more. The first 15 minutes used to cover news, no more. The last half hour has always been trash. A short light segment is fine, but half the show is excessive. I've got a remote that fixes that but I hate to use it because I know full well that Keith is just about all we have and that ratings rule his world. I want his show to improve, which in this case means take a step or two back, so that it can continue. Think of this as constructive criticism.

[ginnyinWI]

66. I would want him to attack a President Obama--as long as it's honest.

Enough partisan shilling. Just give us the facts and let come what may.

[Libby2]

8. Same here. n/t

[anniebelle]

9. I quit him when he hooked up with Tweety. n/t

[peace frog]

21. Same here

MSNBC has been piggybacking Chris Matthews with KO in an effort to shore up what remains of Tweety's credibility by attaching the little shit to an actual journalist. Can't stand to hear his screechy voice or see his smarmy face, so I have to change the channel. Pity, as I do like Olbermann - just not paired up with the Tweety.

[bryant69]

10. People want substance? When did that happen?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[ThomWV]

15. Not a whole lot of substance mind you, just a little bit would be nice though.

[drbtg1]

65. Exactly!

Far too many people still watch that shit on American Idol. Substance lost a long time ago.

[durrrty libby]

11. Yep, He had some sort of lobotomy and sucks ass now. I was once

a faithful viewer but no more

[Kittycat]

13. I love Keith Olberman

And I love seeing Maddow on the show as a regular analyst as well.

[bdamomma]

18. me too, I like Keith, but I could without the last half hour.

I love when he has Rachel on.

[peace frog]

23. Right on

Oddball has entertainment value of a sort, but that's not what I watch Olbermann for. Still love the guy, except when they pair him up with Tweety (gag).

[Kittycat]

26. Well, the celeb stuff and bloopers are a bore, but my 4yo loves that part, LOL.

He runs in to the room screaming... Duh-duh, Duh-duh - AHH :D

[Marr]

17. Can I assume Mr. Olbermann recently said something critical of someone you support?

I've noticed that public figures tend to have the body of their work reevaluated at such times.

[ThomWV]

19. Actually no. I haven't watched him enough lately to know what he's said about much of anything

I have the auto tune set to turn him on at 8:00. In the last month there probably hasn't been a day when I was still watching by 8:10. He just goes into that campaing trail he-said, she-said, the old-fart-said, the fundamentalists-said, horseshit and I turn it to another channel. I'll check back a couple of times to see if the subject has changed to something of substance rather than the personalities of the political race. Nowdays it rarely does and I don't quit comming back. There's always the Discovery Channel and one can never learn too much about solar flares and undersea volcanos.

You see, they don't even give us the politics anymore, its just about the people. There is no substance to it at all. He has let the show devolve to a political version of American Idol, another fixation and time waster that finds itself being reported on Countdown to the detrement of us all.

Oh, and once Biden dropped out I had no other dog in the race. I don't care who wins, I will vote for the Democrat. So its not as if he offended me and my special candidate - I no longer have one.

[Buzz Clik]

28. Actually, yes.

Olbermann will not endorse a candidate. Nor will he treat either Dem candidate gently. Everyone gets offended because Keith refuses to cheerlead.

:nopity:

[FormerDittoHead]

20. Became that way for me LAST NIGHT...

I've had this morbid fascination about Britney Spears (ie: the lesson that being beautiful and being able to make or have money doesn't make you a good person) so I was in the habit of tuning in all the way through.

BTW: you should get a Tivo, or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814144504">something like it.

However, last night broke me of the KO habit when it was clear that his "narrative" was decidedly pro-Obama and anti-Hillary. I don't mind an anti-Hillary STORY, but the PREMISE of the first segment was anti-Hillary, and that's the problem. The STORY SHOULD have been about Hillary's VICTORY, but it was more like how she STOLE it from Obama...

KO parroted the Obama talking point about the NUMBER of delegates, but the truth is that in terms of the *percentage* of delegates, along with momentum, Tuesday was indeed a big victory for Hillary, especially seeing that Obama outspent her. Instead, KO had to harp on the "3 AM" commercial, which was indeed effective, as IF the Republicans weren't going to be running that very same ad against Obama should he win the nomination. (PS: it wasn't a "negative" ad)

WANTING "new politics" and GETTING "new politics" takes more than HOPE. Americans don't want HOPE. We have BAGS of HOPE sitting on the curb. We want things that WORK, and personally, I want someone who knows the DIFFERENCE and who HAS A PLAN for GETTING IT DONE.

If Hillary knows how to win over Obama at this point, in spite of his momentum, in spite of her being out-spent, winning over polls which had them neck and neck for WEEKS (she hasn't been 20 points ahead for MONTHS), if Hillary won in spite of running "negative" ads, which everyone SAYS aren't effective - THAT'S the story, NOT KO's head shaking, lip biting, tisk-tisking...

PS to KO: I still don't give a SHIT about baseball.

[NNN0LHI]

25. I would say you seen the same thing I did

But your narrative was much better than mine could have been. He did stick his foot in his mouth.

Don

[Buzz Clik]

29. "KO parroted the Obama talking point about the NUMBER of delegates..." Um.... about that.

The winner is determined by the number of delegates. Obama didn't invent this concept, and Olbermann is simply dwelling on the obvious.

You wanted confetti for the "Comeback Kid" who blew 30 point leads in Texas and Ohio to squeak out popular vote wins but came up short in the delegate count.

You misconception of the process in not Olbermann's fault.

[Donnachaidh]

45. KO did parrot the Obama is God mantra.

It was sickening. Obama gets a free ride but everyone else gets thrown under the bus. Cowardly broadcasting at it's best.

[Buzz Clik]

56. I guess I missed it when Olbermann called Obama God.

Can you give me the day when he did that?

[Donnachaidh]

44. thank you -- we were all shaking our heads over last night's broadcast.

For Christ's sake -- is it totally impossible for anyone to be gracious enough to give her some props for winning something? Even Rachel Maddow -- she's joined Obama cacaphony choir, and has gotten quite shrill about it.

KO has gone downhill. He's joined the rest of the press poodles. Dan Abrams made him look like a chump, when he actually questioned why the press wasn't even attempting to give Hillary some credit for her wins. And I don't like Abrams!

Never thought I'd see KO turn into a corporate shill -- but he has.

[Selatius]

60. Hate to break it, but Hillary didn't do as well as she hoped.

She basically is in the same spot she was going into Texas/Ohio. That is, she is still behind in the delegate count. She won a partial victory by eating into some of Obama's delegate lead. That is all. Momentum has nothing to do with the delegate counts.

[Forrest Greene]

88. Is It Possible For Anyone

...to host a prime-time nation-wide TV program without being some manner of corporate shill?

[bvar22]

86. Reality now has an Obama bias.

Hillary can not win the majority of pledged delegates.

Hillary cannot win the Democratic nomination.

[TreasonousBastard]

22. Yet another hero bites the dust. We're running out...

of them real fast around here.

[Buzz Clik]

24. It takes more sifting these days -- he no longer is 60 minutes of Republican bashing.

The big story these days is the Democrats, and the Democrats are acting badly. Neither side can watch a story that presents the facts and feel good about it.

Highlights from last night:

1) Chuck Todd talking about a possible re-vote in Florida and Michigan. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23491611#23491611
2) Richard Wolffe wearily reminding Keith and his cronies that winning a state for the Democrats is meaningless; it's the delegate counts and only the delegate counts that have meaning.
3) Rachel Maddow and Eugene Robinson -- always a breath of fresh air.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

27. Funny, I've been doing the same thing for the last week or so. The emphasis on the

political campaigns are becoming numbing. You have 2 hours of Tweety and one hour of Tucker going on and on about it, and then Keith continues this. I want Real News again!!!!

[Buzz Clik]

30. Skip Tucker. Always. That will help.

I never watch Tweety.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

33. In reality, I infrequently watch Tweety or Tucker and turn on the Food Channel instead!

I didn't make myself as clear as I should have. MSNBC has 3 hours non-stop politics before Keith and Keith actually gave us the real news at the beginning of his show. Now he's giving for almost a half hour more of the same crap I've been skipping.

[ginnyinWI]

68. that is real politcal news overload

Who has time, even with a dvr? I have stopped watching Tweety, never watched Tucker, so only watch ABC World News, Olbermann, and then skip through my pre-recorded Newshour for the good bits.

[KharmaTrain]

31. After A Full Day Of Spin, It's Nice To Disconnect

Shudder to say, there's more to life than politics and spin. More to life than fuming all day about this outrage and that one. By the time he hits the airwaves most junkies have been fed hours of spin and it's nice to have a bit of a safety valve...to stop and smell the roses for a minute.

I don't care for his guest segments at the end of the show, but the Oddball feature always brings a chuckle...and one that is always appreciated.

The problem is the news he has to work with...and the resources he has to cover it. Since the network is so wrapped up in the horse races and politics, that's the material he has to go from...unlike an investigative show that has the luxuary and resources to do some digging. I'm just grateful he's there as a well-needed voice of reason and counterbalance to whatelse is flowing in the vast wasteland. It's a lot better than what offerings most of us had a few short years ago.

[immoderate]

72. Right, he hasn't had much to work with lately.

Keith feeds off of irony. He's best pointing out what a crazy world we live in. His special comments shine because the current administration runs on lunacy.

I think he is not affiliated with a party, and doesn't even vote to maintain neutrality. His comments on the election are not about policy so much as behavior, hence the appearance of favoring Obama. I am not tired of Keith so much as I am of this election. Enough already. The celebrity reporting is a time to raid the fridge.

--IMM

[stanwyck]

32. Olbermann, like Maher, often lets his disdain

for women peak through his facade. And while I admire both Olbermann and Maher for many of their relentless attacks on the dangers we've endured under the Bush administration, I wish both had healthier attitudes toward women. Last week's "Real Time" had a nasty sequence on Hillary -- with all the panelists (men, as usual) piling on. And Olbermann has almost as much loathing for Hillary as he does for Bush. I'm an Obama supporter, but, as a woman, watching Keith and Bill has been more and more difficult. They're both become optional watching for me.

[Buzz Clik]

38. Olbermann has disdain for Hillary's campaign style, not her gender.

[stanwyck]

83. OK. That's fair. Tell me

what women does he respect? Do you have specific examples of Olbermann showing admiration for women for attributes other than physical? Specifically?

[Buzz Clik]

85. Specifically Rachel Maddow.

You asked for one, you got one.

Can you give me an example in which Olbermann exhibited blatant sexist behavior? (I'm going to regret this -- I've been acccused of being misogynist regularly in this shit hole. At DU, the bar for being sexist doesn't exist; the label is applied to anyone daring to oppose any female on any issue.)

[stanwyck]

93. Rachel is a commentator almost every show

which is great. I guess her being there is your proof of Keith's respect for women. And there are always very competent women who fill in for Keith when he's on vacation. I just wish his focus on women during his show consisted of more than the antics of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, or Lindsay Lohan. Keith loves to show their escapades while sneering. He wants it both ways. He's looking down on them...while showing their scantily clad pix. But genuine praise for women? Non-existent. Like I say, Keith is very old-guy fratboy.

[Buzz Clik]

94. Do you watch consistently? Olbermann is forced to put on the tabloid crap by his producers.

He has made it very clear -- time and again -- that he is ridiculing the stories and his producers as much or more than the subjects of these stories.

And no one even comes close to the ire that Olbermann gives to O'Reilly, Limbaugh, and Glen Beck. Not even close. Does he hate men, too?

[stanwyck]

95. I'm not buying "the producers make me do it!"

wink, wink. He wants it both ways. Show the slutty girls while sneering. It's HIS show. You don't really believe he HAS to show all the tabloid stuff. You're correct that he takes on the rightwing men. And Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Michelle Malkin. Thank God he does. However, his selection of what is featured is heavy on girls behaving badly with little, if any, on girls behaving admirably. We women know when men (and they usually are the ones quick to say "I LOVE women!")don't really like women. I'm not talking gay men. I'm taking men who just don't really realte well to women. It's visceral. What makes Keith happier? Railing on O'Reilly's latest outrage or showing a clip of some halfwit celebrity babe falling out of a cab? It's hard to tell. In his world, as long as there are blowhard hatetalking men and drunken bimbos to smugly deconstruct, he's happy.

[Buzz Clik]

96. We'll compromise: you have a stick up your ass about Olbermann, and I disagree with you about him.

Fair enough?

[stanwyck]

97. Sure. But that stick

sure is uncomfortable. Will make watching Keith tonight even more difficult.
Hope there's a new CSI or 30 Rock on to ease the pain.

[JerseygirlCT]

57. Not about her gender, it's about HER

I don't watch Maher, but Olbermann frequently has female commentators on. He's tired of the Clinton campaign's tactics - many of us are.

To attribute that to a dislike of her gender is a real stretch, and unfair.

[stanwyck]

82. Try this the next time you watch

notice if he has any positive statements about any women. Not Hillary specifically. Just any woman. If so, report back.

[Angry Mollusk]

34. I'm a big fan of KO, but he needs to stop obsessing over scumbag Bill O'Reilly

I'm a big fan of Keith Olbermann, and many of his commentaries dissecting the crimes of Bush have been superb- But I will admit his 'worst person of the week' segments get a bit predictable, as his seems to have grown obsessed with Bill O'Reilly. Billo is a right wing scumbag-we get it, move on.
Other than that, I enjoy his show- there is no question Keith's show has an total liberal bias- The question is-is it legitimate, or is it 'packaged' to appeal to us on the left? The constant designation of Bill O'Reilly as 'worst person of the week' make me wonder if he or his writers thing all of us lefties are so one dimensional that all we do is obsess about FOX news.
I think Kieth is on the level, and I don't mind the liberal bias- as I am a proud liberal-but I wonder if KO is as objective as his hero, the great edward R Murrow. But there are times when Keith seems the only one willing to tell the truth about Bush- he an Mike Malloy seem the only ones willing to do that- The fact a Bush goon hasn't taken Keith out or pulled strings to have him fired amazes me- I'm a fan, and seldom miss a show.
I'd hate to think it's all 'an act'.

[Forrest Greene]

89. After Thirty Years

...as a graphic designer working largely in corporate communications, I feel quite confident in assuring you it is almost certainly packaged.

[Angry Mollusk]

35. I think Olbermann-or his writers have stole a few talking points from Mike Malloy

I'm convinced a number of the talking points in KO's commentaries exposing Bush as the criminal he is were lifted straight from the Mike Malloy radio show- either that, or it's an amazing coincidence. Anyone else notice this?

[Bumblebee]

36. Used to watch him religiously. Don't do it any more. I don't watch

Clinton-haters; not good for my health, and he is now, alas, one of them. The only 15 minutes or so that I now watch on MSNBC is Dan Abrams.

[Bluenorthwest]

37. No longer a must

Last night I skipped all the KO and such and just screened 'Into The Wild' which was fantastic. What knocked me off the KO train was his use of Lawrence O'Donnell who delivered a fantastically biased attack on John Edwards as if he were reporting fact, a day after O'Donnell had written a piece on Huffington Post that was a blatant hit piece calling on Edwards to leave the race. I was fully outraged about that lazy, unethical choice. KO apologized later, and I have not seen O'Donnell on Countdown, but he's stil on MSNBC, and he should not be at all. After all of that rot I tune into KO at times for a few minutes, not the whole show. Very boring. Predictable and slanted. Yuck.
To me, it is not a suprise they are pro Obama over there, as Tweety has been the host to repeat gay basher Anne Coulter, who has called Democratic men 'fags' on his show on more than one occasion while Tweety laughed and laughed. Gore and Edwards, fags. KO has O'Donnell trash Edwards, and disguies his highly public bias as objectivity. The narrative form of yellow journalism we are all sick about could not have been achieved with Edwards in the race- so they called him a fag and then called him a loser. Now we have Beatrice and Benedick run for President show, with each big money candidate buying that support in the form of adtime.
Frankly I am amazed the Demcrats still watch Tweety at all, or that the high opinioin of KO is still intact. Countdown burried John Edward's candidacy, because he did not have enough ad money to spend, that simple. Edwards leaving turned this into a war, and left a huge chunk of the Party without a real candidate to back for far too long.

[renate]

63. when Keith apologized for having Lawrence O'Donnell on, he seemed pretty pissed

I thought he was truly offended that O'Donnell had used his time on the show to slam Edwards without having revealed that he'd written that piece. However, as Keith pointed out, it wasn't necessarily O'Donnell's job to say anything, so he also stepped up and said it was the show's responsibility to check on that kind of thing, and that they'd failed in that case. It wasn't the kind of thing most programs would have felt the need to apologize for or acknowledge, and I thought it was pretty classy of him to do it. I'm not discounting your feelings about him or his show--it was an error, and although I didn't notice an anti-Edwards bias while he was in the race, I also have to admit that I don't remember the tenor of the show back then, so I'll take your word for that.

About others' complaints that Countdown isn't about news any more--I think MSNBC is trying to reposition itself as the channel for politics specifically, not so much for news since CNN has been in that niche for so long. So maybe that's why his show is so much more about the horse race than about other news--at least these days.

[truebrit71]

39. I like KO period. He's a real journalist.

If you want your news with a pro-HRC slant watch Dan Abrams...he LOVES her....

[Bluenorthwest]

40. I want my news

With no slant toward a candidate. With suspicion toward all and benefit of the doubt for none.
Dan was in charge when they put O'Donnell on to attack John Edwards, and also when Coulter called Edwards a fag, and Gore a fag. Of course homophobic attacks on good Democrats are the cornerstone of the 'new politics'.

[truebrit71]

51. ...but never against Saint Hillary....

...

[Bumblebee]

41. But have you noticed that at the same time Abrams does not dump on Obama

the way Olbermann dumps on Clinton? (Oh, sorry, forgot, there is nothing to dump on Obama...) The way Keith and Tweety react to Clinton is almost a cartoonish version of "strong women" and "fear of castration."

[Medusa]

43. Real journalist?

Go look up the word journalist in the dictionary and then get back to me. Ex-sports guy with a huge ego and a big mouth who is in love with the sound of his own voice? Yep, that's Keith. And I won't deny he is great when Bush bashing but he's running out of material. He needs to get a new act.

[truebrit71]

50. Whatever...he's a fucking saint around here when he's bashing bush but when he calls Saint Hillary..

....out and shows her to be the muck-raking fear-monger she is, all of a sudden he's an arsehole...:eyes:

Many folks on DU need to pull their heads out of their collective arses and stop being so fucking stupid...

[noamnety]

54. I'm actually okay with him criticizing the dems

That's not the issue. It's the lack of any real world news coverage that gets me.

He's contributing to the dumbing down of America when all he goes on about is campaign tactics and polls rather than what is happening in the world.

[truebrit71]

58. If you want that you'll have to go watch BBC World News America at 6 and 10pm on BBCAmerica...

...because you ain't gonna find it anywhere else...

[vickitulsa]

79. Actually, he's not an "ex-sports guy," he is a current sports guy.

I guess after he drew a lot of attention with his Special Comments, the sports wing of NBC decided he might do the same back in their bailiwick. So they brought him over to be one of the "anchors" of the newly minted (last fall) primetime NFL commentary and intro show for their NBC Sunday night games.

They call this one -- which goes on for an interminable 90 minutes before the game, wrapping up all the reports of other games from the weekend and offering their own analyses (which sometimes border on the ridiculous while others are very good) -- "Football Night in America."

And Keith is the best non-player, non-coach type on the show, by far. Of course, considering that the ones he has to sit alongside and interact with are Bob Costas and Chris Collingsworth, both arrogant asses of the highest order, it's not too hard for him to come off as the best humored and wittiest, with solid analysis when he gets a chance to speak for more than a few seconds.

The only other tolerable fellow in front of the camera there is Jerome "The Bus" Beddis, former RB of the championship Pittsburg Steelers. He's not exactly self-effacing, more like "normal" for a star NFL player, but one without huge ego issues; so he comes off as downright humble alongside the massive egos around him!

I don't watch anything on the so-called "all-news" channels anymore, and that includes KO, though if I had to pick one show to watch it would be his. And this from someone who for years was a total news "junkie" who could happily flip my TV back and forth all day among three all-news channels, at a time I can barely recall now: CNN, MSNBC, and CNN-Headline News. NOT Fox, or only to check briefly on what those malicious idiots were doing.

Now I get my news from DU and the sources referenced here, which is plenty -- and far more reliable as actual NEWS. But when I did watch Keith a few times after DUers posted about his Special Comments (I now just catch those when they are linked to specifically here), I didn't see anything that was different then from what the OP describes. Last time was probably about a year ago or thereabouts.

I recall him specifically mentioning, just before going to the "fluff" part of his show, how irritating it was for him to have to cover that shit for the boneheads out there who cared about it. Seemed to me that he as much as said outright that he was being compelled to offer up that nonsense.

I figured that, since they learned his Special Comments drew a lot of viewers, they told him they would let him continue to do those IF and only if he also served up plenty of celebrity crap. He certainly read those items with more than the usual contemptuous irony in his voice.

I've never really understood why so many DUers seem to think sports in America is different in any major way from politics in America. I mean, take a good long look at both arenas. If you don't watch sports or any of the commentary shows such as those on ESPN, hop over for a visit to a program like Sportscenter and then tell me just how sports fans, players, and analysts are any different from political junkies, candidates, and pundits, will ya?

I just don't see it. The big difference is that one arena is supposed to be for entertainment and distraction from our daily grinds, to enhance our otherwise tough lives with something we can cheer about without worrying that our states, country, and the world could be dramatically affected by what happens there.

Both areas of interest have scandals, a share of dirty "playing," and plenty of hard-working contenders and knowledgeable (or not) commentators, along with its partisan fans and a smaller percentage of dedicated supporters who spend a lot of time helping their cause or team.

I would have to ask those who scorn sports: Which of these two arenas do you think has MORE of the dirty playing, lies, and scandals as routine for all involved? Which has more rigged, unfair, and unrepresentative outcomes? And which offers more good effects than bad on the participants?

Even when Congress decides to get involved in sports, it is doing so in only one case each of the two biggest leagues out there: the NFL and MLB. Cases of rather grievous violations of rules that set very bad examples for youngsters, which, even so, could have avoided the move to the DOJ if only the players involved had not LIED to Congress when questioned.

So what if one committee spends a few days total of their time investigating these infractions and if the DOJ gets involved and spends some time on those two cases? It's not exactly like, if they were NOT doing this, they would be for-sure working on those impeachment articles, investigations, and hearings, right?

As for KO's ongoing "thing" with that blowhard O'Reilly, it's kinda nice that at least someone calls out the man on his lying BS. If it seems to be getting "old," I figure maybe Keith learned from sports rivalries that rivalries do tend to bring out the most intense interest in the games....

How, indeed, can one ever "run out of material" with all the idiocy going on out there in both fields? :shrug:

I'm just glad that at least now and then KO really tells it like it is in his Special Comments, and I hope people are listening to those.

[The_Casual_Observer]

42. He went from bashing Bush to Bashing Hillary after Bush became passe.

He's become a shitbird.

[Bumblebee]

48. Yes, he is a "niche" journalist, like Rush. It used to be that his niche fit

all of us; now it fits just those who support Obama, because his niche got further "niched." Above all, he is a showman -- with some principles, no doubt -- but they often degenerate into self-righteousness, and that is never "real" journalism.

[truebrit71]

52. You are a classic illustration of a point I made earlier...

...he can do NO wrong when he attacks bush for being a fear-monger, but when he demonstrates Hillary doing the same thing all of a sudden he's a "shitbird"...

Whatever... :eyes:

[stillcool]

46. I don't turn in on at all....

any of it. Perfect solution for me.

[peacetalksforall]

47. Whether you love KO or not - DO NOT TRUST GE and the NBCs -

don't get totally sucked. Consider that they deliver bright spots among the stench of propaganda and mind control. They exist to provide a platform for the Heritage and AIPAC type think tanker experts and political pundit know-it-alls for the RNC. GE is in partnership with the WH, RNC, and the barons/ceo's worldwide. Nothing more. A once great company became a political tool for a few to amass all the money through control of the masses.

[Echo In Light]

53. This:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2964558&mesg_id=2966574

[peacetalksforall]

62. I agree with you - 100%. I think KO is genuine when he rants, but his leash is the length

that they're bottom line will tolerate. People cannot judge GE/NBCs by KO or by Abrams little aberrations.

[Forrest Greene]

90. Please Keep In Mind

...that the programming is just there to prevent the ads from bumping into one another.

[noamnety]

49. I stopped watching him, too.

I used to watch him daily, and recommended him to other people when he was the only one covering election fraud.

I'm not seeing news now though. I'm seeing the same monica lewinsky style of reporting he used to do - find what everyone else is talking about, and talk about that, day in and day out rather than covering real news.

I want him to cover why the US embassy in Iraq won't let the Iraqi elected members of parliament into it. If the embassy isn't there for diplomatic purposes, why's it there?

And I want him to cover why women who are raped by KBR can't address that in court, why it needs to be handled "in arbitration".

I want him to address real issues so people know what's going on in the world, and I want him to stop reporting like the democratic primaries are the center of the universe.

[Irishonly]

59. I don't watch as often as I used to

I stopped watching Tweety a long time ago and the only time I ever watched Tucker was when he and Bill Press has a show on CNN.

There are other important stories other than the primaries to cover. It may be because I haven't been watching as often but I can't recall the last FISA story and he has said nothing about Wilson and the alleged buying of votes in New Mexico. I always stopped watching after World's Worst Person because I could give a rat's patootie about celebrity news.

At least Olbermann and Alter admit the media loves the extended primary of the democrats. Alter crossed the line IMHO when he made the monastery comment last night. There has been so much bile recently that I have stopped watching a lot of the coverage and choose to read. At times, it is no better than TV. I imagine when he calls your candidate of choice out on something, you don't like it and that's normal. I am an Edwards supporter so I have my own issues with MSM.

I will be happy when the news shows start covering politics more and less of the primaries. Basically the same stories air with different hosts, pundits and commentators all day long. If you watch it all day long, by the time Olbermann is aired you could recite the story by yourself.

[flowomo]

61. he had a special but limited talent and played an important role...

He called out Bush when no one else would. But his moment has passed.

[MrCoffee]

64. He was great on Sportscenter

[bbgrunt]

67. yep--no news just pundits puking their guts out

over "the race". I too, turned off KO last night. This obsession over the race is just Natalie Holloway for political junkies.

[Stinky The Clown]

70. Yup

I agree

[superkia]

73. He gained ratings when he started talking bad about bush all of..

the time, its like when certain candidates keep talking about bush because they know it hits a nerve with people. He is just another, highly paid puppet like the rest. None of them can really talk about what they want, they do as much as they are allowed by their corrupt boss'. Every one of the news channels has completely turned me off, I get my news from the internet because I can actually find some truth out there.

[malaise]

74. I agree 100% n/t

[Prophet 451]

75. I like him

Is he perfect? Of course not but as an entertainer, he's better than most.

[pacalo]

77. I love Keith, but I agree about the horse-race content. I can't take it.

[YvonneCa]

80. I agree with the quality of the show...

...and that the first half-hour was always the best. Lately, it is too much about the horse race and not about the issues. But...and this is important...


WE CAN NEVER REPAY HIM FOR OR FORGET THE EFFECT OF THOSE EARLY SPECIAL COMMENTS. His patriotism could have cost him his job, and he became our voice, anyway. I hate to think where we would be if someone hadn't played the role he did. We probably would still have a Republican House and Senate, and the oversight and investigations currently exposing the truth would not be happening.

Loyalty is important. We owe Keith Olbermann...the country owes him a lot.:patriot:

[Blue_In_AK]

81. I've stopped watching, as well.

He's been shilling a lot, and I'm kind of turned off by it.

[orleans]

87. same here. (too bad, eh?) i saw the opening last night and turned it off. n/t

[high density]

92. I've been watching him more than ever

I like the talk about the horserace. It's more interesting than sexed-up local news stories, that's for sure.

[donkeyotay]

98. I've stopped watching him.

It's a real problem when our elections are auctions, and the very same networks that profit from turning the whole 2-year spectacle into American Idol get to decide the story line. I wouldn't like KO if he promoted Hillary, but it's clear he's promoting Obama. In either case, the "free" (if you own one) press is selling us our next president.

I did notice Olbermann stared airing Obama commercials about the time he seemed to really become biased for him. But he had already helped knock Edwards out of the race, so by then I figured I'd had enough of his show. Too bad. We all pulled together to do something about the crime family currently occupying the WH, but it all turned out to just be for show. Post-justice world, as some DUer described it.

[Hatchling]

99. KO and GD:P will both be better after the primaries.

Until then I avoid them both.

[mitchtv]

100. I'd have to agree

It's starting to get hard to sit around and listen to him anymore. Audiences can be fickle .

[defendandprotect]

101. Yeah . . . I'm doing the same thing . . . Most of his guests aren't

Rachael Maddow --- and tonight it was really, really stale --- turned it off immediately!!!

[krkaufman]

102. Would generally agree. Except I appreciate him being one of the few ...

... media sources in the last few days daring to highlight campaign tactics and lies.

Also, critiquing what the candidates are saying and doing is different than just covering who's up according to what poll, and what demographic pandering will be needed to win what state.