Keith Oberman's Legacy as a Journalist

[notundecided]

Ed Rendal on Charlie Rose last nite blew K.O.'s legacy as a journalist rite out of the water. He said " If Keith isn't on Barack's payroll he should be". Nice going Keith!

[saltpoint]

1. Olbermann fan here. I think he's doing a great job.

His boss pays Olbermann to give commentary. That's what his "Special Comments" are.

Rendell knows that.

[Upton]

2. Who is Ed Rendal? Do you mean Rendell?

Keith exposes liars and Repubs, Hillary is both.

[Hieronymus]

65. Yes, the poster misspelled both Olbermann and Rendell.

[Name removed]

96. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kurovski]

98. Also misspelled "right". But we're only judging journalists here.

So who cares, rite? :-)

[C_U_L8R]

3. Nice try Ed.

These political flaks always sidestep the true questions.

[DemVet]

4. Ed is correct. KO is an Obama lackey. n/t

[Hieronymus]

67. Or maybe Keith just tells the truth, which Hillaryites don't like.

[Guava Jelly]

5. Kieth is doing a great job

His legacy will be fine.
And so will Pres. Obama after his second term in the White House ;)

[SammyWinstonJack]

52. Keith.

:eyes:

[Guava Jelly]

53. oops

Sorry about the misspelling.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

92. Must have been following that "i before e except after c" rule n/t

[Cooley Hurd]

6. Ed Rendell's legacy will be that of a political machinist...

Rendell has built his own little Tammany Hall in PA. Nice going, Ed.:eyes:

[burythehatchet]

They're all going to realize soon that they have lost control of the party

The machine that took decades to take over control of the Democratic party, has lost it in one short year to a person that had what they never did, authenticity.

Their only hope is to work with the Republicans, wih whom they have many more common interests.

[AllexxisF1]

7. Yea Olberman is done because Redell says so....

Give me a fucking break.


Olberman has been nothing but a true journalist in this time of bullshit pundits.

[susankh4]

8. Keith missed a class or two

in journalism school. That's all.

[CBGLuthier]

29. Deliberately Obtuse

Columnists are not journalists. They are allowed to express their opinions. They are allowed to be biased.

This kind of stupid smear reminds me of, well to be honest, Hillary Clinton.

[stevenleser]

35. Exactly. I write OpEds. I often get comments from the obtuse that I am 'biased'

... people who make these comments obviously have no idea what they are talking about. They have no idea of the most basic differences in types of journalists/journalism. You are either on the news side or on the OpEd side. People on the news side are not supposed to express an opinion while people on the OpEd side are SUPPOSED to express an opinion.

The whole idea of Olberman's show is that he expresses an opinion. He is not a newscaster. Same with Lou Dobbs and the rest.

Of course, I have the person to whom you responded on ignore so I dont know exactly what they said but it is obvious from your response that I have good reason for ignoring them.

[calimary]

54. Excellent point!

Olbermann's show is distinguished by its point of view. Which is why it's so popular - the first "Countdown" of the night is consistently the highest-rated show on MSNBC in prime time. Sort of a "flip side" (so to speak!) to Lou Dobbs, and without the jingoism.

[jgraz]

58. In fairness, I don't think it's deliberate.

[Freddie Stubbs]

97. His degree is in communications arts, not journalism

[cooolandrew]

9. One day folks will wake up from this bad dream & see Keith was saving us from a whole heap of mess.

Why do HRC supporterss not see that our finest good kindest Democrats are favoring Barack for good reasons and are closer to the truth than even we most times.

[leftofcool]

23. And the rest of our good and kindest Dems like Joe Wilson

who supports Hillary are assholes right?

[cooolandrew]

61. Oh Joe Wilson from the legislative brach. Don't remember him.

[gaiilonfong]

10. You mean the CROOK of Penn, Rendell?

Who cares what that slob has to say.

[DemVet]

13. I take it your an Obama supporter? n/t

[DemVet]

11. Maybe KO is pining for the WH Spokesman job? Communications Director? Ya think? n/t

[leftofcool]

14. Tweety was under Clinton and didn't get the job

He's been pissed ever since.

[DemVet]

33. Uh...what does "under Clinton" mean? You just made me spit out my Wheaties laughing.

[SwampG8r]

55. me too

and which clinton was he under?

[kerry-is-my-prez]

70. That's what my boyfriend said the other night...

n/t

[Saturday]

12. Keith Olbermann is no Edward R. Murrow. nt

[saltpoint]

16. Actually, that is the model for Olbermann's journalism more than

you might think.

A strong case could be made that Murrow and Olbermann have quite a bit in common.

[Saturday]

20. Olbermann thinks he's ERM but that doesn't count. nt

[saltpoint]

22. Sure it counts -- any professional journalist is entitled to seek

encouragement from those who've come before.

Good move on Olbermann's part -- one more pont in favor of his excellent instincts, IMO.

[hell-bent]

40. Surely you jest!

Please explain their commonalities, will ya?

[saltpoint]

42. Murrow is a useful model in determining the drive behind Olbermann's

Commentaries -- again, there is the distinction made in this thread by others between reporting and commentary -- and Olbermann's skilled work is also inspired commentary for those Special Comment segments of his program, which owe their inspiration in part to Murrow.

[LittleClarkie]

64. Except when he's talking about Bush. Then he is.

It changes depending on whether we agree with him or not.

:sarcasm:

[JVS]

15. That corrupt fucking asshat has no moral authority to judge KO.

[burythehatchet]

17. Thank you Keith Olberman for all that you have done

You gave us a voice when we had none. Here's to decades of KO speaking the truth.

[soleft]

18. We are going to look back years from now and thank the universe

for providing us with someone like Keith Olbermann when we need him the most.

He was the first one to put himself on the line and call out Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld.

He was lone voice out there that progressives could hear on television and feel like there was someone out there who was speaking our truth.

He's not perfect. He may not be always the most fair, the most balanced, the most unbiased.

He may be obsessed over things in a small minded way, ie. Bill O'Reilly.

At times he comes off as arrogant, petty and sexist.

But almost every night he avails himself to the intelligence and insight of an out lesbian who hosts a radio show on the dredded liberal Air America network. And he treats her with the upmost deference and respect. That sets an example for networks and the media powers that be.

That gives me hope. It gives me comfort. It gives me information I need.

I'm an Obama supporter and I sometimes cringe at the starkness of his anger toward Hillary. But I've yet to hear him lie. And I've heard him speak candidly at how it pains him to report some of the stories he reports.

I believe the moment Obama disappoints him he will come after him full barrel as well. If the Democrats takes over the White House in November you can believe Olbermann will be on the backs making sure they live up to the hopes we have for them.

I hope he cuts them no slack.

[Cooley Hurd]

21. He was TRULY a lone voice of reason during our nation's darkest hours...

...and Senator Clinton will be remembered as an enabler of those dark hours.

[EFerrari]

19. Keith Olbermann happens not to be a journalist. He's a commentator.

[saltpoint]

25. And you know what? I just BETCHA ol' Ed Rendell knows that.

It could be -- I HATE to say it -- that pro-Clinton Rendell is just trying to stir the poop on Olbermann.

But perish the thought! I'm SO cynical!


:hi:

[Medusa]

30. Wrong. He bills himself as a journalist. So does the network.

It's been my problem with him for a while now. You can't have it both ways, it's a little too close to my liking for the hybrid of commentary as news that Fox tries to pass off as "journalism".

By the way, I'm a big Obama supporter but Keith? Not so much.

[EFerrari]

62. His background is in broadcasting, not jouralsim.

Whatever. I guess I'm going to start calling myself a journalist, too, then. :)

[Medusa]

77. Go right ahead. Keith does.

:evilgrin:

[PVnRT]

79. CNN bills Dobbs and Glenn Stupidshit Beck as journalists

So, your point is?

[hell-bent]

41. And, a MSNBC major whore for Obama!

[high density]

24. Ed Rendell isn't exactly the most neutral person on this issue

I find it odd out of all of the people on TV he chooses to single out Olbermann. Is it wrong to let a Barack Obama fan have a TV show? Would he rather they all be McCain fans? Olbermann has been very nice to the Clintons in the past yet everybody forgets this.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

71. Olbermann has been going waaay over the top for Obama. Much more than anyone else.

n/t

[islandmkl]

26. Ed Rendell....blew......

probably something/somebody other than what the rest of the sentence revealed.

[Tennessee Gal]

27. KO should have remained neutral. That is all.

[stevenleser]

36. That is exactly the opposite of what he is paid to do. He is paid to express his opinion on things..

... he chooses on what to express those opinions, to be sure, but he isnt out there to be a neutral purveyor of the news. I am assuming you dont need me to prove this with someone who has a daily 'Worst Person of the World'

[Tennessee Gal]

37. I don't think so.

He is paid to present the progressive or liberal point of view versus the conservative point of view. He is not paid to represent one Democratic candidate over another.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

74. He's definitely turned off a big chunk of his viewership. Very risky of him.

I've been trying to cut him some slack - but night after night of watching him beat up on a Dem vs. the Repubs is wearing me down.

[Cosmocat]

43. You know ...

I have some mixed feelings about it ...

But, the more this has gone on, the more one theme has arisen ...

I have said for YEARS that the reason the right hates Hill and Bill so much is that they play THEIR game, and beat them at it ...

Well, Olbermann broke the glass ceiling that was the MSM's COMPLETE sell out to the right's propoganda, and has spent the last two, three years RAILING on republican style government and campaigning ...

I know that Hill supporters don't want to hear this, but Hill IS running like an R ... Diseminating, spinning, lying, bullying ... It is a republican style campaign ...

Sorry, but as painful as it is to see Olbermann take her to task, she is doing pretty much everything he has railed against with republicans for three years ...

[NashVegas]

28. Keith Is a Showman, Above All Things

Phil Donohue was a damn good TV journalist in that time slot, until he got canned for the Iraq War.

[stevenleser]

38. You almost got it right. He is the TV equivalent of an OpEd journalist

the whole idea of which is to express his opinion on things. That is the reason one watches one of these. We dont watch to get an unbiased version of the news.

[NashVegas]

47. He Is A Showman

Complete with bells & whistles. If he does anything to make NBC uncomfortable, he'll be back in sports.

You will never hear anything like this on Keith's show:

HARRY BELAFONTE: There is an old saying in the days of slavery, there were those slaves who lived on the plantation, and there were those slaves who live lived in the house. You got the privilege of living in the house if you served the master to exactly the way the master intended to have you serve him. That gave you privilege. Colin Powell’s permitted to come into the house of the master, as long as he would serve the master according to the master’s dictates. And when Colin Powell dares to suggest something other than what the master wants to hear, he will be turned back out to pasture.

[elixir]

31. All those years repeating March Madness scores really paid of for KO.

[stevenleser]

32. Olberman's stock rises as a result of the stands he has been taking on this race for the nomination

He sees the race as it is, one candidate has gone on far too long after it was obvious they had lost. Once it was obvious that candidate had lost, that candidate decided to focus their campaign on throwing the kitchen sink at their opponent, dragging both into the abyss.

Olberman objecting to that unneccessary circular firing squad is a badge of honor.

[Tennessee Gal]

39. Nope.

Olbermann should present the positive aspects of both Democratic candidates versus the negative aspects of any Republican candidate.

[NJSecularist]

45. Olbermann should tell the truth, not play petty partisan politics. n/t

[Tennessee Gal]

48. I would have to agree with that.

[SoFlaJet]

34. yea we already know-the Talking Points have been handed out

for a while now. MSNBC (and KO) = bad Fox news and Richard Mellon Scaife = good. They are completely soulless and growing so out of touch with the Wellstone democratic side of the party that they are fast becoming irrelevant

[high density]

51. That's a good point

The Clinton has little to complain about on MSNBC if they're going to now huddle up with Richard Scaife... This is like an alternate universe at this point.

[iiibbb]

44. If Hillary doesn't want to be trashed by Olberman

She could quit exposing herself by saying/doing false and stupid things.

I know Obama's side has said and done some stupid things, but those people seem to be off the campaign within a day or two of the flap. Not much to work with.

[City Lights]

46. The truth hurts, eh Eddie?

Ed's whining is unbecoming.

[saltpoint]

49. One wonders if Ed Rendell felt the same about Jim Carville shilling for

Clinton on CNN.

On the payroll.

[ProSense]

50. Ed Rendell has foot-in-mouth disease and his own problems in PA

Some other notes from NBC/NJ’s Matthew Berger: Rendell told the Clinton campaign to hold off on visiting Pittsburgh until they had garnered the endorsements of both Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. His heavy campaigning for Clinton has angered some Republicans who say he isn’t spending enough time on state issues and Democrats who say he isn’t doing enough to elect Democrats to the state legislature.

link

Pittsburgh resident Teresa Heinz Kerry endorsed Obama

[TeamsterDem]

56. As an Obama supporter and Olbermann watcher ...

I have to agree. That's not to say that everything he says about Hillary is partisan, but I agree that he's lost his objectivity on both Obama and Hillary. It's really a shame too because it tends to diminish his credibility when he hits McCain with substantive charges, and since he's one of the few hitting McCain at all it's a shame for we Dems that Repubs will likely be able to trot out the "partisan operator" charge with some success.

[invictus]

57. Ed Rendell is the Worst Person in the World !!! j/k n/t

[jgraz]

59. To quote a previous poster

"Is there anything more pathetic than threads attacking Keith Olbermann?"

[kerry-is-my-prez]

75. Keith leaves himself open to attack when he favors one Dem over another.

n/t

[DarienComp]

60. If Ed Rendell isn't a Hillary surrogate, he should be.

Oh, wait...

[clevbot]

63. took the words right out of my mouth

[Hugabear]

66. Amazing how quickly KO became hated by so many, isn't it?

Everything was peachy-keen as long as he was taking potshots at BushCo, O'Reilly, Hannity, Rush, etc. But as soon as he dared take a potshot at Hillary, he quickly became their "Worst Person in the World".

[Forkboy]

68. Welcome back!

[kerry-is-my-prez]

69. I've stopped watching it live and only tape it now. I refuse to watch him beating up on a Dem.

n/t

[tammywammy]

72. Ed Rendell's not in a neutral spot on this

As a Clinton supporter, I'm not surprised to see him say this.

[Life Long Dem]

73. Well compare that with the Clinton News Network (CNN)

It was obvious to me the other day when the terrorist attack came out that Hillary lied.
Every news station tried sweeping it under the rug and FAST to no avail.

[McCamy Taylor]

76. It isn't the Brack supprting it is the Clinton bashing that will tarnish him.

No one minds a journalist liking a candidate, but KO is in some bad company with the Clinton bashing.

Lots of jealous journalists are secretly glad to see the great KO join their ranks. Gives Clinton bashing a new prestige.

[gmudem]

78. Keith just tells the truth about Hillary

It's sad really how poorly Clintonites respond to that. They clearly can't handle the truth.

[jenmito]

80. You must've missed this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5275022&mesg_id=5275022

[jgraz]

85. Is there anything more pathetic than Hillary supporters slagging on Keith Olbermann?

Well, maybe watching them slag on Stephanie Miller, Rachel Maddow, Randi Rhodes, Sam Seder, Frank Rich, John Nichols, Mike Malloy, Matt Taibbi, etc, etc, etc.

You wonder if these people ever take a step back and wonder why all their former idols are suddenly such right-wing tools...

[jenmito]

88. I agree...

yes, they turned on ALL those "formerly" great liberals. Sad!

[jgraz]

91. Just another example of the toxic "Clinton effect"

They somehow seem to tap into people's hidden reserves of meanness and hypocrisy.

[Blue_In_AK]

81. I'm putting Keith on hold

until after the nominee is selected. He's gone a little over the top for my tastes, and I'm NOT particularly a Hillary supporter. I just think if he wanted to help the Democrats he wouldn't be so busy trashing someone who is supported by enough people in our party that she's still in the race. Ultimately we're going to have to all come together, and it does no good to fan these divisive flames.

[NoodleyAppendage]

82. Ed Rendel is a COMPLETE TOOL. He's just pissed that he's backing a LOSER. n/t

J

[babylonsister]

83. That's rich coming from a Clinton surrogate, and shame on Hillary!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5276389

[jgraz]

84. Do you even understand what a journalist is?

Hint: Olbermann doesn't pretend to be one.

[BklynChick]

86. I hate Ed Rendell. KO is the only progressive in the mainstream media, we need him!

[RepublicanElephant]

87. leave keith alone!

keith gets enough hate from gop wing-nuts EVERYDAY without dems adding to the fire.

if you don't like keith, go blow-off steam at oreally's or pigboy's message board!

why do we keep doing karl rove's job for him?
:shrug:

[superkia]

89. Doesnt KO understand that he is supposed to ignore it when a...

Clinton does something wrong and support them because his boss' want him too? KO is such an ass, how could he not see this.

[greyghost]

90. Rendell has a point. I'm no Hillary fan, but Keith has gone overboard...

with the Hillary bashing. I had to turn him off last night because my wife, who is not a big Hillary fan either, was getting pissed off with the relentless bashing.

[Prophet 451]

93. There are no journalists on TV

The purpose of a journalist is to provide information (the product) to us (the consumer). TV works in a different way, the object is to provide us (the product) to advertisers (the consumer).

Incidently, this is why I barely watch TV.

I like Olbermann. He obviously prefers Obama over Clinton and that's fine. He's not pretending to be unbiased, he's stating his opinion. His opinion might have more facts to it than most but it's an opinion none the less.

[Melinda]

94. KO will be the stink on the shit of any politician who play the fear card. HRC did so on 1/7/08

and KO handed her ass to her. Specifically, he was pissed that "On a day in which she‘d already tear up at one moment and then attacked Barack Obama the next, on a day on which she had already invoked Martin Luther King and President Johnson in a dubious analogy to herself and Senator Obama. Senator Hillary Clinton this afternoon played the al Qaeda card."

As he said on his appearance with Bill Moyers, KO found his voice at MSNBC after Rumsfield referred to those of us opposing the war as "Nazi Appeasers".

I think 1/7 was his seminal moment with HRC... up until that broadcast, KO had been a firm supporter of the Clintons.

[cerebellum]

95. Keith is ok

I don't think Keith is as bad as many paint him here. He has his moments, but otherwise he's sharp most of the time.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

99. People who don't watch KO...

remind me of the people who boycotted Heinz ketchup.

[Uzybone]

100. I support Obama in this primary

and will support the Dem in the GE, but Olberman has always been an over the top, self satified and smug fool. Even in his days at ESPN. His appearances during the NBC halftimes shows are horrible and his show is almost as bad. Ive never liked him and this has nothing to do with his clear bias during this primary.

I hope he keeps that bias on the Democratic side once we have a nominee, becasue I fully expect all the other whores (Dowd, Rich, Taibbi, Tweety, Maddow et al) who are pumping up Obama now to turn on him in the fall.

[Azathoth]

101. Well, if Ed "The people in my state are too racist and igorant to vote for a black" Rendel said it

it must be true. :eyes:

[laylah]

102. Yet another hit and run by

another low-life. Who cares? :shrug: I certainly don't.

[Jed Dilligan]

103. Who the f*ck is Ed Rendell?

Yeah, I know google is my friend, but one comment by someone people haven't heard of is hardly going to affect the legacy of someone whom nearly everyone recognizes.