Thursday, January 20, 2011
Hm, If He's the Worst.....
For years, Keith Olbermann has been doing this idiotic schtick entitled, "Worst Persons in the World". He claims that it was never meant to be taken literally, that it was (I'm using the past tense in that he appears to have given it a sabbatical) in fact a metaphor. Never mind the fact that the tone of his voice, his self-righteous indignation, etc., made it actually SOUND like he meant it (or at least at times) - that obviously being beside the point. And I really do have to ask you here - what if one of those people that Mr. Olbermann had put on that "list" of his....had met the same fate as Congresswoman Giffords - would THAT have been the fault of Mr. Olbermann? I mean, think about it here, a crazy person possibly taking Mr. Olbermann's words literally (the worst person in the world clearly doesn't deserve to live, right?)................................................................................................P.S. OBVIOUSLY, I'm playing devil's advocate here. It absolutely WOULD NOT have been Mr. Olbermann's fault. This lunatic, even if he had taken Mr. Olbermann's schtick literally, no doubt would have probably snapped eventually anyway (not to mention the fact that it wouldn't have been Olbermann, you know, PULLING THE TRIGGER!!). I mean, seriously, why in the hell would we even be bringing Mr. Olbermann into it?
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According to Keith Olermann...
They aren't really the worst persons in the world, of course... The epithet tracks directly to [among others] George Carlin... who startled me decades ago by the simple but irrefutable argument --the astonishing observation hidden inside the safety of a joke -- that by the process of ranking, there truly had to be, somewhere, the worst doctor in the world. More terrifying still, he noted, "somebody has an appointment to see him tomorrow!"...
I do not believe the segment is "idiotic" at all. I enjoy it and tune in for this segment specifically. I also hear no "self righteous ingidnation" in Mr. Olbermann's tone of voice.
Keith Olbermann never says his viewers should hurt anyone he names during the worst person segment.
Using gun/shooting/hunting metaphors to attack your political opponents is VERY different then satirically suggesting they are one of the "worst" persons in the world.
Gun metaphors bad, satire funny. But that's just my opinion. Obviously you believe humor has no place in political discourse. Didn't you accuse ME of not having a sense of humor in a prior thread?
Will: Consider what Joe Scarbourough....a republican...said about this issue. He admits that there's no dots connecting the shooting in AZ to say, Palin's cross hairs/"reload" boondoggle.But if the rhetoric continues someone will connect the dots. Dare I say it may have already happened. Remember O'Reilly called an abortion doctor "Tiller the Killer"...one week later he was shot dead. Beck has called for revolution multiple times and some have even suggested that his words inspired assination attempts on three individuals within The Tides Foundation. Scarbourough also adds that the level and volume of this chatter can't continue without someone eventually acting on it. We have had this discussion before I will agree that some on the left have engaged in this thoughtless talk. If you want to include Olbermann in that list its your right...I know you hate Olbermann so there's nothing more I can say. If Olbermann says something irresponsible and someone gets hurt, I would call him on it. I happen see it as poking fun or repartee. All in all IMO, the Conservatives seem to lead on the scoreboard by a noticible margin, at least on talk radio. I truly wish both sides would cool it.
I have seen many of Mr. Olbermann's worst persons segments and for a lot of them he clearly ISN'T kidding around. He's pissed.......And, yes, he sometimes lies, too. He lied about Major Garrett. He lied about David Zurawick. He lied about Chris Wallace. Hell, he even lied about Joe the Plumber (said that the guy was a McCain plant when it was Obama who approached HIM). Of course you liked the worst persons segment, wd - they were never, EVER, progressives.......He's pissed (he's even more pissed during those over-the-top "Special Comments" features). He calls somebody the "worst person in the world". What, it's not within the realm of possibility that some lunatic could act upon this. Paaalease.
Marcus, a pro-union group called WalMartFreeDC.org has put out a notice that a) has a Wal Mart smiley-face in the cross-hairs and b) gives out the address of the developer (I guess that the protest will be taking place at his house - nice, huh?). Where's the MSM coverage of that?......And today we had this Congressman Cohen compare the Republican talking points on health-care to Joseph Goebbels' great lie. I totally agree with you. BOTH sides should cool it.
Only the title "worst person" is meant satirically. The things Mr. Olbermann is criticising the "worst person" for are REAL. Because KO is "pissed" about real bad things people in these segments did doesn't make the title of the segment not satirical.
Mr. Olbermann did NOT lie about Joe the Plumber. I'm not familiar with any of the other supposed lies you mention. Give me some links that explain exactly what KO's "lies" regarding these people are.
Yes, he's pissed and, yes, he's a bad person (according to Olbermann) - ergo, he should die (in the crazy person's mind).......So what that Joe the Plumber is somehow related to Keating (Obama and Palin are distant cousins). The plain fact is that Obama approached HIM in that crowd and initiated the conversation. And there isn't any evidence that Mr. McCain planted him there - NONE.......I'll explain the other ones to you later.
Will, You are so wrong on this, my opinion of course :-).
When Keith claims someone is the worst person in the world he never claims they don't deserve to live but should change their bad habits. Never has he used gun metaphors or violence the way the righties do. And never would a leftie look at this worst list and think it means take that person out. We liberals just don't think like that. Seriously we are not a violent group we are tree huggers for gods sake! :-)
w-dervish said it correctly...once again I agree with him 100%
I appreciate your efforts to make Olberman seem as influential as O'Reilly or Beck but the fact is his audience is less than half of theirs. Much of this is loyalty to bullshit the right has which compels them to seek out like minded people for validation of their right wing views.
Another is that Olberman isn't available in near as many media markets.
Truth be told though, I wouldn't watch him that much anyway. I'd rather spend my time reading the fine commentary here, Hello.. Mr. President or Democracy Central.
And the best one and most insiteful of all, Whirling Dervish's Sleeping With the Devil. Excellent blog. Highly recommended.
Will said... The plain fact is that Obama approached HIM in that crowd and initiated the conversation.
Says who? I found three sources which suggest it was the other way around (Joe TP approached Obama)
[10/15/2008]
CBS News: Politics.
Who Is Joe The Plumber? Posted by Maria Gavrilovic.
...Joe came into the picture, a burly, middle-aged guy with a goatee, who approached Obama and asked him if he believes in the American dream.
[10/16/2010]
Transcript: Countdown with Keith Olbermann.
KO: ...Outside Toledo, Ohio on Sunday, Joe Wurzelbacher approaching Senator Obama to question him about his tax plan...
[10/20/2008]
Thread about Joe the Plumber on "Toldeo Talk" (Holland OH, where Joe the Plumber lives, is 15 miles outside Toledo).
Question: who approached who first? Was Obama walking through the neighborhood when Joe shouted for attention, or did Obama walk up to Joe (among hundreds of people) unsolicited...
Answer: The beginning of the interview I saw on YouTube has Obama beginning with "Yes, sir, what's your name". Maybe I'm reading too much into it but you usually respond that way when someone has solicited something from you...
Sue, I'm playing devil's advocate here. No, Mr. Olbermann has never said that he wanted anybody to die. But, really, neither has Sarah Palin (Sharron Angles, "second amendment remedies", I found to be far more troubling statement).......And, really, Sue, no crazy and violent people on the left? Come on. What about those union thugs who put the WalMart smiley face in the cross-hairs, and, on that same pamphlet, put the developers home address? As far as I know, depravity has never really had a stout ideological base (Lee Harvey Oswald, Sirhan Sirhan, Squeaky Fromme, etc.).
Truth, WELCOME BACK! Yes, you are absolutely right. Mr. Olbermann is significantly less influential than those Fox idiots. But, I'm saying, his bias/tactics (he never allows people to defend themselves, for instance) - I still do in fact find them troubling.
Look, wd, you seem like a good enough guy. And, no, I' don't even for a minute question your sincerity on these things. But, please, what you and the Daily Kos are trying to peddle here with this plant theory is borderline paranoiac (regardless of who approached who).......I mean, think about it. The Kos is trying to suggest that what, the McCain people somehow choreographed an Obama campaign march through Joe the Plummer's neighborhood, at the same exact time that the idiot was out playing catch with his son, on his own frigging front yard, and that it is all somehow related to the Keating fiasco from 2 decades ago?......Look, I'll tell you what - I'll agree with you that Mr. Wurzelwhatever ultimately DID become a schmo/media hack (I'm trying to stay away from terms like, whore)....if, IF, you agree that Mr. Olbermann was at the very least mistaken on this whole plant nonsense. What do you say, huh?
Careful what you say about us union thugs Will. I still have my trusty ax handle and menacing union stare just in case.
God I miss the old days when we actually mattered.
Will, I just heard that you're shutting your blog down. It was fun while it lasted, but I can't say I'm sorry to see an end to your fixation on bashing Keith Olbermann.
As for KO being "mistaken"... I don't recall exactly what he said. I've been trying to find a transcript... but haven't had any luck. I THINK he simply laid out the facts and said something to the effect of "isn't that interesting"... i.e. he didn't draw any definite conclusions.
I also don't know for certain, but I agree that it's a possibility. It wouldn't have taken as much orchestration as you suggest. You suggest the McCain people selected him first, and then figured out a way to make Obama come to him. I think it much more likely that after the McCain people knew where he was going they looked around in the area and found Joe TP.
BTW, this story can be found many more places than on the Daily Kos (which was the ONE story I linked to).
He said that Mr. Wurzelwhatever was a "plant". Come on, wd. How can he be a plant in his own neighborhood, at his own house, in his own front-yard. And where is the evidence that Mr. McCain (who, I agree with you, used this poor scmuck) even knew this fellow prior to the encounter? I haven't seen any.
As for Mr. Olbermann, his nightmare has just begun. a) Never again will he ever get a format like this; a show in which he doesn't have to debate people, do such a hit and run style "journalism", etc. And b) now that he isn't competing directly with Mr. O'Reilly, the latter is eventually going to learn how to pronounce "Olbermann" and, hear me, dude, it isn't at all going to be pretty.
It's just a figure of speech... which you are taking way to literally. You speak as if the only way this could have gone down was for it to have some grand highly orchestrated conspiracy. I think someone simply saw an opportunity and they took it.
Keith Olbermann's "nightmare" has just begun? What in the world are you taking about?
Someone saw an opportunity and they took it. FINALLY, we agree.......O'Reilly never criticized Mr. Olbermann directly. He indirectly criticized him by clumsily going after Jeffrey Immelt. I don't know, I guess that he didn't want to give Olbermann publicity. But, NOW, now that Olbermann is no longer his competition, O'Reilly will no doubt feel "liberated" and go after him full-throttle - probably starting tomorrow.
We do? I was referring to whatever Republican operative put Joe TP up to trying to "trap" Obama with BS tax policy questions - you know, the ones concerning the business he was never going to buy. is that what we're in agreement about?
Why would Bill-O go after someone who isn't currently on the air?
Dude! Where's your evidence (and, no, I'm not referring to the fact that Joe is somehow related to somebody that McCain had something to do with TWENTY years ago)? You can't just throw accusations around like this........Why will O'Reilly go after him? One word, revenge.
Looks like Olbermann "Leaned Foward" and fell out of the building.
Comcast takes over NBC...next day Keithie is gone....very interesting.
Is fat Ed next?
You know my opinion on this stuff, Russ. I don't like the fact that any of these partisans have their own programs. I don't think that it's a good thing, period - either for the country or journalism.
"Countdown" was MSNBC's highest rated show. The wealthy elites don't like it when Left-leaning commentators get too popular. The same thing happened to Phil Donahue.
Will said... Where's your evidence? You can't just throw accusations around like this.
I'm not throwing any accusations around. That's already been done. I'm just voicing my opinion regarding the accusations that are already out there.
WD gets invited to a dinner party...the following happens.
Dinner guest: So WD who are your picks in tomorrows games?
WD: I dont like sports,I have no interest in sports please pass the potatoes.
Dinner guest: So WD have you seen any good movies?
WD: I dont like movies,I have no interest in movies,please pass the string beans.
Dinner guest:So WD whats your favorite TV show?
WD: I dont watch TV,I have no interest in TV,please pass the rolls.
Dinner guest leans over to fellow guests and quietly asks...who the fuck invited this boring bastard?
WD: I dont like movies
Ed is not fat and w is not boring. Me thinks Rusty is a tad bit jealous of smart liberals...no Rusty I'm not talking about myself so no need to say something rude....
Sue, you always debate so sweetly. How could anybody NOT like you?
And these smart liberals will be showing up when Sue?
Do you realize Keith Olbermann was fired exactly one year to the day that Air America finally died?
Surely one of you can find a rightwing conspiracy here.
Hell,I can hardly wait till this time next year...maybe Jan.21 will become a national holiday and all the dullards at government offices can get another day off at taxpayer expense.
Will, that was sweet! I'm just nicer on others blogs...
I don't believe Keith was fired. I think it will come out, if it hasn't already, that he quit. (I'm not reading alot about this because I'm not a huge Keith fan so it doesn't really interest me)
KO couldn't be "fired". He had 2 years left on his contract.
Remember Conan O'brien couldn't go to another network for awhile because of a non-compete clause in his contract...
It may be awhile, but I think KO, if he wants to, will be back on another network with a new show...
Which I will watch, because I am a huge fan.
Ah,WD is also an expert in contract law.
It does'nt matter if you have 100 years left on your contract.Say there was a morals clause he violated or he stole too many paper clips.Either way he was shown the door....as in dont let it hit you in the ass on the way out.
This is either the third or fourth network KO's been cannned from.Its obvious he has a disorder of some sort.
KO hosted Countdown for EIGHT years. The MSNBC brass sure was able to tolerate his "disorder" for a LONG time. Which is probably why they renewed his contract 2 years ago (for an additional 4 years).
Six years and they still weren't fed up enough with the guy to "show him the door". Eight years turned out to be their breaking point, I guess.
On the January 21st edition of "Real Time", in regards to Keith's worst person in the world segment, Bill Maher said...
"Stop organizing life around the people who don't get the joke. Fuck them if they don't get a joke".
He also added, "I always enjoyed his show. I hope he comes back".
No insult intended to you Will, but I must say I agree with Mr. Maher on both counts. Well said.
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