I like Olbermann, mainly because I agree with a lot of his rhetoric.

However... he really needs to try to bring more challenging guests on his show. Chris Hayes? Ariana Huffington? Seriously, Keith, do what you can to get guests that don't completely agree with you.

You want to know what's wrong? All the media coverage of this stuff drowns out the coverage of the people actually trying to make a difference based on rational ideas.

In pretending to be all supportive of the "good guys" they are just feeding right into the Republicans hands.

Let the cops deal with it and get on with some real content.

I've said it afore, and I'll say it again... When there are large movements of any kind, it is not difficult to find one or two very isolated fringe kooks who latch on to the movement because it is popular. The liberal left has quite a lot of VERY violent fringe kooks that have gone beyond rhetoric and actually conducted violence. They've killed people. Like "mass murder spree" killed. The right has its violent fringe kooks too. They exist on both sides.

So - what is Olbermann's point. Censor Fox News? Is Olbermann prepared to censor himself for his role in ginning up the kooks on the voilent fringe left? Please. No one on either side is actively telling people to go out and commit violence. Far from it. This fit of hand wringing over the Tea Party movement is much ado about nothing.

>> ^KnivesOut:

I like Olbermann, mainly because I agree with a lot of his rhetoric.
However... he really needs to try to bring more challenging guests on his show. Chris Hayes? Ariana Huffington? Seriously, Keith, do what you can to get guests that don't completely agree with you.
100% agreement here. Can anyone find a SINGLE clip where Olbermann has someone on his show with whom he has a fundamental disagreement? I'd love to see it. And I'm a fan. Just not a mindless one.

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:

Like "mass murder spree" killed.


Links please.

@KnivesOut and @shuac, I'm not aware of Keith ever having on someone who disagrees with him, but based on the small, small handful of times he's interviewed people whose purpose isn't just to agree with him vehemently (he interviewed Obama during the primary, and Pelosi in the same sort of timeframe), I've gotta say he totally sucks at interviewing people.

I mean, I've even seen cases where his highly sympathetic guests smack him down for being unreasonably impetuous.

He is what he is. He's good at giving a speech, but he sucks at realtime debate.

It's Rachel who needs to get more conservatives on to interview -- she kicks ass.

Yeah Winston I've been studying the History of the 20th Century for 5 years now. I don't know of many if any deaths by crazy left wingers in this country. But you're right about the fact that there are always some kooks that are on the fringes of movements. The Anti-War Vietnam movement had some, and so did the Civil Rights movement.

The thing is it should always be put into a context. These people are upset about a lot of things that are blatantly false. There isn't Millions of people dying and there isn't black people being beaten and hounded in the streets like animals. So in this context I don't think it adds up, this man is too crazy and there's a reason for it. I'd say it's more an issue with his mom and his psychiatrist though.

>> ^KnivesOut:

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:

Like "mass murder spree" killed.

Links please.


No links to the Left-Wing Murder Spree Rampage? The Leftist Plot to Assassinate Key Figures in the Republican Party (Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, Palin)?

Oh right, because those things don't exist. There are no liberal pundits calling for democrats to put down the right-wing resistance. No leftist militias filming recruiting and training videos in the woods of the midwest.

>> ^ghark:

You want to know what's wrong? All the media coverage of this stuff drowns out the coverage of the people actually trying to make a difference based on rational ideas.
In pretending to be all supportive of the "good guys" they are just feeding right into the Republicans hands.
Let the cops deal with it and get on with some real content.


The Keith Olbermann show is pretty much 100% about scoring political points, and making the opposition look stupid, dangerous, or simply wrong. Which is not terribly hard to do, and can sometimes be entertaining.

But my point is, you shouldn't tune in to him if you want to hear stories about "people actually trying to make a difference based on rational ideas". Maybe try NPR?

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:


So - what is Olbermann's point. Censor Fox News? Is Olbermann prepared to censor himself for his role in ginning up the kooks on the voilent fringe left? Please. No one on either side is actively telling people to go out and commit violence. Far from it. This fit of hand wringing over the Tea Party movement is much ado about nothing.


This is where freedom of speech right claiming flag draped fuckwits fall down everytime.

No, he shouldn't censor them. Yes, he should hold them accountable for their speech. You can't say anything you want any time you want and expect zero consequences. You certainly can't legally incite people to illegal actions. The right to free speech is balanced by the responsibility for the harm/damage you might cause by exercising that right.

I'm not terribly surprised that that concept didn't even occur to you.

ps. When did Olbermann 'gin up' the left wing kooks? I'd be interested to see you actually prove that although I'm not holding my breath since you're so fond of hyperbolic rhetoric and so lacking on factual evidence.

See, I'm not censoring your moronic diatribe, I'm holding you to account for it. = )

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:

I've said it afore, and I'll say it again... When there are large movements of any kind, it is not difficult to find one or two very isolated fringe kooks who latch on to the movement because it is popular. The liberal left has quite a lot of VERY violent fringe kooks that have gone beyond rhetoric and actually conducted violence. They've killed people. Like "mass murder spree" killed. The right has its violent fringe kooks too. They exist on both sides.


There is no "movement" here, just a very vocal few doing exactly what they're told primarily by one major "news" network. Sheep.

Hmm... I'm not sure I agree with Olberman here. Look, there's no doubt that inciting violence is wrong, but shouldn't that be picked up by the media watchdog? I presume you have one of those in the US. In Australia, we've had a few examples of radio shock jocks inciting violence on air, and they were picked up quick smart. They can get fined or prevented from airing.

I think it's up to the Republican party to cut Fox News off. It's clear that the tail is waggin the dog, and it's time to cut them off and start again. Wanting Fox News to behave because it's the right thing to do is a waste of good intentions.