Keith Olbermann

[BroncoBuff]

Like I posted about Chris Matthews, I'm also convinced Keith Olbermann has some kind of imbalance. He's pretty widely accepted as the most preternaturally talented broadcaster on the air today (possible exception of Vin Scully), but he is definitely a head case. I say this even though he's been my broadcasting idol for 21 years now, ever since I was a sportscaster in El Paso Texas in 1987, and El Paso cable just happened to get Los Angeles independent stations including KTLA).

Despite idolizing Keith, my eyes are wide open, and his peculiarities manifest in truly strange ways. He seems to always strive to place himself in dramatic, Quixotically-heroic postures, even when there appears no cause for such. Much like Dan Rather's odd self-focus and self-involvement to Walter Cronkite from the convention floor when he was roughly cordoned away from an interview, Keith "places himself" into situations where he fancies himself "fighting the bastards single-handedly."

The "tears-in-his-eyes," halting, choked-up delivery on-air when Tim Russert died - even days afterward - is the kind of laughably over-dramatic pretense you'd expect from a 6th grader feigning sckness to stay home from school. He barely knew Russert, they worked in different cities. So as mondo-talented as Keith is, he is also a head case.

Olbermann's relationships with co-workers are bizarre beyond description ... he plays dramatic "us vs. them" games, and ever since his rating doubled the past 20 months, he tolerates no deviance from his line. His guests NEVER contradict his opinions, in fact he recently fired Dana Milbanks, one of his talking heads, because Milbanks wrote something mildly unflattering about Obama in his newspaper column. He refuses to have two contrary opinions on at the same time, and also flatly refuses to use MSNBC's excellent stable of right-wing talking heads Pat Buchanan, Tucker Carlson, Mike Murphy, Peggy Noonan and Joe Scarborough.

Dan Abrams was in charge of MSNBC when Keith's ratings skyrocketed, and was always a big Keith-backer. But Keith turned on him when Abrams initially refused to cancel Tucker's show. A power play ensued, and Tucker was fired (as a show host). Abrams himself filled Tucker's slot, but Keith refused to introduce Abrams' show at the end of Countdown (the most standard of talent courtesy). Dan Abrams is in my view an AMAZING host, and "Verdict" was probably the best, most even-handed, objective and entertaining program in all of television. But Keith was not finished with him... he pushed for his old CNN buddy Phil Griffin to be named president of MSNBC, and he prevailed (actually Griffin is imminently qualified for the job). Then, once Griffin was in, Keith pushed for the ouster of Dan Abrams as a host, and the placing of his protegee Rachel Maddow as host of a show in that slot. Again he prevailed, but it seems to me Maddow is not ready. Her show is uneven, and wildly slanted in a way that sometimes seems to defy common sense. She should've spent another year as a talking head before taking her own program ... you only get one shot at a show like that.

Keith met his match when he messed with the big boys at big brother NBC News (Steve Capus and Tom Brokaw principally), and his antics and slanted comments got him demoted as host of MSNBC's live political coverage.

[BroncoBuff]

Do NOT cross Keith!

And it seems funny to me that Keith's talking heads are exclusively on Keith's show ... none of them show up on other MSNBC shows

Tuesday, Aug 05
Milbank Leaves Countdown, Joins CNN

The Washington Post's Dana Milbank has ended his four-year relationship with MSNBC's Countdown, and it's not on the best of terms.

Milbank, who, because of a partnership between his paper and the NBC cable news channel, has been a part of MSNBC's programming since at least the 2000 election. The end seemed to be sealed with a column he wrote last Wednesday describing Sen. Barack Obama as the "presumptuous nominee." That set off a firestorm of discussion on all three cable news channels last week. The column also drew the ire of Countdown host Keith Olbermann.

So, last night on Countdown (clip after the jump), Olbermann said, "We had decided not to have Dana on this news-hour again until this was cleared up, and, sadly after some very happy years, he's apparently chosen to make that cloud permanent. Good luck, Dana."

Olbermann went further on his pre-Countdown post on the Daily Kos writing that Milbank would not be returning to the program, mainly due to his inclusion of the following Obama quote, which many have said was taken out of context: "I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions."

So where did Milbank end up last night? On CNN, opposite Olbermann. And what does Milbank say about this? What he told TVNewser, after the jump...

As for his MSNBC departure and arrival on CNN, Milbank tells TVNewser: "It predated the column and nothing occurred along the lines Keith described." A week ago tonight, Milbank appeared on Countdown and was identified as "MSNBC political analyst." An insider tell us Milbank's contract with MSNBC expired earlier this year.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/...90844.asp#more

[Rohirrim]

For the most part I enjoy Keith, but you're right, the guy has an enormously bloated ego. His OCD on O'Reilly and their ratings battle is occasionally disturbing. I usually change the channel when he does one of his soapbox rants employing his weird Edward R. Murrow fixation. But hey, what are you going to watch at 6? There's nothing else on.

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by Rohirrim

For the most part I enjoy Keith, but you're right, the guy has an enormously bloated ego. His OCD on O'Reilly and their ratings battle is occasionally disturbing. I usually change the channel when he does one of his soapbox rants employing his weird Edward R. Murrow fixation. But hey, what are you going to watch at 6? There's nothing else on.

Yes, his commentaries are difficult to watch for me too ... but I disagree on the O'Reilly stuff. His O'Reilly treatment is actually my favorite thing on TV (except Broncos games). The day Keith ran the old 'Current Affair' Billo blowup was perhaps the most enjoyable thing I've ever seen on TV. Ever.

[frerottenextelway]

Maddow has ratings like 5 times that of what Abrams did, and does twice what anyone else on the network does besides Keith. Thankfully, they listened to Keith and the Kossacks who wrote in daily to give her a shot. Time to can Gregory and Joe Scarass.

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by frerottenextelway

Maddow has ratings like 5 times that of what Abrams did, and does twice what anyone else on the network does besides Keith. Thankfully, they listened to Keith and the Kossacks who wrote in daily to give her a shot. Time to can Gregory and Joe Scarass.

Wow ... I hadn't seen the ratings yet. Is this true?

[frerottenextelway]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

Wow ... I hadn't seen the ratings yet. Is this true?

Yes. She even beat Keith (and Larry King H2H) by a few thousand on Tuesday. Keith's ratings for the repeat at 10:00 ET have also doubled thanks to having a real lead in now.

Rachel Rocks.

[frerottenextelway]

Ratings:

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/default.asp

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by frerottenextelway

Ratings:

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/default.asp

WOW! ... and here I thought it was too soon to check her numbers. Thought it was too soon





Hey fne ... guess who's starting for the Vikings Sunday?

[Play2win]

Rachel doesn't have to pull punches with Palin. End of story.

[frerottenextelway]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

WOW!Hey fne ... guess who's starting for the Vikings Sunday?

Yep, crown them already. There goes the Broncos chances to win the Super Bowl. At least being runner-up to the Great One will be nice.

[Spider]

5p: 6p: 7p: 8p: 9p: 10p: 11p:
FNC ElectionHQ: Hume: Shep: O'Reilly: H&C: Greta: O'Reilly:
338 407 370 731 716 727 507
CNN Blitzer: Blitzer: Dobbs: Brown: King: Cooper: Cooper:
300 326 387 431 496 647 419
MSNBC Hardball: Gregory: Hardball: Countdown: Maddow: Countdown: Maddow:
271 243 277 509 534 412 254
HLN Prime: Prime: Beck: Grace: Beck: Grace: Showbiz:
129 98 134 412 211 373 275

[TDmvp]

Maddow is trash .... i used to listen to Air America cause a couple of comics used to be on it i liked ... chick is a classless whore who thinks hoping people she disagrees with die is good radio ...good luck with that msnbc ...

[TDmvp]

I wish i could remember who the comic was that used to come on during the early hours with her some days "Air America" during Maddow's first show ... "she had more then one" they moved her around two or three times ...
but they used to "tease/joke" all the time about whenever someone was going out of the country they didn't like that just maybe their plane would crash , or get attacked ... real funny stuff ...

[Spider]

Originally Posted by TDmvp

I wish i could remember who the comic was that used to come on during the early hours with her some days ... but they used to "tease/joke" all the time about whenever someone was going out of the country they didn't like that just maybe their plane would crash , or get attacked ... real funny stuff ...

Sam Sedar

[Spider]

I still crack up at his Santa Clause having WMD and needing a green card to come into the states

[TDmvp]

Originally Posted by Spider

Sam Sedar

that name don't ring a bell ...
can't remember , was the first year or 2 of Air America tho,
but he wasn't there every day , he was just a comic , i would know if i seen ....
I'll dig around cause now this is buggy me on who he is ....

[Rohirrim]

Originally Posted by frerottenextelway

Yes. She even beat Keith (and Larry King H2H) by a few thousand on Tuesday. Keith's ratings for the repeat at 10:00 ET have also doubled thanks to having a real lead in now.

Rachel Rocks.

I have to agree. Rachel is very sharp. Her depth of knowledge is impressive; Usually much stronger than the people she's talking to.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

Originally Posted by Rohirrim

I have to agree. Rachel is very sharp. Her depth of knowledge is impressive; Usually much stronger than the people she's talking to.

Love Rachel. Very sharp, very biting in her sarcastic tone. Sometimes she thinks she's a bit funnier than she is, but always informed and level headed.

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by Rohirrim

I have to agree. Rachel is very sharp. Her depth of knowledge is impressive; Usually much stronger than the people she's talking to.

She's HUGELY intelligent, no doubt about that ... but since her show started, she seems to be taking positions and making arguments that contort logic, in my view. Red meat for the left I guess ... but even though I'm a lefty, I prefer balance. I don't need my opinions pandered to.

BTW - those ratings are of course the 25-54 age demo. Throw in 55+ and Fox skyrockets.

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by Spider

I still crack up at his Santa Clause having WMD and needing a green card to come into the states

That was first class comedy .... speaking of that, this is a good thread for LABF to post those Fox screen-shots again. With the Union Jack waving? Classic!

[epicSocialism4tw]

Olbermann has always been somewhat of a clown to me. From his annoying sports desk personality to his modern megalomaniac.

Didnt like him on sportscenter then, cant watch him for the abrasiveness now.

Dudes a shill.

[Pseudofool]

Rachel Maddow is probably the best liberal advocate on TV. Olbermann is a talented, smart guy, but his self-satisfiedness is troubling. Maddow, on the other hand, is pretty sober about her intelligence and knowledge, which like others have said, is pretty vast.

[epicSocialism4tw]

You folks love to complain about Limbaugh and co., but I guess that things are a little different when the shill is on your team.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

That was first class comedy .... speaking of that, this is a good thread for LABF to post those Fox screen-shots again. With the Union Jack waving? Classic!

I wish could remember the show he did that on