On a night that found the world’s top gymnasts flipping, stretching, and straining for gold in individual apparatus events in Beijing, Keith Olbermann sat in a studio in New York City, his back to Rockefeller Center’s skating rink, doing some gymanastics of his own. Of the rhetorical variety, that is. And directed, unsurprisingly, at John McCain.
That’s right, kids: last night was Special Comment night on Countdown. A little bit Murrow, a little bit O’Reilly; a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n roll—and always filled with vitriol. Olbermann’s performance, this time around, was particularly melodramatic: as the former sports reporter swooped and spun (again, rhetorically) while railing against the “immaturity” of the GOP’s presumptive nominee, he indulged in even more Dramatic Sighs and Angered Shakes of the Head than usual. Quite the floor routine.
So while Olbermann, as he generally does, bolstered his bloviations with solid reporting…the whole thing was ultimately more circus than ceremony. And one lacking in, among other things, sportsmanship.
Only 11 seconds in and it's too much to bear.
And I am a liberal.
Posted by owl on Tue 19 Aug 2008 at 03:07 PM
Sportsmanship? Are you serious?
Maybe the media's treating important issues as "sport" is part of the problem.
Posted by The Needle on Tue 19 Aug 2008 at 05:06 PM
Oh please. The Swift Boats are sailing, the whole Fox News empire is on the march and the one lefty announcer in the universe gets all the attentionand the back of the hand. Come on
Posted by Denis on Tue 19 Aug 2008 at 08:18 PM
Odd. Olberman is outraged. Why would that be? I can't imagine anyone in the greatest country in the world being outraged. It boggles the mind. While the voters on the left scream at Obama for not striking back at his swiftboating, Olberman takes it upon himself to do so. That's just crazy! If Keith is upset, he shouldn't use his soapbox to give his editorial views, particularly if he feels strongly about them. Thanks CJR for pointing out Olberman's folly.
Posted by B8ovin on Wed 20 Aug 2008 at 02:32 AM
Thanks to CJR for calling out Olbermann. I used to be a huge fan but I grew weary of his self-obsession, hearing about his hatred for Bill O'Reilly for the millionth time (and I hate O'Reilly so that's really saying something); and just the same people saying the same things over and over and over again. I'm a liberal, been one all my life and I love Obama but I don't need to hear constant preaching to the choir. I miss the old days of Countdown. This may have all brought him more fortune and fame but at what cost? Battling Fox with the liberal version isn't journalism.
Posted by Terry on Wed 20 Aug 2008 at 08:33 AM
Liberals - You have been duped. Republican voters are laughing all the way to the bank. Many Pew polls have reported that liberals buy into the "liberal media" push from the "right". This is the most insidious and effective game the "right" has played. Bush has won 2 terms partly because of this! Wake up liberals! The media is not " LIBERAL" in any way, except that once in a while you will catch them thinking! Theatrics are probably a good idea to wake you people up.Olbermann doesn't use any more theatrics than does his counterparts on Fox or CNN. The content, even when true, is what is hard to believe by some. It's hard because we haven't had any since they fired Donahue for being too honest! Think liberals! You used to! As far as you in the media - McCain supposedly was one of the worst soldiers of his era. Get up off your "patriotic" high horse and start5 being patriotic to your country and your profession. Start reporting the facts!
Posted by Sousa the patriot on Wed 20 Aug 2008 at 11:33 AM
It is most definitely one of KO's weakest performances -- lots of deductions for style and a low overall difficulty rating. But at least he has the stones to say what he thinks, isn't cowed (like most MSM) by the constant carping of the Right-minded.
Posted by Rogger on Wed 20 Aug 2008 at 10:55 PM
It is certainly one of KO's most forgetable performances -- many deductions on style and a low overall difficulty rating. But I agree with B8ovin and others that even at his worst, he offers more truth and insight than the legions of Right-minded haters who prefer Faux
Posted by Rogger on Wed 20 Aug 2008 at 11:00 PM
It is certainly one of KO's most forgetable performances -- many deductions on style and low overall difficulty. But I agree with B8ovin and others that even at his worst, he offers more truth and insight than the legions of Right-minded haters who prefer Faux
Posted by Rogger on Wed 20 Aug 2008 at 11:01 PM