Olbermann v. Gore: who will you root for?

[Egalitariat]

[Jennicut]

1. It is not a matter of rooting. Can Olbermann not get along with anyone?

I always loved his show on MSNBC and then on Current but he has burned a lot of bridges in the past. Has Gore done the same?

[teddy51]

11. Agree, Keith has a huge "I am important problem" and I think he will be the loser. He

probably has plenty of money, but he may not get another gig anytime soon.

[YvonneCa]

2. Well that's divisive...

...

[Egalitariat]

5. Multimillion dollar lawsuits generally are

[YvonneCa]

27. Yes. And media will use the exact tactics...

...you just used to generate viewership for their shows, to the distraction of seriously important issues. Especially during a presidential election, the electorate needs to be focused on serious issues. This distraction will not help facilitate that.

And I say that as both a KO and Al Gore supporter. I could not choose. This is like watching your own children in a brawl... Sad.

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. There is nothing to 'root' for.

One multi-millionaire is having a contract feud with a group of multi-millionaires.

The courts will settle it.

[eggplant aubergine]

4. Meh. None of the above.

Illuminati versus loudmouth: you make the call...

[SteveABG]

6. both. neither.

Gah, I don't care.

Anyone but Tipper.

[niyad]

7. nobody, because we are the real losers in this fight.

[nadine_mn]

8. +1

The real losers are progressives who will miss having KO on the air (ego and all) and the damage this will do to Current. It sucks both ways, I wish they could have worked it out dammit.

We should have staged an intervention.

[niyad]

23. I caught the first few minutes of "viewpoint" last night--and it was pretty obvious that this has

been in the works for some time--the whole new title, the new credits, everything--THAT did not just happen yesterday.

perhaps an intervention would have helped.

[A wise Man]

44. The worst of it is this

they keep trying to get rid of the biggest voice that the rethugs fear the most "TRUTH"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cleita]

9. Bingo!

Also, our own eating each other is not a good thing.

[YvonneCa]

28. Exactly. n/t

[cherokeeprogressive]

10. Gore by TKO in the 1st.

[The Philosopher]

12. If you believe in truth, justice and the law (naive, I know)

...rooting isn't what you'll do.

But I will root for Olbermann returning to Current, even if it's unlikely.

[pacalo]

13. I like both of them.

As I commented in other threads:

I think the problems stem from the fact that Keith is a perfectionist with high moral ethics.

If Keith gave them hell, it was for a good reason. If I remember correctly, Keith was promised a lot of things by Current TV; they didn't deliver as promised. That's not something Keith would excuse.

I stand by Keith regardless of what happened. If not for him, MSNBC would have only "Hardball" on its programming. Keith opened a huge door for progressives.

Keith got along just fine at MSNBC until Comcast took over & started leaning on him. He admits he made a mistake going to Current-TV. I suspect he puts a lot of work into his nightly shows & it must have been frustrating that he could get only a fraction of the audience he was getting on MSNBC. Current-TV's executives should have made more of an effort to have its network broadcasted on more cable outlets.

Getting out of two difficult situations spaced closely together doesn't necessarily amount to a KO problem. He's a perfectionist who gives us an impeccable performance with every program: the content, the writing, the production. His was the only newscast I looked forward to; everyone else that I watch doesn't come close to being as entertaining or thought-provoking as Keith Olbermann.

Seeing how many are so easily influenced, I'm afraid that any news spin that takes hold against Keith could prevent anyone else from hiring him. Wildfires are hard to put out. How sad for us.

I'll never forget what Keith Olbermann has done for us. I couldn't care less that he had issues with his co-workers.

[YvonneCa]

29. Neither will I...

... 2004:

&feature=youtu.be

[pacalo]

30. That video is a good representation of the reporting we should be protecting.

And most disappointing is that some people could turn their back on Keith because "he doesn't get along with his 'co-workers' (network executives)". Hook, line, & sinker. Win for the oppressors of truth.

Is it really surprising that any news commentator who has the courage to report the ugly truth when it would be so much easier to "go along to get along" would be termed as "difficult"?

Thanks for the video, Yvonne. We could use a good reminder of what Keith has done for us.

[YvonneCa]

31. I agree about the reporting. Back then, real reporting was...

...almost nonexistent. You are welcome for the video...but please also thank the person who posted it publicly yesterday on Twitter. I hadn't seen it for a long time, but I remember it well. It is one of the reasons for my loyalty to Keith and Countdown.

[pacalo]

43. I don't forget those days, either. The "what have you done for me lately" attitude

toward Keith is like fingernails on a chalkboard, considering what all he's done for us.

[YvonneCa]

45. I agree. That and the 'I care about policy, not personality' argument...

...as it applies to Keith and Countdown. If there was ever anyone on TV who stood up to counter the other 'personalities' about the fallacies in their stories about policy AND/OR their choices about which 'truths' to tell and which were/are distractions...it was Keith Olbermann and Countdown.

That's one of the reasons I was happy about him joining Al Gore on Current. I stilll think we need Current to succeed. But, sadly, I agree with KO that they have made choices that seem to preclude that.

[truebrit71]

51. I agree 100%

...in this fight we ALL lose...

[Speck Tater]

14. I don't care one way or the other. To me, issues matter. Personalities don't. nt

[MineralMan]

15. Root for? Is it a sporting event?

I don't root for such things. I either listen or I do not.

[Life Long Dem]

16. Gore

[otohara]

17. Mr. Gore

it's his network.

[backscatter712]

18. I don't have enough skin in this game to really pick a side.

Personally, I think it's Keith's fuckup - he's shown that he has difficulty playing with others. I love Keith, and think he's done some awesome things - he's almost single-handedly kicked a big hole in the right-wing stranglehold on the media, which we enjoy today when we watch Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell or Young Turks.

So I wish him well. He'll land on his feet, as he still has his ESPN gigs and eight figures in the bank. Maybe he'll do some new political show sometime, and hope it's a success, but he'll have to learn from his experiences with Current.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

19. Root? It's like the Packers playing the Raiders. They're two of my favorite teams

and I'm sad if either one loses.

[Yavapai]

24. Know how you feel.

So, what do you call 47 millionaires sitting around watching the super bowl? Answer: The Oakland Raiders.

Sorry, but I just had to tell that joke. I have been a Raiders fan for over 30 years now.

I even found a "Raiders fans make better license plates" bumper sticker on my car once. I think my wife put it there. That is what I get for marrying a loyal Broncos fan. I wonder how long I drove around with it...

[Major Hogwash]

20. I'll be rooting for the little guy.

Because I always support the little guy in cases like this.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. I always side with talent, not managment, in disputes around contracts.

That's how it is. I'm on the side of the employee, always, not the owners, period. And yes, I do take sides in such things. I see Current as a producer with a history of poor talent relations. Yes indeed. Also, crappy sound.

[titaniumsalute]

22. What kind of stupid question is this

I mean really. What is the purpose? I am a proponent of both Al Gore and Keith O. Keith has a monster ego and is not the best to employ. Gore is larger than life also and I'm sure not the easiest person to work for.

They both are progressives with the "right" minds. But they are both extreme personalities.

[meanit]

25. Will we ever learn?

As Dems or Progressives, it seems that we cannot help but shoot ourselves in the foot. Despite Olbermann's probable ego, he is a firebrand that is not afraid to take the fight to the right wing. Him being fired (again) only hurts the cause, IMO.
I don't know the particulars in the disagreement between Olbermann and Gore, but while the right constantly circles the wagons around vile scum like Limbaugh and the rest of the propagandists, we eat our own.

[Loudmxr]

26. Olvermann was fired. Al Gore ... quit.

Back in the old advertising days I worked with three distinct personalities.

Actors
Comedians
And Broadcasters.

I treated each one with respect but treated each type different.

Keith is a broadcaster and sometimes you have to slap them in the face to get them to do what you want them to do.

And they do it sooo well.

Chuck Reilly. "Beware The Children of the K-K.."

"Chuck that's not it try it again.."

"Beware The Children Of The Korn!!"

"That's great ... now let's to it to Picture"

"I can't do that"

"Waddya mean??? You just DID IT"

I had a back tape going so I just dropped that wonderful reading. (BTW the argument went on for 2-3 minutes. Until I threw up my hands and said "I already got it ... it just takes more work.)

[kudzu22]

32. Can we get Keith to replace Biden on the ticket?

[Hawkowl]

33. That, would be awesome!

Biden needs to be replaced. Not that he hasn't done an ok job. He's just too old to run for president in 2016.

[Ikonoklast]

37. You'd love it, we'd lose in a landslide.

Olbermann is even less a politician than Palin is.

[Hawkowl]

39. You have no faith in Obama?

The anointed one? Doer of all things possible?

[Ikonoklast]

40. Yes. And he's not stupid.

2012 will certainly make lots of people upset, not all of them Republican.

Or smart.

[bigtree]

34. I'd 'root' for the journalist in this case

. . . over his perpetually-compromised media overlords.

[AtomicKitten]

35. neither/both

[cthulu2016]

36. Whichever one the Supreme Court picks

Duzy!

[RB TexLa]

38. Are they going to attemp to try to measure their egos or something?

[RZM]

41. Definitely Gore

They are of course very different animals. But when you sum up the careers of both men, I think Gore looms far larger in American history and the history of modern American liberalism, particularly his commitment to environmental issues.

Keith just doesn't work and play well with others. Current was around before him and it was live on after him. My respect for Keith will be much diminished if he makes it his pet project to 'bring down' the network with lawsuits and bad press. If he didn't like it there or felt he was screwed over, that's too bad - but he needs to let it go and move on. It's TV, after all. We all know that's a rough business. Let Current do its thing and he can do his. There's no reason this has to end in tears.

[pacalo]

42. If we're going to pit one against the other, Gore wins the "plays nicely with others" category.

When the SCOTUS handed Gore's win to GWBush, Gore accepted it & went away quietly.

When members of the House of Representatives took turns going to the microphone to gather up support for condemning the SCOTUS's decision, Al Gore used his gavel to dismiss those -- his supporters! -- who ran overtime in their comments.

If we're going to pit one against the other, I'll take the one who doesn't put up with injustices.

[jillan]

46. Neither. I had hoped they both would be successful.

[hifiguy]

47. If I had to choose sides, I'd choose Al Gore's

I have great respect for Olbermann as a journalist, but it is clear that the man is impossible to work with and a total diva.

[Egalitarian Thug]

48. I find it prudent to not get involved in the clash of monumental egos. n/t

[Pisces]

49. Gore wins hands down. Olbermann's history tells it all.

[librechik]

50. I hate to say this, but President Gore

always did have a problem picking a sidekick with his own screwy agenda.