The Countdown with Keith Olbermann!

[wtf]

Jeez, the Countdown is turning into the Daily Show! Well, not really, but I'm definitely sensing an influence, anyone else? Hopefully this is just the beginning of mainstream media getting some balls. Jon Stewart is an American Hero. :)

[roguevalley]

1. Keith DESPISES Fox and zings them at every turn. He also purposefully

zings Bush. Lots of jokes and such. I love Keith.

[robnycny]

2. The heart and soul...

...speech!

Keith says about chimp's empty words: "It moves around a lot." Hilarious.

I rarely see the show, but I loved what I saw tonight!

[wtf]

4. YES!

That's exactly what reminded me of the Daily Show. :) That and how he seemed concerned with, you know, the truth about the anti-Kerry ads. It was great.

[KharmaTrain]

3. Several Months Ago...Someone Here Got An Email From Olbermann

Saying how he was going to work on making this as open and honest a newscast as he could. His competition is O'Reilly who has sucked up all the knuckle-draggers...Keith is going for Zahn's audience and appears to be doing some damage.

While it's premature for me to say this, but I've seen some interesting data of late that is showing some very promising signs. MSGOP has been slowly skewing in our direction...Olbermann was the first olive branch and now it looks like the restraints he had previously are less. Keith's got a lot he wants to do and prove here and this newscast has been quality since day one.

Yes, I know the network still has Joey "Internist" Scarborough, but even he has toned things down in recent weeks. He's slanting more "liberatarian" than Rove mouthpiece. I'll take small progress where I see it.

Someone noted earlier tonight a great observation...CNNservative saw their ratings go UP during the DNC while Faux went down...thus they feel they're starting to pick off the wingnuts from Faux. What they didn't notice is the big surge on MSNBC as well in recent weeks...and in the younger demos.

There's definitely a Daily Show factor in here as well, as TDS outdraws almost every show on any of those networks and is a goldmine waiting for one of those networks to go after. Methinks I know whose giving things a real good look.

I know it's General Electric, but I'll take what I can get at this point, then we'll revisit who owns what come next January.

[robnycny]

5. I'll take what I can get at this point, as well.

And thanks for an excellent analysis that I'm too anxious all the time to ponder.

I've increasingly terminated mainstream news out of pure anxiety and frustration. BUT, I always crawl back for a peek, worried about what is being fed today.

Thanks wtf for the post!

[Toots]

6. Too bad we couldn't get a feel for C-Span's ratings during the

Convention. That is the only channel I watch for any event such as a Convention. There is no Bullshit, no "celebrity anchor" thinking what they had to say was more important than what the speaker at the Convention had to say. I am sick to death of spin.

[Eloriel]

7. Jeebus, people, It's an entertainment show. and not much else.

We really are desparate around here, aren't we?

Personally, I'd like to see some JOURNALISM. I can get entertainment on about 600 other channels, 24/7.

[robnycny]

9. Not really desperate, actually.

Just commenting on mainstream cable bullshit. Who said anything about journalism?

[ItsMyParty]

8. Couple points about Keith and MSNBC

First, Keith has said that he welcomed e-mails, etc. (this was way back and I was reading on another website).....this was when he show first started and he was trying to get left/liberal balance but was coming up against the bosses. He said that if we kept up e-mails, letters praising his show that that was what it took in order for him to be able to push further and futher with his pieces and commentary. Apparently a lot of people responded, because he seems pretty much able to say as he wants. Second, I almost e-mailed MSNBC today and gave them a compliment (couldn't believe I would think of saying this to the so-far whoring media). But, they all day kept referring to the NY Times and the doubts about the timing of this "so called" alert; i.e, was it political??? They even brought up about the mosque raid and said it was suppose to go down in about a month, why now??--again, was this political?? They were basically a-okay to watch today while CNN has become so bad in just a few days that it is like there was a company meeting and they were told "you get Bush back in the WH or every one of you is shitcanned"!!! They don't even pretend any more.

[Misskittycat]

10. Keith's show was especially good today

I also caught a slight whiff of "The Daily Show" in it.

He did a very good stuff leading off with a slam against the swift boat ads.

[robnycny]

11. Welcome to DU, Misskittycat!

Enjoy - it's good peeps.

:hi: :hi: :hi:

[newyawker99]

13. Hi Misskittycat!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[truebrit71]

12. I look forward to the show every night...

It is the only show in that time-slot that isn't right-wing partisan whore-fodder...

Good stuff...

[Sputnik]

14. Some info on Keith

I've always liked Keith, but I've come to admire him even more lately and started doing some web searches on his career. Keith indeed feels no love for Rupert Murdoch/NewsCorp/Fox/etc. Heres' a link to a letter he wrote after the New York Post smeared Sandy Koufax last year: http://rc3.org/cgi-bin/less.pl?arg=4953

Also, I'm providing a link to the convocation speech Keith delivered at Cornell in 1998. It's long, but SO worth reading. In the speech, he tells why he decided to stop covering the Clinton impeachment stories on his newscasts...

"About three weeks ago I awakened from my stupor on this subject and told my employers that I simply could not continue doing this show about the endless investigation and the investigation of the investigation, and the investigation of the investigation of the investigation. I had to choose what I felt in my heart was right over what I felt in my wallet was smart. I did not tell them they had 24 hours. I did not threaten them. I let them balance for themselves their professional and moral forces and set their timetable. I await their answer. Of course, I am not buying any new furniture for my home."

Here's the link to the whole speech, the theme of which is finding your "Moral Force." Something tells me that Keith Olberman is one of the few journalists in this country who would even worry about such a thing. http://www.news.cornell.edu/campus/Olbermann_speech.html


(I read DU forums every day, but have never posted. I hope the links work correctly and thank you all for all the news and opinions you share each day!)

[Shopaholic]

15. Keep the positive feedback up for Keith & Countdown

Rick Kaplan, formerly of CNN & ABC recently took over the helm at MSNBC and since then, I can see a more balanced approach all the way around in their coverage of the news in general and politics specifically. It's a welcome change, that's for sure. But let's keep sending those positive e-mails to Keith and to MSNBC about Countdown.

Send e-mails here:

[e-mail]
and
[e-mail]

and hey Sputnik--welcome to DU! And thanks for the link to Keith's great Cornell speech! :hi:

[Sputnik]

18. Gracias and

consider it done! I'll send e-mails tonight. :)

[givemebackmycountry]

16. Sputnik

Welcome to DU and the links are fine.

I'd shake your hand for letting me re-read that letter about Koufax.

Thanks!

[Sputnik]

17. You're most welcome! :D

And I'd be glad to shake your hand! :thumbsup: Though Koufax was before my time, I have nothing but respect for his career, his privacy, and his dignity. What Murdoch's rag did to him was repugnant and I'm proud of Olberman using his "moral force" to stand up for Koufax.