Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

[sstreet]

Very interesting interview... anybody see it?

[GrayMatterWife]

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

If I had known he would be on, I would've watched, but I had no idea.

I never plan to watch Olbermann. I really, really, really can't stand him. He's so...unintellectual. His "analysis" is always pedestrian and even base. It's most just ad hominem and uninsightful stabs at humor. He's like the leftie version of Bill O'Reilly, but even less stomachable because his so bitter and nasty and calls people names. I long ago gave up trying to watch him. I think it's funny as heck that he got fired of the MSNBC political anchor desk yesterday. Even MSNBC finally gave up, after they got deluged with bias complaints and then tanked in the ratings during the RNC coverage. (I guess his long history of being unjournalistic and openly biased as a reporter--not an editorialist, an anchor--didn't bother them until they realized he wasn't getting them numbers. ) Kind of sorry that Olbermann managed to take down Matthews with him (they both got fired off the desk, due mostly to the fact that Matthews started to lose his patience with Olbermann and they ended up fighting on the air during the RNC--it made for the most entertaining portions of Tuesday evening...). Matthews can be pretty wry sometimes! I was suprised they replaced them with David Gregory. The only way that will be interesting is if Gregory gets drunk again and calls into his own station to report.

Sorry...wandering a little off topic...so what happened during the Obama interview?

[Sheherezade]

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

Didn't see it. DH and I have been TV-free for a few months now, so I have to troll the internet for video content. I do see clips up on the media website. I'l have to check it out. I'm guessing that's where some of the new Obama quotes originated?

I'd also like your re-cap since I'll only see clips and read transcript.

First presidential debate....Sept. 26th? I'll have to get the streaming internet set up on the projector for that!

[Sheherezade]

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

I just watched the clips. They were so long that I'm guessing that it was all of "part one" of the interview. They are airing part two later this week. The only inflammatory part of the interview was the question about the "uppity" comment made by the Georgia congressman and the question about Palin's level of experience. Both questions were totally side-stepped by Obama. He didn't answer them at all. I'm all for that because neither is an appropriate topic for an interview about his programs, the issues and in what direction he'd steer the country if elected. So, kudos Mr. Obama.

As for the second half, he spoke to all the programs he's mentioned previously. Nothing new, but still mostly I'm in agreement with his positions.

What stood out for you?

I'd like to see the clips of Obama on O'Reilly. I'm still wondering how that went.

[GrayMatterWife]

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

He's like the leftie version of Bill O'Reilly, but even less stomachable because his so bitter and nasty and calls people names.

Uh, wouldn't that mean he is the same thing as O'Reilly?!

No. O'Reilly isn't vitrolic. He's just a blowhard. He just struggles to sound incisive because, really, he doesn't have any deep thoughts on any issue.

Besides, O'Reilly hosts a guest-interviewee program in which editorial commentary is inserted. He's free to be bombastic if he wants, because he's not bound by journalistic rules of ethics and impartiality. His guests, frankly, take a risk by showing up. As versus Olbermann, who was supposed to be providing journalistic coverage of the conventions and he made sneering, snarky remarks about the RNC throughout. Olbermann should have saved that for his evening show, which is far more like O'Reilly's format--basically, "news-entertainment," not real journalism.

It's this same distinction that has me irked about why so many people are mad at Oprah for not having Sarah Palin on for an interview. They are claiming that she's biased and it's poor journalistic value to be so obviously "in the tank" for one candidate. Ummmm...she's not a journalist. She's a talk show hostess. She may cover current events on her show, but that's not news. It's afternoon yack. She's certainly not bound to be opinionless and even-handed. It's not be unethical for her to refuse to have on Palin. I would argue that it might be more unethical (by betraying her audience's trust) by having her on with an ulterior motive--like, to make her look bad or to "jump her" with unexpected questions that would ordinarily be outside the super-softie nature of a gab fest format.

I think Oprah is showing far more integrity than Olbermann. She's a big Obama supporter and she's made no secret of it, and she's not bound to present "both sides" of the political spectrum. Olbermann, on the other hand, was supposed to be providing journalistic coverage of the RNC when he--live on the air--publicly snarkily apologized for the RNC's tribute to the 9/11 victims. Regardless of whether you, as a reporter, thought that was smaltzy or even exploitative, it was completely unprofessional to pass that kind of biased judgment. Leave that to your political commentator guests--of which you should have one expressing the Dem and one expressing the Repub position.

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

He's like the leftie version of Bill O'Reilly, but even less stomachable because his so bitter and nasty and calls people names.

Uh, wouldn't that mean he is the same thing as O'Reilly?!

No. O'Reilly isn't vitrolic.

Really? He tells guests to "shut up" (the specific one I'm thinking of was an Iraq war vet who is opposed to the war), shouts at people, cuts them off -- and he certianly calls names. I think he and Olbermann are quite similar, and that it's probably easier to swallow such behavior from someone when you agree with their general views. I know it's a lot easier for me to stomach Olbermann than O'Reilly, but I wouldn't say one is more appropriate than the other.

[poky]

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

The very idea of BillO being characterized as *not* bitter, nasty, and a name-caller has me

[DCJenn]

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

I heart Keith.

He's definitely in my top 10.

Jenn

[migirl]

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

I haven't seen the Obama interview, but I don't like Keith Olbermann either. I just can't him seriously as a journalist, I think partly because I first saw him as a sportscaster on ESPN. That's what he'll always be to me. :huh:

[Momo]

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

I haven't seen the Obama interview, but I don't like Keith Olbermann either. I just can't him seriously as a journalist, I think partly because I first saw him as a sportscaster on ESPN. That's what he'll always be to me. :huh:

ITA!

[Flynn]

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

I heart Keith.

He's definitely in my top 10.

Jenn

Me too.

[Rapunzel]

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

Oh, I find K.O. to be absolutely vile. He's mean, nasty, and actually comes off as somewhat stupid to me.

I don't like O'Reilly for many of the same reasons. But, K.O. really beats them all in my opinion.

It's a shame Matthews got booted from the coverage because of Olbermann. I may not agree with Chris Matthews all of the time but he doesn't sink down to K.O.'s level at all.

Re: Obama on Keith O... Any takers?

I heart Keith.

He's definitely in my top 10.

Jenn

Me too.

Me three.