I don't understand the backlash to Olbermann in here recently.
What's changed so much about him?
I just had a conversation about this with a friend yesterday, so I'll sum it up (it's sort of long, sorry).
I don't know much has changed about his egotism. His recent comment to Joe Scarborough was absolutely bafflingly rude, as Scarborough, aside from maybe (ironically in both cases) Pat Buchanan, have been among the most objective political analysts I've seen anywhere on cable news. What Olbermann didn't like was that Scarborough would
dare even imply it was a close race with McCain. That's just sheer stupidity, as well as laden with heavy doses of irrationality. Add in the jerk factor, which I wasn't really aware of until most recently and I think even some who still enjoy his show are starting to grow a little sour on him. He's supposed to be the antithesis of O'Reilly not the other side of the coin!! So, I think some are quite frankly just flat disappointed in him.
You know why I think he reacted that way towards Scarborough? Because Scarborough was nearly the only soul on MSNBC (Dan Abrams and a few analysts as well) that didn't treat Hillary Clinton as the 'Spawn of Satan', so Olbie resented that. He thinks he runs the fucking place over there. I don't even think Chris Matthews likes him much anymore. Do not veer off the 'chosen' path, Chris! That's another problem, many of his trusted viewers actually liked Hillary Clinton and grew sour when he had not only jumped in the tank, he bought the fucking tank and jerked off in it. I watch MSNBC most often, because I detest both Fox News and CNN. And I like most of their talking heads, even the most biased and from the extremes. Rachel Maddow and Pat Buchanan are both
great.
For me, it's not about voicing opinions, most Americans (like myself) enjoy opinionated programming, if it's ESPN, American Idol or Cable News. I have no problem with that. What bothers me the most is
dishonesty and hypocrisy in 'reporting' whether that's true objective journalism or editorial opinions (like Olbermann or O'Reilly). The least they can do is be consistent and forthright.
I used to listen to his 'Special Comments' to/about Bush and nearly agreed with every word, yet I would come away thinking "who does this self important blowhard really think he is?" but that was nothing more than a dislike of his attitude on my part. I don't need to like his attitude to enjoy his show, I watch O'Reilly as well from time to time. (usually I am flipping channels at commercial breaks regardless of who or what I'm watching). I don't think I saw the intellectual dishonesty at that time. So maybe that is truly what has changed, this latent, intellectually dishonest viewpoint surfacing through his outright infatuation with Obama.
What has really turned Olbie from maybe self-important blowhard to hypocrite has been his evolving into the Leftist champion while still railing on Fox News for doing the exact same thing. While it seems, increasingly so, that MSNBC has decided to counter-program Fox (which I don't have a problem with). Olbermann still sits on his soapbox on that network and blasts Fox for doing many of the same things. That's hypocrisy, period. The next time Olbie blasts Bill-O, just ask yourself, couldn't he say this same thing about himself if a few words were changed around? More often than not, that answer is 'yes'. Olbermann sees himself the same way Bill O'Reilly sees himself.
Their version of objective truth always matches their own opinions.
So here is a clear distinction between what Olbermann does and what O'Reiily does. O'Reiily will allow someone on his show to knock down his 'objective truth'. He acknowledges that he might not own the monopoly on truth, believe it or not, you wouldn't know that from 'Countdown'.
O'Reilly will go on a rant about "secular progressives" and then he'll find a "secular progressive" with enough balls to come on his show. Agree with him or not, 1-it's usually pretty good TV, 2-that's a pretty fair way of presenting an issue to his audience (although it's generally a strawman-like guest). So, it's not ideal but he is demonstrating a willingness to present dissent to his own views. Olbermann has not ONCE, and if you can show me ONCE,
I'll be floored, presented a dissenting view to his own opinions.
Ok, so why is this?
Is he afraid of the argument? I seriously doubt it. He's extremely intelligent, quick witted and articulate. I would imagine he would be a vicious 'debater'.
So again, why does he do this? Because he has no inherent interest to provide his viewer with the idea
that his views may be flawed. He sees his analysis as objective unto itself.
So that's where the dishonesty comes in. You might ask "does he have to present those views? It's his own show, he can do what he wants!!" Yes, that's absolutely fine with me, if he wanted to come right out and say "I am not interested in dissenting views, my analysis is the TRUTH on this show". Sort of like Shaun Hannity or Rush does on his radio show. Fuck the opposition, this is my show!!! Fair enough.
Okay but
he doesn't do that. He brings on news analysts that
always agree with him!! He's telling the viewer "see, see, verified across this objective journalist source!!! (Richard Wolffe or Dana Milbank come to mind). So, he' operating as if he's presenting this dissenting objective view. In this light, he's holding himself above O'Reilly. "I bring on real journalists, who analyze my opinions!" It's ever-so convenient that they always mirror his views.
Let's suppose he did give a mea culpa to his audience "look, I am under no pretense that I have any objectivity left". That would be a forthright and honest thing to do. But what would it do to his blasting of FOX News and Bill Oreilly which so many of his viewers eat up? What would that say about the "objective" analysts that come on his show? He can't do it. So he has to continue the charade of being intellectually dishonest. You see, his ratings are doing better than ever because people don't want him to be that. They want him to be like O'Reilly in much of the same regard that the people who watch O'Reilly want him to be just as he is.
O'Reilly for all his warts, many shared with Olbermann, will at the very least sit face to face with the people he lambastes. So my last shot at Olbermann, is not only is he intellectually dishonest, a hypocrite, a self important blowhard, and a jerk, he's also a coward. Watch how Rachel Maddow runs her show, and I would bet you'll see the difference in how an admitted liberal, opinionated talking head should be handling themselves. I hope she doesn't disappoint me but I am not as Left as she is but I appreciate her not insulting my intelligence every time I hear her speak.