Posted on 04/25/2008 8:21:20 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
This is getting ridiculous. On Wednesday night’s Countdown, Keith Olbermann and Howard Fineman, discussing Hillary Clinton’s continued presence in the Democratic nominating contest, conducted the following exchange:
Fineman: What this is going to require…is some adults somewhere in the Democratic party to step in and stop this thing, like a referee in a fight that could go on for thirty rounds. That’s what’s going on. Those are the super, super, super delegates who are going to have to really decide this.
Olbermann: Right. Somebody who can take her into a room and only he comes out.
You can watch the exchange here: [Video at link]
There’s been an outcry (though not, tellingly, in the mainstream press) against Olbermann’s comments, most of it crying sexism. Which could be right, to be sure—but I’m not completely convinced. (You could certainly build a case for sexism based on the many other inappropriate things Keith Olbermann has said about Hillary Clinton; in this instance, however, the Olbermannian impropriety seems rooted in its wink-wink suggestion of violence, rather than the fact that that suggestion was directed at a woman.)
Regardless. There’s really no getting around the core problem here: that a prominent newsman suggested, on national television, that a candidate for the presidency of the United States should be beaten up (or worse). Even being generous and leaving aside the sexism/violence stuff…it was a stupid thing for Olbermann to say. Not “stupid” as in “inappropriate”—although it’s that, too—but “stupid” as in “intellectually vapid” and “insipid” and “a waste of everyone’s time.” There’s so much that the press, reporters and commentators alike, could be talking about right now when it comes to the campaign—and when it comes to everything else that’s going on in the world. Instead, here’s one of the most powerful men in the media, a man who can boast an audience of nearly a million viewers each night, vocally amusing himself at the image of the Democratic superdelegates “deciding” the nomination by beating up the second-place candidate. It’s frustrating. It’s insulting. It’s baffling.
Olbermann uses Edward R. Murrow’s famous words—“Good night, and good luck”—as a sign-off in his own Countdown broadcast. That never made sense to me; why call attention to greatness when you yourself are so far from it? But today, the day that would have been Murrow’s 100th birthday, the comparison seems especially ironic. And especially sad.
Update: Per a wonderfully thoughtful piece from Salon’s Joan Walsh: looks like Olbermann has apologized—sort of—for the remark.
“It is a metaphor. I apologize: the generic ‘he’ gender could imply something untoward,” Olbermann said, in a statement MSNBC spokesperson Alana Russo forwarded me a few minutes ago. “It should’ve been ‘only the other comes out — from a political point of view.’”
Olberman thinks he is funny.....however, femma-nazi hysteria aside.....he is TRYING to be funny. We are allowed to crack jokes here, even if they are bad jokes. Nobody actually believes someone should beat her up....point being someone tough enough to tell her to drop out, WITHOUT A LAMP LODGED IN HIS FOREHEAD.
If people have problem with Olberman then they must also hate O’Reilly and Hannity and Colmes.....because they are also guys who give their OPINIONS........the format is same is Bill O’Reilly........He declares people “Patriots or Pinheads” all day.....even proudly brags about pushing some security guard at Obama rally......that is actual violence.....I LOVED IT. He is crazy, and its OK to be crazy.
This is just Hildabeasts’ campaign using gender-card to gain sympathy and donations.
Pleeeease let me take KO into a room.
Why reward him.
Have you noticed "they" ALL think they are funny...like at those dinners when W and VP Cheney really ARE funny, and then the Dem comedians get up and try; but their sophomoric humor is simply pathetic.
Indeed. I suggested a duel in Paraguay, to only country in which it is still legal. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992951/posts
Well just think, next January 20th........Hill and Hussein can start campaigning for the 2012 election.
I agree with you Nord, just not sure what liberals are exactly. LOL
Yeah, they all think they are killing people with humor......they laugh at their own jokes....and I am sure interns behind the camera laugh loud enough to convince them.........
The only guy who is funny is the host of ‘Red Eye’.....Greg Gutfeld. Sick jokes but funny as hell. They should give him some more responsibility........
Is Olbermann advocating rape and violence against women?
It certainly looks that way to me.
Let Olberdork be the one to go into that room with Hillary and it’s a sure bet that SHE will be the one to emerge unscathed...... he will be beaten to a pulp and gagged with his own panties.......
Threatening Hillary?
Nice move, King Sociopath Olbermann.
I can’t stand Olberman. Every time I see him I get simultaneous urges to vomit, and/or punch him out. He gets the title of “The Worst Whinniest Person in the World”
This idiot is the loony left’s favorite talking head. That says all you need to know about both of them. The retard wasn’t smart enough to be a sportscaster, so they made him a far-left “commentator”, and the loons ate it up. He appeals to the typical leftist, an arrogant moron who thinks he’s a genius, and that anybody who disagrees with him is an idiot. Truth is, he’s the biggest idiot of all. Somebody is going to clean his clock someday, and I hope it’s captured on tape.
wahahahahaha thats funny
Keith Olbermann isn’t effeminate, he’s just creepy and perverted. The kind of guy you find lurking in hallways.
I hear he’s the one who tied the string around Richard Quest’s junk...
I’m sure Keith will be lurking outside that room, peeking through the keyhole, when Hillary gets grabbed and dragged in. But Keith can’t perform himself, that’s why he just likes to watch.
I beleive thats true. Put the Beast and Olby in a room and Olby will be drooling and pissing himself and crying for his Mommy.
I'm going to even be cruel and say I'd like to see her smack those metro-sexual glasses off his melon and across the floor.
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