I am another “Worst Person” alumnus — or whatever we should call ourselves — who thinks that the firing, or suspension, of Olbermann is a crock. Of course he supports Democratic candidates. He supports them every time he opens his mouth (unless his words backfire, which I trust they do). But what about that policy? Apparently, Olbermann’s network forbids employees to make donations to candidates. Did he know about this? In any case, “Olbie” is his network’s problem . . .
I am an opinion journalist — have you been able to tell? — but I have never given to political candidates. Except to a dear friend of mine, who was running. I am not proud of my non-giving, however. I think that donating to candidates you admire, or want to see succeed, is honorable. I wish I’d had a million to give to Sharron Angle. I wish I’d had the whole of George Soros’s fortune to give to Bob Ehrlich. (Would it have mattered in Maryland?) I wish I’d had a pile to give to Christine. The more they dumped on her, the more I liked her.
By the way, everyone keeps saying that Republicans blew the Delaware seat. Fine. What do you want to do, cancel primaries? Trip the voters as they walk to the polls? Threaten to key their cars? Chloroform anyone who wants to run against the party’s anointed guy or gal? Candidates used to be chosen by backroom men. For that matter, senators used to be appointed. “Those were the days.” (You can sing along with Archie and Edith.)
Anyway, back to Olbermann: The guy is obviously an advocate and a partisan. All the donations tell me is that he’s not a cheapskate.
P.S. Speaking of Edith: I saw Jean Stapleton the other day, and she looked wonderful.
P.P.S. For a piece I wrote on Olbermann, or concerning Olbermann — a poisonous character, in my experience — go here.
P.P.P.S. Years ago, in the early ’80s, the mother of a friend of mine had trouble remembering the name of The McLaughlin Group. She would refer to the show as “those people that yell.” The McLaughlin Group then was a meeting of Trappist monks compared with the style of television now, I gather.
Why look a gift horse in the mouth.
The private business is allowed to hire, fire or suspend a work with out the government or a union interfering. The business gets to look like an anti-free speech prig for doing so and Olbermann is a least shown to be a hypocrite for his past statement on this very matter. Heck even Olbermann himself might take it as a win (I know I'm reaching here)because of all the free publicity he is receiving.
Besides Olbermann is a jerk and had it coming karmaticly, after all play with fire often enough and you will get burned.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBryan Fischer here, with the American Family Association. I have received one bronze and one silver from the esteemed Mr. Olbmermann, and so I'm miffed that he and now MSNBC are depriving me of any shot at the gold. I'd be happy to have my name added to the petition to save Keith Olbermann.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Apparently, Olbermann’s network forbids employees to make donations to candidates. Did he know about this?"
Hey, Nordlinger, what color is the sky in your world?
If you keep twisting around trying to rationalize Olby's flagrant disregard for policy, or not even having the intelligence to at least ask HR, or his boss about his plans, you are going to look like some peculiar modern art form.
I miss WFB. The current staff of this once-proud publication is clueless.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRegarding The McLaughlin Group, my daughter gave them another name in the 80's. A preschooler at the time, she called it "the bad manners show." She is now a young woman who still dislikes political discourse that renders more heat than light.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIn regards to "Republicans blew the Delaware seat" - I think that's true (and happen to be happy with the result). I think that your remedies are obviously silly and you don't mean for people to take them seriously.
I think that most people would be happy to learn the the lesson since the past is past. She was way outside what most people thought was an electable candidate in Delaware, especially state-wide with no gerrymandering to support her.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse“By the way, everyone keeps saying that Republicans blew the Delaware seat. Fine. What do you want to do, cancel primaries? Trip the voters as they walk to the polls? Threaten to key their cars? Chloroform anyone who wants to run against the party’s anointed guy or gal?”
I just thought the criticism was meant to be directed at the voters (and, I guess, influential folks like Sarah Palin who endorsed Christine O’Donnell). — specifically, I thought it was directed at the voters’ decisions in the primaries rather than about someone else’s decision to allow the voters to make those (putatively) poor decisions. But maybe I’m reading different criticisms.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe McLaughlin Group was the first, in my experience, to make that transition from a talking heads show to a screaming heads show, which was my affectionate name for them, back before (nearly) every other such show followed suit. Now they seem positively gentle in comparison to the norm. Maybe they just got tired?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMcLaughlin was the old man's favorite show, 7:30PM Friday night was a holy time (I can remember more than one family outing that was hurried along to make it home before the start).
Though he would always be annoyed whenever I asked whether it was *really* necessary to make the point at the end that the show was unscripted -- could anybody actually confuse all those old people snapping at and talking over each other for scripted programming?
Nowadays, 8:30PM on Friday nights is still a special time, at least on the DVR. Always love to hear what Mr. Zuckerman has to say and Eleanor "The Turtle" Clift is almost always good for a laugh.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJay, you always make me smile. (That's a compliment, by the way.) Your hilarious comments about the Maryland race couldn't be more accurate. What was the state GOP supposed to do? Their primary voters got the candidate they wanted. Yeah, democracy is the worst of all systems except...yadda-yadda.
It's just how the primary shook out. I wish this could be explained to some of the O'Donnell-bashers. Anyway, her defeat will make little difference in the new Senate and less than little difference in the next election. Unless a miracle economic recovery turns Obama and the Democrats enormously popular, the GOP will have a tough time avoiding control of the Senate in 2012.
The Republicans will only have to defend ten Senate seats, almost all of them safe. The Democrats will have twenty-three seats to defend, a lot of them unsafe at any speed. You don't have to be a political wizard to predict this outcome.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDid I say Maryland? Meant Delaware. At least nobody's saying the GOP blew a chance in Maryland.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJay - Word to the wise. If someone is paying you $4M per year and you have 300 viewers don't break ANY of their rules.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe final post script has me smiling. Mson was in preschool (in the late 1980's). When asked what shows were on TV on Friday night, he would respond: "Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser" followed by "The Show with the People Who Yell at Each Other". This was in direct contrast with "The Show Where the People Don't Yell at Each Other But The Guy has Talks a Little Funny" (Firing Line)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think it rather hypocritical that MSNBC would donate millions of dollars in free air time to Democratic candidates in the form of the shows they host and then complain when one of the hosts donates a couple thousand.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe days when Senators were appointed weren't so great. On the other hand, the idea of repealing the 17th isn't all bad, not by any means!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFor completely selfish motives, all conservatives should work to maximize the number of condescending left-wing flamers on TV.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe more they dumped on Christine, the more you liked her.
Jay, you wrote a few weeks back that she had the best smile in public life. Well, I worked with Christine back in 2001, and she's as nice as her smile indicates.
The way she was treated was an abomination.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAmen on Christine Jay. Personally, I am tired of seeing her kneecapped by those on the right. We were also told Marco Rubio shouldn't buck the establishment in FL, or for that matter, Reagan was too conservative to win.
If we really want to turn this nation around, Sen. DeMint needs ground troops. It's our job to see that he gets those. Good riddance to Mike Castle!
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse