TVSquad

Yes. Saying: "You messed this up" solves nothing. Saying: "Here's how I'd fix it..." shows superiority.

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The problem is that no one else in the MSM is saying enough about BushCo messing things up in a clear and truthful fashion, and certainly never with the eloquence Keith does. So Keith fills that role, and should be congratulated for teling it like it is.

And frankly you could argue that Keith explains his views - that fighting the Iraq war is wrong, that you shouldnt torture, spy, and withdraw the right of habeaus corpus, that BuschCo are liars - quite well. I'm convinced.

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Saying what you wouldn't do is easy. Saying it from a position of commentator is even easier-- no one remembers or cares whether you were dead wrong once the issue is past. And saying it from the position of a low-rated commentator is even easier-- if a tree falls in the woods and no one hears and all that.

Olbermann, and many other commentators, restrict their commentary to backbiting, as opposed to putting ideas forward. You can't really be wrong I guess when you have ZERO ideas.

Claiming habeas corpus has been withdrawn doesn't make it so. It's been done before, but not by Bush. And really detaining innocents without any cause or trial has been done before too-- by FDR. Real domestic spying has been done before too, but not by Bush. We're nowhere near any of that. We're nowhere near violating the Geneva Convention either, which is a contract between nations that agree to it-- not our enemies today.

I think a commentator can do his or her job however they see fit. I think ratings and results speak for themselves, and I for one am ecstatic Olbermann is there to show what the alternative viewpoint is.

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"...do you think news analysis like him, on any side of the political debate, spend too much time saying what's wrong and not enough time explaining why their view is right?"

Yes, but it must work on some people because this technique seems to have made a lot of money for conservative pundits in recent years.

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maybe olbermann is preachy, but so what. i am so relieved that it's someone other than bill o'reilly and sean hannity. was anyone else as tired of and bored with that foxandfriends crowd as i. kudos to keith! right on, bro!

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I agree with the column. I really enjoy watching "Countdown", but my problem with the show is that it appears to be the same stories and the same commentary on the show. Keith seems to focus on the same stories, get reaction from the same reporters, make the same opinions, editorals & comments over and over again. Again, I agree with Keith on the stories "Coutndown" covers, but I don't want to hear the same topic every single day. I wish he would add variety more often to the line up. If I could, I would show Keith old episodes of "Newsnight" with Aaron Brown on CNN. His show was always different & even if the story was the same, the reaction was from different people or different angles were looked at. "Newsnight" was a good program and Keith could definetly take a few bits from that show, since Anderson Cooper hasn't.

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He's just doing it because nobody watches his show. It attracts buzz he hopes to turn into viewers - case in point.

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Geez. The right has all the pundit bullies, Hannity, O'Reilly, Ingraham, Medved, Limbaugh, et al. We have ONE who decries the right and the president and his lies and we take him to task?
I think Olbermann is doing a fine job. Keep hammering. You know why the right uses the bully pulpiut? To fire up the radical right base. So, what's wrong with having a national voice who understands how to cut through the noise of pop culture (he was a freaking sportscaster, fer chrissake) and can fire up our base.
More power to ya, Keith.
I'm tired of the left having to be the good guys who don't play the game....

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It was an effective ploy at first, just preaching to the choir now.

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At least there is someone to counter Fox propaganda.

I look forward to all his comments, and there is one planned for Monday 10/23. I just wish they were 6-7 minutes long as compared to 9-10.

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HE HAS TO KEEP HAMMERING AWAY AS I AM NOW BECAUSE HE'S THE ONLY NEWS MAN OUT THERE TELLING THE TRUTH. I guess Bush had nothing the CEO that owns NBC wanted badly enough to sell out to him like ALL the other networks and cable news outlets. And it is not only Fox.

GO KEITH GO. As long as there are idiots out there who still haven't gotten it that they're being led to the slaughter unless there part of the Billionaire's club, we need people like you to counter all the Republican talking heads who only use the Administration's talking points or referring to Bill Clinton's administration when challenged...because they don't have the facts to back up the lies they perpetuate.

VOTE VOTE VOTE!

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"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it."

Had people criticized Edward R. Murrow for being too preachy, imagine where we'd be.

First comes waking people up to the truth -- and at this point, I think it DOES take some volume and some repetition to break through to folks. THEN comes figuring out how to fix it.

Isn't it a wonder that the more Olbermann speaks out, the more his ratings go up, while other tired right wing pundits are losing numbers fast? A ratings ploy? Well, he seems to be doing something right.

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Get one thing straight ...Keith Olbermann preaches HIS OPINIONS, not the truth. No on knows what Bush is doing is right or not. Iraq has always been a long term and Bush stated this from the start. History (like 50 years from now) will judge Bush and not some schmuck like Olbermann.

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Does anyone else see the irony that the GOP will attack Clinton as a philanderer and adulterer whenever they get the chance, but just last week Bush was stumping for a congressman who, not only had a 5 year LONG AFFAIR!!!! But also, allegedly, beat his mistress? I say allegedly even though there is a 911 call to back it up. Monica didn't call 911, she just talked about how much she was in love with the Prez. How do the red staters (kool aid drinkers) not see the double standard that is being fed them?

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Unless he actually has a plan for Iraq, hes just another whiny liberal blowhard - John Kerry anyone?

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I think he does a fine job getting his point across. My problem is he now does a "Special Comment" at least 1-2 a week! They are no longer special now.

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One more thing... Olberman knows that Bush messed up and Olbermann realizes that doesn't know how to fix it. His point is that Bush will never admit to messing up, and that's the problem. Bush just says everything is fine, Dickhead says that Iraq is "relitively good" and all this bullshit. The first step is admiting you have a problem, Bush can't seem to do that.

And Olberman says more truth then the President.

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too preachy? have you seen Lou DObbs recently?

i admit to being a 'blue stater', but Dobbs seems to be a bit off his rocker. Olberman is paid to be a bit off the wall (thats why hes not in the 6pmEST slot. (remember, Olberman is a SportsCenter Alum).

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Olberman's ratings are up dramatically since he has started his rants. Sure some might argue that he needs to complain less and provide more substance, but obviously he is filling a void and providing something people want to see.

For millions of Americans who are frustrated with the inept Administration running our country, it is refreshing to see ANYONE in the main stream media say anything objectionable to the Bush Administration.

They are inept, corrupt, and destroying the country. Thank God they only have 2 more years before we can start recovering.

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Olbermann is making Edward R. Murrow proud and I for one am glad he gave up sportscasting.

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