I'm really upset right now...talk me back from the ledge

[PlanetBev]

I was listening to Randi Rhodes on the way back to work. I couldn't stomach watching the "debate" last night, so the only thing I knew about it was what was posting on DU.

She was playing clips from the narrative as the 10 Repukes took the stage. Chris Matthews and Howard Fineman were going on how "regal" they all looked and how re-assuring that kind of look was to the American people. They also said that he just didn't see that kind of thing with the Democrats in South Carolina. Then, to my horror, Keith Olberman joined in a started mouthing the same platitudes.

God, is that true? I expect this of Tweety and Fineman, but Keith???

How the hell are we supposed to win in 2008 in an environment like this? If the MSM has already coronated our next boy king, what hope do we have? :scared:

[Donnachaidh]

1. yup -- he DID join in.

And he still says NOTHING about Bill Moyers piece on Journalism. I'm not 100% happy with KO at the moment, either.

And that regal statement makes me want to :puke:

[Fridays Child]

2. Don't worry. Keith was just showing that he plays well with others.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. tweety was a laughing stock.

his presentation was inane (I think his blood sugar was whacked out)
his questions were insultingly stupid
only to be out done by the answers.

3 of those idiots actually think that evolution does not exist.

[Fresh_Start]

4. Two online polls would make you feel better

On poll 80% of the responders said that the debate did NOT make them feel better about any candidate.

On the other poll, McCain+Guiliani tanked after debate. Only the libertarian had net approval after the debate.

[Nia Zuri]

5. Regal = Rich, old ,white man

[melody]

6. The attempt to be "fair" which the sociopathic GOP uses against us every time

Tweety, of course, is a closet Republican, but Keith was doubtless trying to appear non-partisan.

[AX10]

8. Sadly, he was.

[orpupilofnature57]

7. KO's admonishments to Shrub are second to none , He states his views..

... unlike tweety that ambiguous Twit.http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/08/30/keith-olbermann-delivers-one-hell-of-a-commentary-on-rumsfeld/

[Phredicles]

9. Regal? REGAL? HOLY FUCKING SHIT!

I'd say this'll get Jefferson, Franklin, et al. spinning in their graves, except surely the last several years would have them already there.

Other that that: Yeah, regal, in the sense of inbred aristocratic buffoons with hemophilia and ugly protruding lips who meet their end in a basement in front of a revolutionary firing squad.

No, you don't see that sort of thing from the Democrats. Thank fucking goodness.:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[Cobalt-60]

19. All I see is a line of upholstered traitors

[NMDemDist2]

10. this will make you feel better, the people are smarter than you think

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x821517

[patrice]

11. It wasn't quite that bad.

McCain freaked everyone out by grinning as he talked about following OBL to the gates of hell.

Ron Paul gave short powerful answers that at minimum contrasted sharply with everything the others were saying and at maximum made them appear crazy in their answers about Iran. Paul, in fact, came in in the top 3 in the MSNBC Live poll.

Brownback was rude to his wife afterward.

Republican audience appeared to be dead the whole time, strong contrast to the life and enthusiasm of Democrats.

The leading Republican candidates, Pro-Lifers, said emotionally intense things about "elevating life" and the country could NOT have helped to notice that relative to their war-mongering over Iraq and Iran.

Lots of sucking up to Reagan going on = pretty sick looking if you aren't a Republican.

Bush's name was mentioned only once.

Oh, and did I mention, McCain prooved he's nuts several times.

[Morgana LaFey]

17. I said the other day I genuinely think he's got some form of

dementia. He's definitely not too young for Alzheimer's, but there are other types as well. I really mean it. Memory is a problem for dementia sufferers, but in addition things like "poor judgment" and inappropriate behaviors for the given social situation are both warning signs (symptoms) as well.

Or maybe he's on some meds that are giving him some side effects. SOMEthing is going on, mark my words.

[patrice]

24. There is ALWAYS a 1:1 ratio for the flip side to any of a person's "assets".

Extreme positive:Extreme negative.

The "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" remark was a concrete bookmark of the flip side of whatever it was that got McCain through his experience as a Viet Nam POW.

And trying to blow our concern off ". . . get a life" is absolute proof of a lack of respect for who we are. What of our other concerns might the man be-little and regard as ir-relevant? and as important - WHEN?

[Phredicles]

20. "sucking up to Reagan... = pretty sick looking if you aren't a Republican."

It is funny how they take such a unforgiving view of what goes on between consenting, living adults, while evidently necrophilia is just grand.

[patrice]

22. What else do you call it when people get all warm and tingly at the

mention of a name.

Take it from someone who has seen death up close and personal a few times over in the last 10 years, good people die all of the time, idolizing one and getting all hot about that idol and pumping all of that up to get others all suffused with artificial fervor is weird.

I prefer the truth.

[Berry Cool]

12. Wait just a minute. I was equally upset...at RANDI!

OK, I'm a Keith fan. No secret. Disclaimer right up front (as if no one could tell).

But I think I am being truly honest and making a fair assessment when I say this:

The impression I got from what Olbermann and Fineman said at the outset of the debate was only, ONLY, that they were making an observation as to the theater the Republicans were presenting and the image they were attempting to create--that is, a contrast to the image and theater presented by the Democrats last week. And that the theater and image they presented--the ten old men in the dark suits, marching in as one--was designed directly to appeal to their base, the kind of people to whom that image is the image that a President should project.

And I think they were absolutely right!

The Republicans WERE trying to project the theater and the image of a coronation, an image of "here comes the boss," of "here comes the Daddy Party." That is what they DO! They are the masters at it! And by doing so, they are appealing directly to the kind of authoritarian-lovers who vote for Republicans!

What, exactly, is wrong with saying that that is what they were doing last night--and that nobody does it better? Why did Randi Rhodes forget every Special Comment she's ever heard and say that Keith is fine "when he's on script" and when his "producers" are "controlling" him, but when he's "off script" he goes right back to kissing Repug ass? Does she even KNOW that were it up to Keith's producers, half his show would be about American Idol? Does she KNOW who writes Keith's Special Comments? It's not his producers--IT'S KEITH!

Olbermann and Fineman expressed no value judgments and mouthed no platitudes. They were simply commenting on the imagery that was being set before them. It is possible for journalists to comment on the imagery they are witnessing without passing a value judgment on it. What they were saying, in essence, was: "Well, here are the Republicans, doing what they do best! Like it or not!"

I, for one, was not offended by what they said. They were just telling the truth. The Democrats project a more diverse "We are family" image, and that appeals far more to their base than the image of ten old white men in suits marching in lockstep. However, when it comes to old white men in suits marching in lockstep trying to present a "regal," "coronation"-like image (because it implies they simply BELONG in power), the Republicans win the prize. What's wrong with saying so?

Why is it that some people can't see that? Why is it that unless Keith delivers a Special Comment about how disgusting a display it is to see the Republicans be--well--Republicans, that people think he is drinking the conservative Kool-Aid? Why can't people understand that hosting a debate is not the time and place for him to be delivering opinions--and he knows it?

Something tells me that when Countdown comes on tonight, we will get an earful of what Keith thought about last night. But last night was not the time to be saying it. And it's not fair at all to lump him in with Tweety and his stupid butt-kissing questions as moderator. He didn't write the questions (even Tweety didn't write all of them). Nor is it fair to say Fineman was being suckered in by the pageantry. All he was doing was saying "Well, here they are, doing their pageantry thing." That's it. Period.

[liberalla]

13. Yes, I've been wondering if KO will respond and explain all the

royalty comments on his show tonight. I'm a huge Olbermann fan AND a huge Randi fan. I was watching Olbermann live last night when these comments were being made. I was vaguely repulsed by all the 'appearing regal' talk. Mainly bothered because it was Keith saying it! I would expect it from almost anyone else, but him going on about it really gave me the creeps. I was glad to hear Randi discuss it.

In that format, I would not expect him to bash the candidates. I would expect him to be professional and neutral. It bothered me that he was so deferential.

You could say the candidates were 'mindful' of the location of the debate and their presence in the Reagan cathedral, and that they were behaving in a very respectful and serious manner... but using the 'regal' descriptor and other royal terms (coronation, procession, etc.) was WAY too much!

[RevCheesehead]

14. You ought to send this post to Randi.

Yes, I distinctly remember the word "Theater" being used at the beginning. I think someone also added that having Air Force One hanging overhead added to the effect, as well as being somewhat disconcerting.

Smoke and mirrors, folks. :)

[MasonJar]

15. I am surprised about Fineman too; he always seems quite lucid

and sensible on KO's show. Tweety is a traitor, as is that former dem George S. and I do not mean Soros.

[Berry Cool]

16. Keith and Howard are, from my experience, not taken in by image like Tweety.

They were just describing what they saw. Not validating it.

[CC]

18. So Keith used the word

"regal" to describe a bunch of repuke white guys and we are getting upset? We that live in a country that was the anathema to monarchies in its beginning and should be still. He called a bunch of old white men that act as though they are owed it all who are running for the highest office in our land, and office set up so it could never be seen as, used as, become a monarchy "regal" and no one else saw it as an insult? A good ad person could take clips of all the theater, ceremony and regal comments and turn it against every single one of the repuke candidates.

[illinoisprogressive]

21. the msm is way behind the rest of the country. They still cannot fathom the gop lost in Nov.

They are still on the same page as if it was November 2004. They still do not understand that the democrats won, that the American people cannot stomach Jr, that the people want the democrats to run the country and Pelosi to take over the war, that democrats don't want Hillary, that the people are against republicans, all republicans and that the world is like it was in Novemeber 2004. They live in the fantasy that Bush is still king, the kings men are still in control of the congress and the poeple want it that way, believe all this shit and want us to live under gop rules.
Hell, even farmers around here like the democrats running things. But, the stupid msm still don't understand and cannot comprehend it. And, no one is listening to them anymore. The msm cannot understand that either. That the american people do not listen to the msm and they have no relevance in people's lives anymore.

[otohara]

23. That Was Keith Trying to Sound Fair & Balanced

albeit nauseating as hell - I about threw up then I read the Times story about Ghouliani complaining to MSNBC about KO and it all made sense. Here's the story
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-AP-on-TV-Olberm..