"I don't vote. It's a symbolic gesture."

[Amerigo Vespucci]

View hosts chastise Olbermann for not voting
David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Published: Monday November 10, 2008

When MSNBC's Keith Olbermann accepted an invitation to appear on ABC's The View on Monday, he may have felt he had ample reason to be nervous. "Wish me good luck," he told his own audience in announcing the upcoming inquisition.

"No wonder you're afraid," crowed Barbara Walters. "For years, Countdown with Keith Olbermann -- and MSNBC -- has been Republican-bashing headquarters. But what is the future of the show now, now that your people are in? What are you going to do, Keith Olbermann?"

"Welcome, by the way," Walters added more cordially. "Are you scared to death to be with us? We hope so."

"Then good, yes, I am," Olbermann replied obligingly.

The program's hosts then began to lay into Olbermann over everything from his on-air partisanship to his attempts to avoid partisanship by not voting.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck led off, asking "What do you say to critics who claim you've been particularly soft on Democrats?"

"I run that question past Senator Clinton, because she didn't think I was easy on her," Olbermann replied. "She's still kind of mad at me. ... They don't invite me to the parties any more," he added, hanging his head in mock-sorrow.

"Bill O'Reilly hates you," suggested Joy Behar.

"Who?" asked Olbermann.

"He doesn't hate you, he says you hate him," Behar amplified. "I said to him, 'Why does Keith Olbermann hate you,' and he said 'Because he's jealous of me.' How do you respond to that?"

"What was the name again?" Olbermann responded, causing the show's hosts to break up.

Hasselbeck, however, was quick to return to the attack. "I was watching a football game one time and you snuck in there this Palin comment," she noted, referring to an incident in October which was publicized by Michelle Malkin and widely repeated by conservative bloggers. "I thought, 'You know, even in my football game, Keith, why?' You just can't hold back at all?"

"I actually said, 'Would I say this if I was still just being a sportscaster?'" Olbermann replied. "Is it enough of a cultural reference? ... And I said, 'I think so.'" He added, "There was some restraint involved."

"You're going to have trouble now, aren't you?" Walters asked, as she had at the start of the show. "Now that the people you like most are in."

"They could easily screw up," Olbermann retorted, insisting that he will say so if they do. However, he readily admitted that he hopes Sarah Palin will stick around because "she's an unending font of material."

"I was reading that you don't vote," Behar stated. "Did you really mean that, and did you vote this time?"

"I don't vote," Olbermann confirmed. "It's the only thing I can do that suggests, even, that I don't have a horse in the race."

"Then how can you be angry and have a platform if you don't vote?" asked Sherri Shepherd.

"It's a symbolic gesture," Olbermann explained.

"It's a bad role model, I'm sorry" commented Behar tartly.

As the hosts began talking over one another, Walters shushed them to give Olbermann a concluding plug for his show. "Oh, forgive me, master," she begged. "I just don't want to be the Worst Person this week."

This video is from ABC's The View, broadcast November 10, 2008: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/View_hosts_chastise_Olbermann_for_not_1110.html

[amdezurik]

1. too bad Kieth didn't call Babs on her lying

about the transition from Clinton to dumbaya, she really needs to be reminded what honest means.

[navarth]

2. Interesting. Do they talk that way about Hannity or Rush?

I must admit I am surprised that Keith says he doesn't vote. The 'symbolic gesture' thing is perplexing.

But he does enough to help that it's going to take a hell of a lot more than that to get me mad at him.

Go KO!!

[ogneopasno]

3. Ouch. I just lost some respect for him.

[Oregone]

4. Why?

[ogneopasno]

5. Because he doesn't vote.

[Oregone]

7. What about that makes you lose respect for him?

[ogneopasno]

9. I think voting is a civic duty, and when people don't, I lose respect for them.

[Oregone]

10. Thinking doesn't make it so.

Some think saluting the flag is a civic duty, as is sacrificing one's life for the state. But these are merely thoughts, and not universal truths. I lose respect for people who hold highly lofty and stringent ideas about civic duty, based on dogma rather than rationalization.

[ogneopasno]

11. We agree, then,

that respecting someone or not is a highly personal decision.

[tekisui]

19. If he doesn't vote, he is in no position to criticize elected officials.

[Oregone]

21. First admendment speech is dependent upon "civic duty"?

I thought free speech was just that: free. Being a citizen he is in the ultimate position to criticize any elected official at any time he wants.

[tekisui]

23. Legally, yes. But, one loses all credibility

if they do not act. If you don't vote, you don't exist to the politicians and your voice is meaningless.

[Oregone]

24. Credibility is rather arbitrary I guess...

I would judge a journalist's credibility on their impartial and truthful reporting in a consistent manner, rather than who they did or did not vote for (or their choice to abstain from the process).

Its silly to say a journalist doesn't have credibility because they didn't participate in an act completely unrelated to their job function. People who lie are not credible, but people who do not vote?!? Come on now.

Credible: capable of being believed; "completely credible testimony"; "credible information"

[tekisui]

25. I say an American loses credibility

for not participating. Occupation is irrelevant. If one doesn't vote, I don't give a damn about what they think is wrong.

[Oregone]

26. So people must perform acts as a prerequistie for being taken seriously by you?

Why set the bar so low with voting? Hell, some people use military service as thresh hold for having a valuable opinion. Some may only take you seriously if you not only voted, but voted Republican. Maybe we should only give a damn about what people think who can sing the Star Spangled Banner in perfect Falsetto. Or how about only take people seriously who are legally married with children? Lets start subdividing up the American population into small groups of those who are "credible" real Americans, and those who are worthless shit because they do not meet arbitrary standards.

[tekisui]

27. I am just saying,

if you don't vote, you do not exist to the elected representatives. Seriously. It is the easiest and most basic act. People don't have to vote, of course, I respect their right to do whatever they want.

But, if they do not vote, and then open their mouths to complain about those in power, I won't listen. It has nothing to do, for me, with Patriotism, or civic duty. Only that one who does not take that basic action does not register in the representative's decision making process. How can I even listen to their complaint when they refuse to voice it in the place where it matters?

[Oregone]

28. Complaints are meant to be voiced in the public forum. That is where free speech matters

Votes are meant to be cast in an election, where they matter. A complaint is not and will never be a vote.

Although one may not exist to the representative as a fraction of a hundredth of a percent, they can exist in the public forum to influence hundreds of thousands of others with the power of free speech (which does impact that representative that they supposedly do not exist to).

No one should have to perform any act to be considered American enough to be "credible". Frankly, it is a really dangerous precedent to set. Judge those on the content that they contribute, especially journalists, rather than an irrelevant act they may or may not do in their free time that is considered private. Your reasoning gives Bill Reilly more means to complain than someone who bases their career on the pursuit of truth. This is not an approach consistent with a fair and reasonable society.

"How can I even listen to their complaint when they refuse to voice it in the place where it matters?"

[loyalkydem]

6. While

I am disappointed that he didn't vote, I haven't lost any respect for him at all. I can tolerate him more than i can tolerate Lou Dobbs

[nomorenomore08]

17. Dobbs is just repulsive - his voice, his over-whitened teeth, his race-baiting over immigration...

While he may occasionally make a decent comment that I agree with, overall I can't stand the guy.

[Idealism]

8. Keith said in the end of the clip

that if he lived in more of a battleground state, he would certainly vote. But honestly, what is 1 more Democratic vote in New York going to do... I agree voting is paramount to a democracy but he is doing more for this country than 1 vote in a highly democratic state currently can. Go KO!

[kenny blankenship]

12. "I don't vote- it's my way of giving myself the finger"

Dumbass.

[RichardRay]

13. It has only been recently that it was considered ethical for

journalists to vote, and there are still some folks around in the profession (to the extent the 'profession' still exists).

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Exactly right.

Much the same as so many, many active duty military not voting - it is their duty to serve whomever is CIC, and taking a partisan stance can interfere with their call to duty. At least, that's the way it was 30 years ago. My mom told me recently that she & my dad didn't vote from 1964 to 1990, when they retired and settled to civilian life. I had never realized it, even though I grew up on bases around the world.

Journalists would not vote, or take an active part in politics because they had to report impartially on all politicians. Olberman doesn't pick on conservative politicians because he is so biased - it's just that they make it so easy.

[malletgirl02]

16. I didn't know this.

Thanks for the information

[ogneopasno]

18. Many newsrooms discourage their reporters and copy editors from participating in caucuses

because it requires a public show of support.

[RichardRay]

29. My dad was chief of the desk at several dailies around the

country before he moved into better position at the CSM. He worked the 'slot', passing paper copy out to the guys on the 'rim' back in the day when there were those cool pneumatic systems that carried hard copy from one part of the building to another.

He voted, but never campaigned publicly after Adlai Stevenson's second defeat. He also recommended that his team avoided any public statements of support or preference. Vote if you want to, just don't talk about it. In those days being a journalist meant something pretty important to the folks who pursued the profession. I don't think it's so true anymore...

[ogneopasno]

31. Being a journalist is very important to those who pursue it now.

They certainly aren't in it for the money.

I disagree with forbidding journalists from participating in caucuses. God forbid you have smart, involved, civic-minded people in that profession.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. He doesn't vote?

Ouch.

[bunkerbuster1]

30. I could see abstaining from the national election, and voting for local races.

For the traditional reasons cited above. (Keith doesn't really cover the local stuff on his show, so he wouldn't have a dog in that hunt.)

[mrreowwr_kittty]

20. I understand there are many journalists and reporters who don't vote

For them, it's to ensure they are impartial as possible. Most of the ones I know personally are registered as Independents.

[DarbyUSMC]

22. Keith and George Carlin probably have the same view.

http://www.icomedytv.com/Comedies/StandUpComedy/tabid/484/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/797/George-Carlin--On-Voting-with-transcript-0419.aspx

[elshiva]

32. Interesting. I think he is a good role model, but I think all Americans

should vote. I am a Democrat who lives in a very Blue State, Maryland, but I like to be able to participate in the process of government. I guess KO does participate by his commentary, but still a vote is also a private thing. He doesn't have to advertise who he'll vote for on his show.

Also, I think everyone has a right to free speech, whether they vote or they don't vote.