Aaron Brown: Olbermann Is "Smarter, Funnier, Better Read, And Eminently More Talented" Than O'Reilly

Aaron Brown is back. Earlier this week, it was reported that he will be joining PBS' "Wide Angle" show and now, in an interview with TVNewser's Gail Shister, he's throwing punches and taking sides in the Olbermann-O'Reilly battle:

Brown says he never felt like a real cable guy. That doesn't exclude him from having opinions about it, thankfully.

His take on the battle at 8 p.m. between MSNBC and Fox News Channel, for example:

Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly "are both larger-than-life figures," he says, but Olbermann is "smarter, funnier, better read and eminently more talented."

Read Shister's entire interview here.

Comments

[mikeboy31903]

Way to go Keith! I love Countdown, though I think Keith gets a little carried away with the speed of his speech.

[mesuki]

Keith's show is the only program that I watch from MSM.I love Keith,he tells the truth without degrading people....Bill O'reilly is an asshole. he's arrogant ,narcissistic and an old windbag....I wouldn't watch Fox News if they were the only News on TV.

[noamjunior]

seriosly though, you are being WAY to soft on Dill dO'Reilly

[UnbiasView]

You would think the guy that is "more talented" would produce better results.

[noamjunior]

yea- you probabnly think the most talented singers are the ones that win American Idol, too

[Redrover666]

Not withstanding American Idol, it would seem that in America talent has the opportunity to rise to the top.

Olbermann, on the other hand has had a mediocre career, works at a mediocre network and enjoys a mediocre audience.

Olbermann is not be taken seriously by anyone but a few on the far left who's views he specifically caters to. He is frequently compelled to make bombastic, attention getting remarks to remind us all that he is still in the broadcasting industry.

Conservatives really, honestly don't care what he has to say, don't get upset about it and don't consider him worth notice, much less any other emotion. He is of no significance to a conservative. However, I am glad you appreciate his show and wish you many more years of television enjoyment.

[AZDemocrat500]

They are two ego maniacs who feel thay are bigger than the news they report. This is what the media has become, personalities instead of substance.

[susane07]

Duh (re: Olbermann better than O'Reilly)

[rgblue]

Great to hear Aaron is coming back. He got the shaft from CNN.

I never heard why he was let go, but assumed it was because Wolf Blitzer wanted Anderson Cooper's spot (ratings) and they couldn't get rid of Anderson because of his stellar coverage at the time. They should have let Paula go, put Wolf in her spot and kept Aaron. Oh well, their loss.

I still like Anderson in the 7PM spot way better than Wolf, and still miss Aaron.

[REDSTATEREFUGEE]

Olbermann smarter and more talented than Billo? No, duh.....Even Stevie Wonder could see that. Oh, I forgot: a sizeable audience still regards BO as authentic. Never mind.....

[Wanjiru]

...ok, Dr. Obvious...


.

[cla62]

But still nobody watches the hack Blowberman. Are we the American people the stupid ones, or are the partisan hacks like brown the stupid ones. I think the statistics speak for themselves

[noamjunior]

do you also think that Pro - wrestling must be more real than boxing because it gets better ratings?

[sola12]

if no one watches him why is he soooo popular? he is THE only voice of reason in this messed up world !!!

[KaylaL]

Agree completely. I lonly watch KO now. I hate watching shows where you have to listen to all these stupid people make their stupid cases. KO only ever has smart guests on, like Eugene Robinson and Jonathan Alter, respected newspaper and newsmagazine ediorts; or people with their own respected shows like Rachel Maddow. This means that for at least half an hour a day, you can listen to good common sense.

[POINT84]

I think its an insult to even compare the two.

[queensboro]

Ya Think? as my children would say to an obvious answer, Duh!

[Skool80]

I love KO as much as the next guy, but this isn't much of a compliment.

My DOG is "smarter, funnier, better read and eminently more talented" than Bill O'Riley.

[Redrover666]

I don't doubt that your dog would seem that way to you and that O'Reilly would seem so not amusing.
I imagine your dog likes to play and fetch and do all sorts of silly things that you can easily understand.

Now, on the other hand, I bet when you see the moving images of O'Reilly on your daddy's television and hear him speaking, it must be very confusing and frustrating for you.

[demlover1]

I used to think Olbermann was great and O'Reilly horrible when Olberman used to bash Fox and Bush all the time. After watching Olbermann's dismal performance the last few months on the Obama love fest train, I have changed my thinking. Bill O' Reilly is a bit of a far right propagandaist, although not nearly as bad as Coulter, Limbaugh and some of the vicious far right people. He does at times try to have both sides of an issue although he uses way too many right wing analysts. But truthfully, I don't know which candidate he supports in this election as of yet, so he's obviously not that unbalanced as I used to find him.
Sadly, Olbermann has become a left-wing propagandaist who has a position and then twists the facts to support his position. If Obama had been for the gas tax holiday and Clinton against it, you would likely have heard Olbermann and Air America railing against Clinton for making us pay high taxes. Give me the facts, give me balanced analysis with both sides of an issue presented and then let me decide what I think. Olbermann doesn't feel he has to adhere to real jounarlistic standards. He has his mouthpiece and intends on arrogantly shoving his views down our throats with his little band of sycophantic pundits who he puts onto parrot his beliefs. Why not have on the opposing view? Is he so insecure that he couldn't stand having someone challenge his beliefs.

[jayburd]

"If Obama had been for the gas tax holiday and Clinton against it, you would likely have heard Olbermann and Air America railing against Clinton for making us pay high taxes."

That's unfair speculation. The same economic analysts who have criticized McCain and Clinton's far fetched idea would have done the same thing if Obama had jumped on the bandwagon. Keith aligns himself with Obama because he aligns himself with common sense and truth, which is can no longer be said of Hillary or Bill Clinton.

"Olbermann doesn't feel he has to adhere to real jounarlistic standards."

Hardly any newspeople do anymore. Flamboyance and showmanship doesn't change the fact that Olbermann has the truth on his side.

"Why not have on the opposing view? Is he so insecure that he couldn't stand having someone challenge his beliefs."

As I said before, that's what Hardball is for. Countdown is not a "Crossfire" type show. It's a newscast. A newscast that happens to present the truth to its viewers with an unabashedly liberal bias. But it's still the truth, in spite of the bias. As Arianna Huffington has so recently said, sometimes the truth is one-sided. These days it almost always is...

[spaceman3838]

its not an unfair speculation at all olbermann likes anything that obama says he never ever ever says anything negative about him in any way shape or form. if obama decided that you know what the war in iraq isnt so bad olbermann would say you know i think you are right. he is nothing but a puppy dog for obama.

[Susanfrom29]

I never watch Countdown as a news program. It is purely a smart funny commentary. And what is wrong with that?

There are plenty of sources for news, including PBS' Nightly News Hour. Of course they use big words which may make it difficult for some to understand. And they never raise their voices and rarely rely on pictures to tell a story.

[JiminNC]

Pretty much leaves out the Hillary crowd.

[noamjunior]

I doubt you ever liked Olbermann- you cant give any example to supporty our claim .
and the idea that you can balance out a truth by presenting it equally with a lie is straight out of Fox news

[surfcitysteven]

Yeah, demlover is like one of those fake e-mails bildo sends to himself to pretend there are rghties who disagree with him.

[Raymondf]

I guess that why ESPN fired him.

[queensboro]

and espn is? the holy grail? lmfao

[surfcitysteven]

ESPN actually hired Rash Limpballs at one time as well. They also air poker games on a "sports channel." What is your point?

[Redrover666]

That he couldn't hang on a network that airs poker games and consequently ended up at the bottom of the barrel?