Time Critic: Olbermann's Special Comment Shows He's "Just Another Of The Cable Gasbags He Used To Be A Corrective To"

Last week on "Countdown," Keith Olbermann gave a special comment blasting Hillary Clinton for her remark that Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June, which she claims was a historical referenced intended to show that the length of this primary is not unusual but which many took as an implicit announcement that she was staying in the race in case Barack Obama was assassinated.

The special comment was intense, and the video can be viewed below (transcript available here).

At least one critic thought Olbermann crossed the line regardless of the appropriateness of Clinton's comments. Time's media and television critic James Poniewozik wrote of Olbermann:

Even if we concede his argument--that Clinton was at best callously and at worst intentionally suggesting she should stay in the race because Obama might be killed--every time he turns up the volume to 11 like this lately, he sounds like just another of the cable gasbags he used to be a corrective to.

Read Poniewozik's entire column, which includes an interesting analysis of what it means when a viewer is "annoyed by someone you used to constantly agree with" here, and let us know what you thought of Olbermann's Special Comment in the comments below.

Comments

[nonofyabusiness]

GO KO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Roose]

Another hack coming to Clinton's defense. Keith was absolutely right, Clinton is praying and hoping that something bad happens to Obama. Nothing new there.

BTW, they're all jealous of Olbermann, cause his show is doing so well.

[lafemme]

If his show is still doing well, it's because wishful fans are still watching, hoping for the old Keith to come back. He split a neuron on this one. If he does it, again, his brains will start to ooze out of his nostrils.

[skribbler]

Well, there is a gas bag here. Not Olbermann. Clinton invoked assassination. It was implicit. She's hanging around waiting for something terrible to happen to her opponent. She is a ghoul. My only complaint with Olbermann is he uses three words where one would do, and makes comments that run ten and fifteen minutes, when two minutes would do. As for content, well, he's not a ghoul and he's not a Time Magazine critic, thus elevating him above the other two.

[vtheel]

I have and continue to respect Keith Olbermann's intelligence, opinions, and conclusions on most topics. I value his insights and perspective on political and social issues (Countdown). Often his views and analysis are so dense with cogent facts that I am overwhelmed by the preponderance of information he is able to provide; though I find myself agreeing with him overall. With that in mind, I was blown out of my seat at his recent rant to George Bush; and I completely agreed with both the content, context, and tone, as well as his conclusive suggestion to Mr. Bush.

Regarding his most recent rant to/at Hillary Clinton, I agree whole-heartedly with his analysis, his suppositions, and that he was correct in characterizing the nature of her deplorable reference to assasination because of what it brings to mind, not that she used it as an excuse to continue running. I feel, however, that his overly-intense and dramatic build to near-hysterical vehemence detracted from what otherwise were thoughts, positions, and propositions that warrented carefull attention.

In my opion, Mr. Olbermann, this time you were so very over-the-top that your basic credibility could have been called into question.

Your intelligence and candor are worthy-enough weapons to make any point you deem fit to fight for.

[gnorrfa]

vtheel, i thank you for saving me a lot of typing because my opinion is close to yours. i think olbermann gets carried away and becomes a little too self-important and it's annoying, right or left.
otherwise, the best cable news show.

[rick390]

I totally agree with your perspective on Keith's latest special comment. Hillary is not worth wasting a "special comment" on let alone one with that level of rancor.

Bush, on the other hand is deserving of all the rancor you can muster. As McClellan's latest book has shown us once again, this administration plots, lies, hides and manipulates any and all information to attain its own ends. And, to top it off, Cheney gives us a smarmy look knowing that we can't do anything about it.

[Riker]

Keith Olbermann is the only reporter (well, Jon Stewart as a fake reporter counts in my book) gutsy enough to call it like it is. His passion, zeal and righteous outrage over the lack of justice in this country have been the missing elements in so many progressive commentators (like Comles of "Hannity and"); his erudite commentaries are the only reason I watch msnbc. If there were more Olbermann's in the media we'd all be better off. You go, Keith!

[LollieDotCom]

I remember my political science teacher being so caught up in Watergate. He told us "you don't realize how priviliged you are to be able to watch what's happening here. There are many countries where government has control of the news." We took the gift for granted because we had never known anything else. I'll never take it for granted again. We'll probably never see it again, not like before CNN. Little did Ted Turner know what he was doing when he started the Chicken News Network.

Just caught Tom Brokaw pitching the best b.s. I've heard yet. The rest of the worst news reporters in history should shut up and just let Tom pitch. A lot more dummies will be hypnotized, back into their deep sleep. Calm the rabble, let everything go back the way it was.

I wonder if that's gonna fly for them. And if it does, I wonder how many more times.

[KINGS]

Keith is a truth teller who calls it like it is. Does not matter what side you are on Keith calls you out. He has called out Republican and Democrats alike.

[CanisLatrans]

Hillary Clinton's conduct has been worth calling out for a long time now, really, and I think the assassination talk was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Now the dam has burst, and the kitchen sink has been thrown at her. She's a vile, selfish, arrogant, self-righteous and small person who's been deserving of a good, hard chewing-out for too long.

[KINGS]

I completely agree with you. Anybody in here who is defending HRC needs to have the heads checked.

[boarding85]

I love Keith, his comments were totally acceptable­...

[soot]

"Let's start with his assertion that Clinton used the word "assassination". Never happened".

HAHA, OH WOW

[nowudont]

Can you actually believe that guy! These Clintonistas have really outdone themselves with that one.

Wow is right! Sheesh!

[LPK]

And you, James, are just another gasbag that writes for Time. So what elese is knew?

[hopefull2008]

I thought the content was fine .. the problem was the venom with which it was delivered .... too far over the top ... is it me or is everyone on MSNBC shouting ... Matthews, Obermann, Abrams .... calm down guys, we still have six months to go.

[arbee1]

I thought Keith was over the line emotionall­y.Clinton could in fact have failed to understand how her statement might be interpreted. When Keith is wrong, he's wrong but he still is my favorite truth teller. I do think the emotions could be dialed down a little.

[peachfuzz]

YAY OLBERMANN! You're the man!

[pakean3]

Hey Keith, does this link not show that these actions are of someone worthy of the honor of "Worst Person In The World"?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/29/obamas.first.campaign/index.html

Or are we spinning it in a positive way? Or better yet, ignore it. This sure is new way for Dems to do politics. This assures me that we are going to have a man in office who in no way would go as low as a Karl Rove to achieve what he wants...

[tlhwraith]

Is this the only tactic Clintonistas have left, every time someone mentions anything disparaging about the "formerly annointed one" they have to try to change the topic to Obama?

The thing is, Clinton, and apparently a lot of her supporters, completely missed why she is losing. Instead of putting up an affirmative arguement as to why she is better than Obama, most of her time seems to be spent trying to talk about how Obama isn't good enough. My suspiciion is that people are tired of hearing about what Obama isn't and perhaps some more time about what Clinton supposedly is may not have left her where she is now.

In lieu of that, way to stick to the script and take another chug of the koolaid.

[zelduh]

Clintonistas simply cannot accept a criticism. They simply cannot say, "Well, ya got me that time."

[pakean3]

we know Hillary and everything about her is out there in the open. She has nothing to hide. It seems that the Obama supporters are the ones having a hard time with the chosen one being tarnished.­. Yeah, he played by the rules and so did Bush when all the chads were being counted in Florida.. That doesn't make it right or show integrity.

[cluesearch]

Frankly, I'm happy to see that Obama can play hardball--politics is hardball--just look at Hillary--here is a women who could never be accused of being a shrinking violet or demure and yet she has pulled out her victimhood hat because she knows there are a lot of women who will buy that bs. If there is one woman that personifies standing up to the good ole boys club and giving it all she's got and commanding respect for the same that is HRC.
Obama is going to have to play every single political maneuver he can to win this nomination because McCain has sure shown that he will. We can wait to sing kum ba ya AFTER the inaguration.

[nowudont]

No pakean3 because he played by the rules, and his opponents at the time took it on the chin and moved on. Now lets play by the rules again tomorrow, Clinton should learn from her mistakes take it on the chin and move on.

[pakean3]

Palmer is endorsing Hillary even threw her a fundraiser in April. She took it on the chin from someone she was endorsing (Obama) to take her place one day. That is how he thanked his friend by having her kicked off the ballot so he could run all by himself. Why not let the people choose? He advocates all these new changes he is bringing to Washington politics.. Must be all the Chicago politics that he is bringing to DC. Wonder if Michele was proud of how her husband won his first election?

[tbone99]

Ollbermann , you need to slow down on tha cafeine dude, it is caffeine , isn't it?

I mean, Dunkin Donuts is the WORST PERSON IN the WORLD?!
Right up there with SHE SIGNALED the MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE OPTION.

[nexus1961]

WHY do mouth-breathers read this blog??
Hey, Tbone.. you of the overly wide synaptic gaps.... what Keith meant was that
the craven cowards that RUN Dunkin' Donuts were so afraid of "backlash" from
the REST of the room-temp I.Q. crowd....t­hat they CANCELLED a major ad campaign,
are PROBABLY going to get sued by Rachel Ray for Breach-of-­Contract(S­he'll win, easily!)
over a SCARF!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!
Now.... if she'd worn it headdress-style, while prancing aroungd with an Ak-47, firing at the
sky and screaming:­"HALALALAL­ALALALAAAA­!!!"...... maybe the Malkins, Limpbaughs &
O'Rantlys out there would have a legitimate gripe.
But she didn't... so they, and YOU, DON'T!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!