Keith Olbermann Praises "Naive" Chris Matthews, Compares "The View" To A Blender, Challenges Bill O'Reilly To Arm Wrestling Match

Keith Olbermann, whose MSNBC contract was renewed for four more years yesterday — at an estimated $7.5 million per year (or $30 million over four years) — spoke to TVNewser's Gail Shister about Chris Matthews, women in cable, and what it's like to be on "The View" (watch his appearance here).

On Chris Matthews
Olbermann — who explained to "The View" that he does not vote, said he would vote for Chris Matthews if he runs for Senate in Pennsylvania (no matter that he is not a Pennsylvania resident):

"I would definitely suspend my symbolism and vote for him....I like Chris. I think he approaches his job like a public servant. He has a genuinely naive 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' commitment to making good things happen in this country."

On "The View"

Olbermann said visiting "The View" is like "sitting in a blender for 10 minutes, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Five people were asking me questions at the same time."

He called Barbara Walters "just a delight" and reminisced fondly of his boozy lunch with Whoopi Goldberg in 1999, when she was hosting "Hollywood Squares"

On women in cable
Olbermann praised colleague Rachel Maddow: "Given the lack of success of women as anchors in prime time, it may not be far from true [that Rachel Maddow is the Queen of Cable, as Stephen Colbert suggests]. There are only two: Greta [van Susteren of Fox News Channel] and Rachel. It's been made more difficult for women, mostly through the actions of men."

As Shister notes, he notably leaves out his 8PM competition on CNN, Campbell Brown, who he has recently started referencing on his program.

On Bill O'Reilly
Olbermann challenged Bill O'Reilly to an arm wrestling match, and is sure that he would win:

"He'd never do it, because every time we're in the same place, he keeps himself 25 feet away, but I'm ready to go. I do yoga, work out three times a week. I think I could take him if it comes to that."

Read the whole interview here.

Comments

[evilgalblues]

I am also disappointed that he doesn't vote (I would prefer he voted and didn't tell anyone about it.) I do understand, however, that he feels like it would make him seem biased and it has an important symbolism to him. What disturbs me is that he would put his morality aside to vote for a friend/colleague. (Maybe he was joking/ exaggerating? Knew it wouldn't happen?)
It is as much his right to abstain from voting as it is to vote. Just because some people "choose the lesser of two evils" doesn't mean all people feel it is appropriate. I tend to vote third party and do not feel I throw my vote away at all as some suggest. I speak my mind at the voter booth and believe that at least some of those who choose not to vote are expressing their views of the two party system as well.

That being said, I am thankful that he has a new contract and hope he is satisfied with his salary. I love his show, he projects an intelligence and enthusiasm that I am grateful to see in political journalism. I SO wish that someone would pay me that much money to do something I love as much as he seems to!

[brownbodie]

I have to put my two cents in. I think Keith is worth every penny. Just think what the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity and Billo make. People pay god-awful amounts of money for those clowns to spew their hate far and wide. We need smart, passionate people on the left. I begin my evening with Hardball, then Countdown and finally Rachel Maddow. What a wonderful world.

[janice1227]

That's my evening line-up also but I'm bummed about Keith not voting - as a journalist I don't endorse any candidate publicly, but I would never toss aside my right to vote. That said, I love the guy.

[DubiousAtBest]

Wait wait wait.....
He doesn't VOTE?

That kind of puts a little suspicion around all of his well-meaning outrage.

If that is actually true, it just blows my mind. How can you be that emotionally invested and NOT vote?

[reasonlives]

Maybe he isnt in too meaningless symbols like voting, pretending that you matter. Your vote is like a grain of sand on the beach, a drop of water in the ocean. But if if gives you the illusion that you have a voice, great, but dont judge those who understand reality.

[BuckeyeGal]

You are just too funny.

[BuckeyeGal]

I beg your pardon. I misread your reply.

[YouDisgustMe]

your vote IS like a drop of water in the ocean....t­he ocean is made up of many drops of water....j­ust as the majority is made up of many single votes...vo­ting matters

[DubiousAtBest]

talk about "meaningle­ss"...

[Renegade3]

Congrats Keith!

[frost12]

FOR THE FIRST TIME,
I DISAGREE WITH KEITH.
CHRIS MATTHEWS IS A SNAKE WHO CUDDLES UP TO POWER.
WATCH HIS INTERVIEWS WITH MCCAIN, DELAY, AND OTHER POWERFUL NEO/CONS.
HE DOES NOT PLAY "HARDBALL" WITH THEM--DEFINITELY LOBBING SOFTBALLS.

I HOPE KEITH IS MERELY "PLAYING NICE IN THE SANDBOX."

[SunshineDaydream]

speak up, we can't hear you

[Indie2008]

I don't care to know how much these people make! I like Keith, but $30-million is difficult to relate to.

[SunshineDaydream]

well, having an hour on primetime is difficult to relate to as well, but i don't knock him for it.

[Americatortures]

How about David Limbaugh getting $50 million PER year??? Is THAT ok???

[4wehttam]

Whose DAVID Limbaugh, do you mean Rush (the blowhard) Limbaugh by any chance?

[sclucie]

that is an awful lot of oxytocin. i guess you could buy your own factory.

[LKV]

I would love to see Keith arm wrestle Billo the clown!!!!!!!!! What a day that would be It would take Keith only half a sec to win.

[BuckeyeGal]

Me too!
My money would be on KO to win, but I think Billo would cheat.

[hawkseye]

Chris's constant interrupting and fawning immaturity are annoying, but he is certainly better than Scarborough or Gregory.

[Americatortures]

That's like saying diarreah is better than cancer or leukemia!!!

[Chubbster]

$30,000,000 contract means he has peaked and is headed down. I can't watch him and his pompous fulminations anymore.

[Americatortures]

So put on HGTV and watch them paint a wall ,puce!!!

[Frenbar]

I think a mixed martial arts cage match would be much more entertaining then arm wrestling.

[deeppeace]

Celebrity Death Match!

[BrettnCalgary]

You may be on to something here....

[macsuibhne]

Olbermann's 30 million, 4-year contract? How disturbing.

This means the American TV audience must endure another four years of convoluted sentences, special commentaries, and gauntlets thrown down gallantly here and there. This progressive/liberal voter would rather watch Campbell Brown. In my opinion, Ms. Brown accomplished more for the progressive cause in her coverage of the Republican convention than Olbermann managed to do in a year.

Yes, yes, I know Olbermann's a commentator and not a news guy. But in a lot of ways he's become the left-wing equivalent of O'Reilly -- a bit of a demagogue, talking endlessly about those who attack him, and attacking those who are trying, in an honorable way, to participate in our democracy.

I was really turned off by his nasty and hysterical coverage of Hillary Clinton's campaign. His year-long swoon over Barack Obama got in the way of any critical analysis of Obama's campaign, and in a strange way defined Obama as an aspirational figure than a potential policy-maker.

Worst of all is Olbermann's self-referential material. I don't want to see Olbermann covering O'Reilly covering Olbermann. Who really cares?

Which brings up the next subject ... does Olbermann own a piece of Rachel Maddow's show? Is he an Executive Producer? That might be interesting to know.

Also, does Olbermann's cheerleading for Rachel Maddow -- and blatant plugging of her show -- let Olbermann off the hook with the hundreds of thousands of women he offended during the campaign? I wonder.

[ExRepublican]

Ha! Great post. I chuckled because I've said the same about Olbermann. He's too much for me now. And he's really letting obama off the hook which IS bad for the rest of us. I guess I'm getting old.

But, a big but, I'll always thank him for being the first to truly stand up to the far right nuts and not back down one iota. While most other 'liberal' commentators were politely folding their hands in their laps and apologizing for saying ANYTHING bad about Prez Butch or any republinut, Keith whipped out a 2 x 4 and slapped 'em silly. And then kept hammering even when they were down. Not-all-bad. :-)

[jackmayoff]

"But in a lot of ways he's become the left-wing equivalent of O'Reilly..­."

Are you serious. Purely from watchabliity I cringe when I see O'Reilly on the screen and it not so much his right leanings. Its his condescending way he interviews guests and constant and needless hand and arm waving and non stop interruptions. Just go back and try and watch his interview with Barack Obama without getting nauseated.

At least Keith doesn't shout down his guests and refuses to have more than one guest on at a time to eliminate the potential for back and forth needless banter.

[RocketSurgery]

No, Keith doesn't shout down guest. Because only invites guests that will agree with him. I don't like O'Reilly any more than Keith does, but at least O'Reilly invites other points of view on his show. This is one thing that Rachel and Chris do, which makes their shows more credible to me. Countdown is nothing more than an echo chamber.

[hesnotforme]

lol olberman doesnt vote becuase he doesnt wnat to be seen as partisan, you have got ot be kidding he practically devotes his show to slamming bush and mccain and says not one bad thing about obama. and the wrestling oreilly well put it this way, now wonder he mad about prop eight.

[brendanm]

Yes, and only black people supported the Civil Rights movement and only Jews opposed fascism. Maybe if you learned how to empathize, you might move past your homophobia.

[frost12]

LET ME PULL YOUR COAT.
THERE'S A REALITY THAT EXISTS CALLED TRUTH.
TRUTH DOESN'T CARE WHAT YOU FEEL.
IT IS UNAFFECTED.
EX. GRAVITY EXISTS WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN IT OR NOT.
THERE IS NOT 2 SIDES TO EVERY QUESTION:
EX. 2+2=4
THERE IS NOT A DEM POSITION
NOR A REPUB POSITION,
ONLY THE TRUTH THAT 2+2=4.
IF SOMEONE IS A LIAR AND A CROOK AND GETS CAUGHT,
IT WILL BE REPORTED ON.
IF SOMEONE IS PLAYING BY THE RULES
AND PERHAPS EVEN TRIES TO DO THEIR BEST,
THIS WILL NOT BE REPORTED ON.
GOT IT!
STOP LETTING YOUR LACK OF SELF-ESTEEM COLOR HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT OTHERS.
YOU HAVE THE PROBLEM
AND
YOU CAN FIX IT.

[franklin opt]

Live and unseated -- it's the SPIT-WHISTLE SMACKDOWN!

[libbygirl]

Keith, Chris and Rachel were the only shows I would watch during the last month of the campaign. I felt safe and comforted. My anxiety was lessened and could sleep at night. I was afraid and looked to them for reassurance that it would all be OK.

[puffthedragon]

Wow I felt exactly the same way..

[evilgalblues]

Funny, Rachel made me more nervous because she seemed so nervous. I love her show and watched it anyway, especially her football analogy. That was great!

[duze]

Keith deserves more, he's fantastic. Matthews deserves MUCH more. But I do believe it will be in the Senate. He's a natural for that.

[djets12]

former ESPN highlight man turns voice of progressive American political thinking..­..
pleeeeeeee­eeeeeeeeee­eeeeeease.­...get a grip. Rupert Murdoch was right...he IS crazy.
Look at the rage in his face whenever he gives his pseudo-brainyac "special" commentaries.

[frost12]

SOMEONE'S TURNING GREENNNNNN­NNNNNNNNNN­NNNNNNN!