Rachel Maddow Praises Keith Olbermann, Says He Was A 'Freaking Successful' Pioneer (VIDEO)

On her first show without him as a lead-in, Rachel Maddow thanked Keith Olbermann for bringing her to MSNBC and for being "freaking successful" in getting liberal voices on television.

Speaking on Monday night, Maddow credited Olbermann with pushing the network to hire her. "There is no way I would have ended up with a show on this network had it not been for Keith," she said, noting that he had made her a regular guest and then his regular fill-in host. She also praised Olbermann for "clearing space" for liberals to openly tout their political views on television.

The way he had cleared that space, she said, was by "not only voicing his own opinion but by being really freaking successful while he did it. If you want to be a pioneer, don't just be the first person like you to do something, be the first person like you to do it brilliantly. That's how you change the world, so others like you get chances too."

Maddow said that she was sorry that "Keith and MSNBC decided to end his run here," but she assured viewers that Olbermann's somewhat messy departure had "no effect on the editorial independence that makes it possible for me to do this work."

WATCH:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Comments

[steelej]

12:54 PM on 02/02/2011

Still don't get her use of the past tense.

[Blue Moon Junction]

09:01 PM on 01/31/2011

I thought he was "hard to get along with". Bunch of baloney.

[genie22]

04:29 PM on 01/26/2011

Well put. I totally agree. thanks for articulating so well.

[Van Carter]

04:18 PM on 01/26/2011

Compliments to Olbermann and Maddow for their good work on MSNBC and for their continued efforts to provide more balance to a politically skewed landscape, but my personal wish is that somewhere some day, the left side of the spectrum of political thought might receive the attention that the Libertarians are currently receiving.

I would be satisfied even if it was a channel with as small an audience as the Fox News Business Channel. Political discourse outside academia in the U.S. right now seems to entirely lack any of the fundamental critiques of capitalism and the role that capitalism plays in shaping our legal and governmental institutions in a structural sense and I believe this lack is something that is doing lasting harm to the nation's continued political health.

[ERCoop]

03:34 PM on 01/26/2011

Alright, HuffPo moderators, would just one of you have the common decency to explain to me why my balanced, completely within the guidelines, & "favorited" posts are consistently removed from comment threads? It's happened here & on two other threads. What is going on??

[Alsop123]

03:04 PM on 01/26/2011

She should have stopped at "freaking" but then again she did use the past-tense,"was". I think Rachael needs a hug, but.....not from me.

[asiclilpup]

06:05 PM on 01/26/2011

I'll do it for you.

[JohnnyAce Okeke]

02:43 PM on 01/26/2011

She will soon be next. {{-_-}}

[nycplayboy78]

04:37 PM on 01/26/2011

Nooo don't wish such bad luck on Rachel :p

[lizmckenzie55]

02:12 PM on 01/26/2011

I absolutely luv Rachel ... she is brilliant and makes complete sense always!

But, she left me hanging with the Rudy thing ... anyone know what that was all about?

[traverse city gal]

02:06 PM on 01/26/2011

Sorry. I'm too sad & angry to watch MSNBC. No one does it like Keith. We're through with them in this house. Here's an e-mail I sent them.
Dear MSNBC,
I started watching your network because of Keith Olbermann & I will now stop watching it for the same reason. Friday night was my last.
So long & thanks for all the fish.

[Michael Ludin]

01:34 PM on 01/26/2011

Rachel, when are you taking over MEET THE PRESS. Come on, David Gregory is a nice guy but if Tim would have lived two more years anyone with a scintilla of a brain knows you'd have gotten the job. I love your show but I know you are also meant for better and bigger things... brilliant, that is my word for you!

[nycplayboy78]

04:41 PM on 01/26/2011

YAY!!! I love you Michael.....huh...what....wait....LOLCATS!!!!

[mybeep1]

11:28 PM on 01/26/2011

Never happen. That job will always go to someone who is down the middle. NBC does not want to simply pander to the left like MSNBC has decided to do.

[Countess]

01:31 PM on 01/26/2011

Watching MSNBC last night for the state of the union it became painfully obvious why Olbermann's departure is such a great loss. O'donnell and Matthews are old time party warriors who will always defend the party no matter what, Ed Shultz has been effectively shut down as a real progressive critic and thought this speech of platitudes and bipartisan austerity was great and none of them including Rachel told us that there was nothing in this speech for the non-rich and plenty of goodies for the wall street hoarders and speculators including tax cuts and more job killing free trade deals. I cannot believe that Keith Olbermann would have not mentioned these things.

[nycplayboy78]

04:42 PM on 01/26/2011

AMEN!!!!

Fanned and Faved!!!!

[Reality now]

01:27 PM on 01/26/2011

I hope Rachel is correct about maintaining editorial independence. That might be a bit more believable if she hadn't looked so frightened on Bill Mahr's show when the subject of Kieth Olbermann leaving came up.

[emlr]

01:06 PM on 01/26/2011

Now that Comcast is taking over does that mean MSNBC will be in their basic lineup?

[Sideblinded]

12:38 AM on 02/21/2011

Only Jack Donnelly knows.

[Sideblinded]

12:43 AM on 02/21/2011

No edit button? My error.

Only Jack Donaghy knows.

[Buddhabman]

12:42 PM on 01/26/2011

Go Rachel, you are now "The Lady". Keep on with your brilliant takes and wise analysis.

[RobberBarons]

11:34 AM on 01/26/2011

Change the name from Count Down to Blast Off Staring Julian Assange