Keith Olbermann 9-11-06 Speech - We Have Not Forgotten Mr President

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
I love the leftwing spin on media ratings.
They all point to the fact that O'Reilly's rating are down 15% while Olbermann's are up 55%, which is true
But the leave out the fact that O'Reilly has 2 million views a night, while Olbermann only has 431,000. Up 55% and you still have less than a quarter of O'Reilly... wow look out world here comes Olbermann.

Do you mean you really believe what the blowhard windbag spews? Do we really have to point, yet again, to some of his various monumental foot in mouth disconnections with reality? :roll:

What blowhard windbag are you talking about? I was just posting facts about the ratings in response to Pens1566's statement:

Yeah, I know how increasing ratings is just a horrible thing.

Actual numbers for august

Keith going up, bill going down.

Go read the numbers, yes Olbermann is up, but he is still in last place by a HUGE margin and Fox News is still in first place. FOX has more viewers during the 8pm hour than CNN and MSNBC put together. Talk about "blowhard windbags" all you want, it won't chage the facts about who is in first place and who is in last place.

The numbers:
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/original/aug06vs05.pdf

 

[Aisengard]

Don't you just love it when right-wingers can't make a point, so they just attack the guy?

Me neither.

Rightie tighties: actually refute Olbermann's points or admit you're all hacks, only able to attack the man rather than the message.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
[What blowhard windbag are you talking about? I was just posting facts about the ratings in response to Pens1566's statement...

The windbag blowhard I was referring to O'Reilly. The dyanmics of his ratings reflect tha you can always find an audience among the brain dead, just because there are so many of them. The fact that his ratings are falling is because even a large portion of those people are figuring out that O'Reilly's garbage doesn't even measure up to their lowest common denominator grasp of reality, regardless of what they wish was happening around them.

If you're really that uninformed, this should set you straight. It includes Olbermann's commentary on that event.

To summarize, in an inteveiew with Gen. Wesley Clark, while discussing war crimes, O'Reilly brought up the Malmedy Massacre from WW II, claiming that it was a an example of a war crime committed by Americans against captured Nazi troops.

O'Reilly said: "In Malmédy, as you know, U.S. forces captured SS forces who had their hands in the air and they were unarmed and they shot them down. You know that. That's on the record. Been documented."

The truth is, the nazis committed the massacre of American troops.

Now, you might be able to chalk that up to an accidental misstatement of the facts if it weren't for the fact that O'Reilly made the same statement to Wesley Clark in another interview, eight months earlier. :shocked:

If you think Olbermann has ever said or done anything that detached from reality, please provide an example.

 

[Slick5150]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
So Keith Olberman took the occasion of 9-11 to launch a partisan attack on Bush?

Keith Olberman is a commentator. His job is to comment on world affairs.

George Bush is a leader. He is supposed to lead our nation, and our people.

I'm not sure how you're having trouble distinguishing the role of one another.

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

Olbermann rocks, he pointed out the voting discrepencies, and he's pointing out how lame Bush has been and still is when it came to 9/11 and following it. When the WTC was attacked the first time 6 weeks into Clinton's administration, he caught all those involved and convicted them quickly and efficiently. We are 5 years past 9/11 and Bush has forgotten about the men responsible for the attack, by his own words, doesn't think about bin Laden anymore. What kind of president just gives up on catching the men responsible for killing almost 3000 Americans under his watch? And yet, he uses 9/11 on the anniversary of the event to promote his war in Iraq, which he has said many times had nothing to do with 9/11. Most of the ignorant sheeple of this country that watch shows like O'Reilly believe even today that Iraq and 9/11 were connected because this administration twists their words depending on the crowd to facilitate that belief, and only say otherwise when they're cornered with the question. Conservative talking point websites, television and radio spout the same crap, with only a small percentage of true conservatives calling the Bush administration on their missteps concerning national security, the Iraq war and foreign policy. We are in dark times, and they are of our own making, we allow corruption to run rampant under the guise of terror.

James Madison said it best 200 years ago, and it still stands today, "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." We are there, and we must make the choice to either concede defeat internally as a nation or take back what belongs to us.

 

[Pens1566]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
[What blowhard windbag are you talking about? I was just posting facts about the ratings in response to Pens1566's statement...

The windbag blowhard I was referring to O'Reilly. The dyanmics of his ratings reflect tha you can always find an audience among the brain dead, just because there are so many of them. The fact that his ratings are falling is because even a large portion of those people are figuring out that O'Reilly's garbage doesn't even measure up to their lowest common denominator grasp of reality, regardless of what they wish was happening around them.

If you're really that uninformed, this should set you straight. It includes Olbermann's commentary on that event.

To summarize, in an inteveiew with Gen. Wesley Clark, while discussing war crimes, O'Reilly brought up the Malmedy Massacre from WW II, claiming that it was a an example of a war crime committed by Americans against captured Nazi troops.

O'Reilly said: "In Malmédy, as you know, U.S. forces captured SS forces who had their hands in the air and they were unarmed and they shot them down. You know that. That's on the record. Been documented."

The truth is, the nazis committed the massacre of American troops.

Now, you might be able to chalk that up to an accidental misstatement of the facts if it weren't for the fact that O'Reilly made the same statement to Wesley Clark in another interview, eight months earlier. :shocked:

If you think Olbermann has ever said or done anything that detached from reality, please provide an example.

You forgot that Olbermann hasn't settled a sexual harrassment suit out of court like Mr. Values O'Reilly has.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: Pens1566
You forgot that Olbermann hasn't settled a sexual harrassment suit out of court like Mr. Values O'Reilly has.

I'm sure the woman he harrassed doesn't think a lot of O'Reilly, but when he lies about what he thinks he has in his pants, we can laugh about it. When he brings that same level of dishonesty and deceit to the subjects such as war crimes and torture, either by intentionally lying about what Americans did in WW II, or with his sycophantic lies about the crimes committed by the Bushwhackos, he disgraces himself beyond redemption.

The rest of Faux News is no better. Following O'Reilly's most recent gaff about the Malmedy massacre, they actually changed the text of the transcript to show that he said, "Normandy," instead of Malmedy. They only changed it back when enough stink was raised by media watchers who busted them for their duplicity.

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
I love the leftwing spin on media ratings.
They all point to the fact that O'Reilly's rating are down 15% while Olbermann's are up 55%, which is true
But the leave out the fact that O'Reilly has 2 million views a night, while Olbermann only has 431,000. Up 55% and you still have less than a quarter of O'Reilly... wow look out world here comes Olbermann.

Do you mean you really believe what the blowhard windbag spews? Do we really have to point, yet again, to some of his various monumental foot in mouth disconnections with reality? :roll:

What blowhard windbag are you talking about? I was just posting facts about the ratings in response to Pens1566's statement:

Yeah, I know how increasing ratings is just a horrible thing.

Actual numbers for august

Keith going up, bill going down.

Go read the numbers, yes Olbermann is up, but he is still in last place by a HUGE margin and Fox News is still in first place. FOX has more viewers during the 8pm hour than CNN and MSNBC put together. Talk about "blowhard windbags" all you want, it won't chage the facts about who is in first place and who is in last place.

The numbers:
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/original/aug06vs05.pdf

You can win the ratings all you want, it doesn't make you any more right.

 

[ayabe]

I really don't see how Olbermann's diatribe is considered "political", he was pointing out the facts. He wasn't attacking Bush because he's a liberal, he's attacking Bush because of his actions and the actions of his Administration. Pointing out the absolutely heinous behavoir of Bush isn't being partisan, it's all there in the record. Some of the usual suspects' reactions just reinforces the point he was making.

The fact that most of the detractors in this thread had already made up their mind about what he had to say before watching it is the definition of being "political".

 

[astrosfan90]

Originally posted by: ayabe
I really don't see how Olbermann's diatribe is considered "political", he was pointing out the facts. He wasn't attacking Bush because he's a liberal, he's attacking Bush because of his actions and the actions of his Administration. Pointing out the absolutely heinous behavoir of Bush isn't being partisan, it's all there in the record. Some of the usual suspects' reactions just reinforces the point he was making.

The fact that most of the detractors in this thread had already made up their mind about what he had to say before watching it is the definition of being "political".

The sad thing is, I tend to agree with a lot of what he said.

What I don't agree with is the timing.

September 11th is a day when we remember those who were lost, we read the names of all of the victims, we offer prayers, memories, and thoughts about that day.

Why go and crap all over it with a grandstanding rant focused on taking the events of that day and politicizing them by promoting one agenda or another, no matter how right or wrong?

There are 364 days of the year. We sure as hell focus on the aftermath of 9/11 for most of them. Why not pick another day to make that speech rather than the day we should be dedicating to the memories of those lost in the attacks?

I stand by my position--Olbermann's speech yesterday lowered him to the same level of every politician who's ever pushed their own agenda on 9/11.

 

[pwilson316]

Here's what I don't understand - Someone actually puts out some good points for discusion and asks some good questions and it's ignored. What are your thoughts on the following?

Originally posted by: yllus
That was ridiculous. Exactly the sort of mealy-mouthed commentary devoid of actual content that all of you should be booing, considering it's a tactic the President you despise uses so often in his own speeches - except that it plays to your political slant.

Would you all prefer that the federal executive branch of government handed down an edict on what to do at Ground Zero in NYC?

Would you have your President erect a Freedom Tower of his own choosing before five years are up? Skip the tendering process, perhaps, to expedite the matter?

Would you like the White House administration to bar this mini-series from airing? Heaven forbid something not designed to fit with your personal views be forcibly beamed into households. No doubt shadowy figures from the CIA is also forcing American families from coast to coast to watch that programming by putting a gun to their heads.

Who has left this hole in the ground? Who's put a hole in this guy's head is a much better question. What an enormous load of partisan trash on that day of all days.

And then there is this:

Originally posted by: Aisengard
Don't you just love it when right-wingers can't make a point, so they just attack the guy?

Me neither.

Rightie tighties: actually refute Olbermann's points or admit you're all hacks, only able to attack the man rather than the message.

 

[child of wonder]

Originally posted by: astrosfan90
The sad thing is, I tend to agree with a lot of what he said.

What I don't agree with is the timing.

September 11th is a day when we remember those who were lost, we read the names of all of the victims, we offer prayers, memories, and thoughts about that day.

Why go and crap all over it with a grandstanding rant focused on taking the events of that day and politicizing them by promoting one agenda or another, no matter how right or wrong?

There are 364 days of the year. We sure as hell focus on the aftermath of 9/11 for most of them. Why not pick another day to make that speech rather than the day we should be dedicating to the memories of those lost in the attacks?

I stand by my position--Olbermann's speech yesterday lowered him to the same level of every politician who's ever pushed their own agenda on 9/11.

What better day to talk about 9/11 than on 9/11? If his message was worth listening to and had some points he felt people should hear, delivering that message on 9/11 only makes sense.

Do you believe that no one should talk about 9/11 on 9/11 or present anything critical of those in power?

 

[Aisengard]

Sigh, I didn't see those.

He missed the point. "Har har, you want Bush to build the freedom tower, har har, you want Bush to go to ABC personally and pull the show". That, in effect, is what yllus is mocking, and that, in effect, is completely beside the point Olbermann is making.

Read it again, but this time, consider the use of the thing we educated Americans like to call metaphor. No, idiot, we don't want Bush to command the freedom tower to be built. The hole in the ground, however, is a very good metaphor for the Bush Doctrine these past 5 years.

Taking two things out of context to disregard the entire speech is nearly the heighth of intellectual irresponsibility.

 

[pwilson316]

Originally posted by: Aisengard
Sigh, I didn't see those.

He missed the point. "Har har, you want Bush to build the freedom tower, har har, you want Bush to go to ABC personally and pull the show". That, in effect, is what yllus is mocking, and that, in effect, is completely beside the point Olbermann is making.

Read it again, but this time, consider the use of the thing we educated Americans like to call metaphor. No, idiot, we don't want Bush to command the freedom tower to be built. The hole in the ground, however, is a very good metaphor for the Bush Doctrine these past 5 years.

Taking two things out of context to disregard the entire speech is nearly the heighth of intellectual irresponsibility.

Well, I know I am not as highly educated as some here, but I really don't think Olbermann is speaking metaphorically in his commentary. Maybe I'm just a dumb ole dung beetle, but it seems to me that Olbermann is blaming the President because nothing has been done at the site yet. I feel there are other places where blame can be laid, but not at that site and not at this time.

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

Originally posted by: astrosfan90

Originally posted by: ayabe
I really don't see how Olbermann's diatribe is considered "political", he was pointing out the facts. He wasn't attacking Bush because he's a liberal, he's attacking Bush because of his actions and the actions of his Administration. Pointing out the absolutely heinous behavoir of Bush isn't being partisan, it's all there in the record. Some of the usual suspects' reactions just reinforces the point he was making.

The fact that most of the detractors in this thread had already made up their mind about what he had to say before watching it is the definition of being "political".

The sad thing is, I tend to agree with a lot of what he said.

What I don't agree with is the timing.

September 11th is a day when we remember those who were lost, we read the names of all of the victims, we offer prayers, memories, and thoughts about that day.

Why go and crap all over it with a grandstanding rant focused on taking the events of that day and politicizing them by promoting one agenda or another, no matter how right or wrong?

There are 364 days of the year. We sure as hell focus on the aftermath of 9/11 for most of them. Why not pick another day to make that speech rather than the day we should be dedicating to the memories of those lost in the attacks?

I stand by my position--Olbermann's speech yesterday lowered him to the same level of every politician who's ever pushed their own agenda on 9/11.

Much better to justify your war in Iraq on 9/11 by falsely linking the two over and over again knowing they have nothing in common.

 

[yllus]

I'm not mocking anything. Nor am I taking anything out of context. I'm directly addressing the bulk of his commentary. WTF metaphor is he using when he blames the President for there still being a hole in the ground in New York City? The metaphorical hole in the nation's heart? That's rich, and grossly irresponsible to the idea of separation of powers in government. Forget the municipal and state level, just let the President just decide everything...

He says that five years later there is no memorial to the dead. What do you think the President should have done about that? Oversaw the development of 16 acres of absolutely prime New York City real estate to make sure it got done in five years' time? There's a recipe for success, federal governments handing out large construction projects. There's no metaphor to speak of; he's directly assigning blame, and it's completely nonsensical.

Let's say that construction started immediately on a new set of towers after the 9/11 cleanup was complete. (Took about a year?) Would it be finished in four years time? Is this not a silly thing to bash the federal government for? Don't tell me that's a metaphor - he directly compared it to Lincoln's speech at the then-new Gettysburg Memorial, implying that your current president should have been able to do the same.

Even more boggling, what does the White House have to do with a television mini-series? They're now responsible for a publicly-traded company "parroting" "the talking points of the current regime"? Yet more ill-placed blame laid at the guy's feet.

It is trash - the counterweight to President Bush's own lame partisan speech. Wholly telling how you ignore one side of things and condemn the other.

 

[M00T]

I think the timing is important. Had he waited any longer, the sheeple would have felt vindicated in their ignorant belief that 9/11 = Iraq

 

[Zebo]

It says you need Internet Explorer 6 I don't have Internet Explorer 6... Any other links?

 

[astrosfan90]

Originally posted by: Krakn3Dfx

Originally posted by: astrosfan90

Originally posted by: ayabe
I really don't see how Olbermann's diatribe is considered "political", he was pointing out the facts. He wasn't attacking Bush because he's a liberal, he's attacking Bush because of his actions and the actions of his Administration. Pointing out the absolutely heinous behavoir of Bush isn't being partisan, it's all there in the record. Some of the usual suspects' reactions just reinforces the point he was making.

The fact that most of the detractors in this thread had already made up their mind about what he had to say before watching it is the definition of being "political".

The sad thing is, I tend to agree with a lot of what he said.

What I don't agree with is the timing.

September 11th is a day when we remember those who were lost, we read the names of all of the victims, we offer prayers, memories, and thoughts about that day.

Why go and crap all over it with a grandstanding rant focused on taking the events of that day and politicizing them by promoting one agenda or another, no matter how right or wrong?

There are 364 days of the year. We sure as hell focus on the aftermath of 9/11 for most of them. Why not pick another day to make that speech rather than the day we should be dedicating to the memories of those lost in the attacks?

I stand by my position--Olbermann's speech yesterday lowered him to the same level of every politician who's ever pushed their own agenda on 9/11.

Much better to justify your war in Iraq on 9/11 by falsely linking the two over and over again knowing they have nothing in common.

Are you obtuse, stubborn, or ignorning my point intentionally?

It's just as bad.

I'll repeat that.

JUST AS BAD.

9/11 isn't a day for ANYONE AT ALL to exploit for their political agenda, I don't give a damn whether they're Hitler, George Bush, Lou Dobbs, Keith Olbermann, Joe Lieberman, Ralph Nader, or my mother.

9/11 is a day to read the names of those who died, remember them, honor them, and honor their memories. Not to crap on them with our political BS. We do that 364 days of the year as it is. Save one day to honor them, please.

 

[Aisengard]

I don't need Internet Explorer 6. I have Firefox. I can't say anything for Safari.

And I don't think you're getting it, yllus. He puts blame on the President for not doing anything, and he means anything, to help along the memorial project. Should it be a federal memorial? The way Bush has been treating the whole thing, you'd think it would be. That's the point. I agree that the Federal government doesn't deserve all the blame, there's a ton of contracting and real estate involved. But Olbermann rises above convention and actually uses advanced English writing techniques in his speech, namely, connecting the President's inaction to this national memorial project to his gross 'mis-action' around the world in response to this terrible national tragedy.

And the only connection between the miniseries and the White House Olbermann might have made was the part where he says it might have actually been funded by...something. But it's just as likely that he was referring to a neoconservative group, and not the White House. I'll agree that he segued a bit suddenly to 'how daring' the President spinning 9/11. That might be something, but I don't think he ever made any direct connection between the White House and the miniseries. Unless, of course, the White House publicly criticized national leaders for criticizing the miniseries, in which Olbermann would be entirely justified. I'm not saying they did, I don't know.

Anyway, this is my interpretation of his speech. And on that interpretation, I agree with Olbermann more often than not.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: Zebo
It says you need Internet Explorer 6 I don't have Internet Explorer 6... Any other links?

It's up at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdD6op0l2jk Zebo.

Watch & listened three times now Dave...Good stuff.


...Galvanized

 

[Todd33]

O'lielly's average viewer is ancient (like 71?) and doesn't buy stuff - The money demographic is 18-35 which Olbermann kills O'lielly in.

Not that has anything to do with the OP. Righties have an aversion to the truth, it's like their Kryptonite.

 

[yllus]

*shakes his head* I get it perfectly, I just think you're stretching majorly to find something to agree with. IMO, this is not something the federal government should have any hand in. This is a project for New Yorkers, by New Yorkers. If they want to take ten years to decide what to do, Mr. Olbermann needs to shut his trap and let them take that long. Who the hell is he to assign a timetable.

 

[umbrella39]

Originally posted by: Darkhawk28
I'm so glad some of the right-wingers have chimed in.... makes me love it even more.

Sorry wingnuts, but he spoke the truth.

Now go crawl under your desks and hide again.

QFT. You Bush fagboi cowards are lower than Bush himself. You worship sh1t which makes you even less than sh1t. Deal with it. preferably over in Iraq. Ya bunch of girls.

---

We have many good, contributing members who happen to be gay. Who they are is not your business, but you may not continue to post such verbal abuse on our forums. Doing so again WILL be reason to suspend your posting privileges.

AnandTech Moderator

 

[Pens1566]

The metaphor is that Bush has done absolutely nothing to combat terror, just turned 9-11 into political means to carry out the Iraq fiasco. At least that's how I took it. The memorial/hole talk was just his personal slant on it. And he's right. W has done nothing.