At the end of MSNBC’s most popular show “Countdown” Jan. 21, host Keith Olbermann announced that he would be leaving the network effective immediately. The decidedly left-wing commentator, along with Rachel Maddow of “The Rachel Maddow Show,” has been the face of MSNBC since “Countdown” aired in 2003. His firing has induced much speculation, but for now, Olbermann has been silent. Interestingly, he did not thank NBC News President Steve Capus in his goodbye statement, causing many to hypothesize that the recent Comcast-NBC merger has had a part to play in the show’s cancellation.
Olbermann is, unquestionably, a man with a lot to say. He has shown a contentious attitude and is blatantly unafraid to take on his Republican opposition. After conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh questioned Iraq War protestor Cindy Sheehan in 2005, Olbermann made a loaded statement on “Countdown”: “I guess the painkillers wipe out your memory along with your ethics.” This man is no unbiased journalist. He has been one of the main voices of the liberal agenda, notoriously anti-George W. Bush and prone to rants against religious politicians.
In today’s heated political atmosphere, commentators such as Olbermann are like NFL quarterbacks whereas politicians themselves are running backs. Although running backs get the ball in the end zone, the quarterbacks are the face of the team. This is the case for Maddow, Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter. These men and women get visibly angry on television, on the radio and every other available media outlet while politicians will normally keep their emotions under wraps. As a result, debates between these free agents are largely representative of the growing tension between Democrats and Republicans in which raised voices are more important than fact examination.
These commentators, although sometimes delusional, serve a clear purpose: to instill passion. It may sometimes be misplaced passion, such as is the case of “The Rush Limbaugh Program,” but each of these people contribute to the ever-growing political process. Olbermann’s replacement means a great loss in terms of correctly placed passion.
If the issue is that MSNBC wants to disassociate from the left and take a more moderate stance, thereby concentrating less on passion and more on standard reporting, then the balance between liberals and conservatives will be skewed beyond all recognition. In a perfect world, Democrats and Republicans would be attempting to compromise – but compromise is a long lost principle. If conservative Fox commentators don’t want to tone down their outspoken style, why should Olbermann have to?
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