Olbermann and Mathews Demoted at MSNBC

[Steve James]

They were moved because they were not being respectful. It made it seem as if the network was biased. If Limbaugh and O'Reilly anchored the election and said what they normally do, they'd be criticized, too. The network probably got loads of letters from supporters of the candidate they ridiculed.

Of course, this wouldn't happen on FOX because it markets itself as the antithesis and antidote to CNN. MSNBC saw itself as the other side of FOX, but wants to be respected more like CNN. Even Rupert Murdoch is unhappy with FOX. But, Olbermann and Matthews will probably gain viewers.

[Buddy]

"It made it seem as if the network was biased"

As if? The network IS biased. They want to appear NOT to be by demoting this ass hat Olbermann. Matthews is as big a blowhard as O'Reilly but they both show some partisanal restraint. FOX outdraws both CNN AND MSNBC but a vast margin. Rating matter.

I'd like to see a debate moderated by Brit Hume and Brian Williams. Those two seem the most balanced.

[Steve James]

I haven't checked the Nielsen ratings for the networks. I'm not going to try to debate whether CNN is more or less respected than FOX. FOW is biased. MSNBC is biased. That means that they tend to report the same information from almost opposite points of view. One says its white: the other will say its black, or too white. It rarely matters, often not even in cases like 9/11. Should there be interpretation? Yes. To pretend that Limbaugh doesn't speak for some Americans is crazy. That he argues that his America, and his perspective are truer, just makes his hypocrisy with drugs, etc. all the worse. This is an old American problem, probably the oldest.

But, okay, MSNBC is pretending to be unbiased, ... as if its supposed to be fooling someone by moving Matthews. So, Britt Hume isn't biased, or do you think FOX should move him? Personally, I doubt anyone at FOX would even think of doing so. They'd call it a "free speech" issue. Whatever it was, the other side would be in the wrong. That's why I don't even bother to pay attention to that. It's what the people involved actually say, not what their friends say, not what they did in high school, not the feelings of their uncles and aunts: I.e., none of the ad hominem nonsense that everyone should be trained to ignore. It doesn't matter the mouth that the words come out of; it's they that have to be judged.

I think it'd be rude, for ex., to ridicule someone's belief in creationism. Otoh, if that person tries to convince educators to put it side by side with science texts, I don't mind saying that I think it'd be stupid. If I were an anchorman, I couldn't say it. Now, if you want to suggest that they are moving the pair so that they would have "more" freedom to spout, I'd buy that. Or, you could argue -imo-- that they moved them so that viewers will see them as more like CNN. ... but not FOX. That's the station that you can depend someone will still argue about whether O's a Muslim. Shit, there are people in China who probably know that's a crock, just like the fist jab, Husein, madrassa, terrorist, alien, baby-mama, etc. All will probably come up again.

I have lost all sympathy for the candidates. Like I said before, I hope that the Democrats and their cronies give the Republicans all they can. Dig, dig, dig, because that's what the other side will have no trouble doing. If I thought different: I'd say different.

[Michael]

Olbermann comments on McCain regarding the RNC 9-11 video