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**PoliticalTiger** · 12-29-2011, 06:02 PM

Keith Olbermann, who came to Current TV this year to remake the channel and compete against his old home, MSNBC, is sitting out the biggest political nights of the season.

Despite being the biggest star on the fledging channel, Mr. Olbermann is not scheduled to anchor Current’s coverage of the Iowa caucus or the New Hampshire primary in January. Instead, Current’s other prime time anchors, Cenk Uygur and Jennifer Granholm, will be joined by the channel’s chairman, the former vice president Al Gore, according to the channel’s TV schedule.

Mr. Olbermann also was noticeably absent from two special reports that Current produced after Republican debates in mid-December. Those, too, were anchored by Mr. Uygur.

These absences suggest that there may be new tension between Mr. Olbermann and the managers at Current, who are trying to create a progressive-oriented cable news channel.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/20...nn/?src=tp

**KonaKane** · 12-29-2011, 06:13 PM

I know how he feels. I wouldn't be that into working at a studio that allowed the St-enk Hole in it, either.

**Drunken Irishman** · 12-29-2011, 06:50 PM

(12-29-2011 06:13 PM)KonaKane Wrote: I know how he feels. I wouldn't be that into working at a studio that allowed the St-enk Hole in it, either.

My thoughts exactly! I feel for the former Michigan governor!

***There Is No Spoon*** · 12-29-2011, 06:33 PM

What. The. Fuck.

Now I'm not feeling so bad that I don't get Current TV.

**RoyGBiv** · 12-29-2011, 06:36 PM

Cenk over Olbermann?

Yeahthatmakessense.

**Fire1** · 12-30-2011, 10:08 AM

(12-29-2011 06:36 PM)RoyGBiv Wrote: Cenk over Olbermann?

Yeahthatmakessense.

I said the same thing! Ugh! Shocked

**Born_A_Truman** · 12-29-2011, 07:02 PM

Stupid move on Current's part. I thought Keith had a hand in bringing Cenk over there though and I didn't think that was a wise move either.

**kahuna** · 12-29-2011, 07:44 PM

(12-29-2011 07:02 PM)Born_A_Truman Wrote: Stupid move on Current's part. I thought Keith had a hand in bringing Cenk over there though and I didn't think that was a wise move either.

I watched a few minutes of Cenk, Granholm and Gore after the last debate. Cenk was the moderator... Huh

It was really demeaning to see Cenk at the head of the table over V.P. Gore and Govenor Granholm, and to hear them trying to converse with Cenk on his 5th grade level, compared to them.

I don't know what Al Gore was thinking by letting Cenk on his network. I think Keith probably invited him over, but now why, won't Keith share election coverage with him?

**Born_A_Truman** · 12-29-2011, 10:04 PM

(12-29-2011 07:44 PM)kahuna Wrote:
(12-29-2011 07:02 PM)Born_A_Truman Wrote: Stupid move on Current's part. I thought Keith had a hand in bringing Cenk over there though and I didn't think that was a wise move either.

I watched a few minutes of Cenk, Granholm and Gore after the last debate. Cenk was the moderator... It was really demeaning to see Cenk at the head of the table over V.P. Gore and Govenor Granholm, and to hear them trying to converse with Cenk on his 5th grade level, compared to them.

I don't know what Al Gore was thinking by letting Cenk on his network. I think Keith probably invited him over, but now why, won't Keith share election coverage with him?

Should get interesting. I have to think Keith would be anchoring if he wanted to, but who knows what is really going on behind the scenes. Maybe Keith will tweet something.

**Drunken Irishman** · 12-29-2011, 07:20 PM

I always liked the threesome of Olbermann, Maddow and Matthews on election night.

They made it interesting and fun. When Olbermann left MSNBC, that was my first thought, "who'll take his spot on election night?"

Hopefully it's Sharpton!

**Born_A_Truman** · 12-29-2011, 07:28 PM

(12-29-2011 07:20 PM)Drunken Irishman Wrote: I always liked the threesome of Olbermann, Maddow and Matthews on election night.

They made it interesting and fun. When Olbermann left MSNBC, that was my first thought, "who'll take his spot on election night?"

Hopefully it's Sharpton!

Got your wish:

In 2008, Keith Olbermann and Mr. Matthews led MSNBC’s coverage; this time, Rachel Maddow will be the main anchor, joined by Mr. Matthews and the channel’s other three prime time hosts, Ed Schultz, Lawrence O’Donnell and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

**SeattleGirl** · 12-29-2011, 07:52 PM

(12-29-2011 07:28 PM)Born_A_Truman Wrote:
(12-29-2011 07:20 PM)Drunken Irishman Wrote: I always liked the threesome of Olbermann, Maddow and Matthews on election night.

They made it interesting and fun. When Olbermann left MSNBC, that was my first thought, "who'll take his spot on election night?"

Hopefully it's Sharpton!

Got your wish:

In 2008, Keith Olbermann and Mr. Matthews led MSNBC’s coverage; this time, Rachel Maddow will be the main anchor, joined by Mr. Matthews and the channel’s other three prime time hosts, Ed Schultz, Lawrence O’Donnell and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Yay!!!!

**Drunken Irishman** · 12-29-2011, 07:37 PM

Sweet! That'll be fun, even if, at times I roll my eyes at Ed Schultz' grandiose demeanor.

**Drunken Irishman** · 12-29-2011, 07:46 PM

Maybe Olbermann will go back to MSNBC. I like Al Gore. I want to like Current. But I can't, and won't, watch anything with Cenk in it. He's awful. His voice is worse than cats walking on a chalkboard.

**jaxx** · 12-29-2011, 10:08 PM

Maybe Cenk is so anti-Obama that KO can't stand it. I'm guessing this is more than just personality conflict.

**PoliticalTiger** · 12-29-2011, 11:18 PM

(12-29-2011 10:08 PM)jaxx Wrote: Maybe Cenk is so anti-Obama that KO can't stand it. I'm guessing this is more than just personality conflict.

I think you are on to something. Olbermann was becoming more like Cenk and now maybe with reflection he sees how counterproductive that constant nitpicking is and how undermining this president is not what's best for the future of this country.

Even if one thinks Obama is a mediocre president (which I do not) he's still a hundred times better than any of those fools running on the GOP side.

**janedrake** · 12-29-2011, 10:17 PM

Look, I'm just saying - KO seemed to (understandably) change A LOT after the relatively close deaths of his parents. Did he take time to properly grieve? I remember KO's coverage of his father's last days in the hospital, and yet... KO's show went on to give out massive disinformation on HCR - a segment with Michael Moore comes to mind. KO then went on to some *interesting* positions on the Prez. it got to the point where I tuned him out, because he was presenting a superficial view of what was going on -quintessential "professional left." I was *still* interested, though, to see KO on Current TV. I watched the first two shows... didn't really go back. Wjy? I didn't relish yet another source of "pony" commentary cutting the knees out from under Obama. Truthfully, I think the move to Current TV is one of the worst moves KO ever made. The MSNBC "cache" did not transfer.

**jaxx** · 12-29-2011, 10:26 PM

(12-29-2011 10:17 PM)janedrake Wrote: Look, I'm just saying - KO seemed to (understandably) change A LOT after the relatively close deaths of his parents. Did he take time to properly grieve? I remember KO's coverage of his father's last days in the hospital, and yet... KO's show went on to give out massive disinformation on HCR - a segment with Michael Moore comes to mind. KO then went on to some *interesting* positions on the Prez. it got to the point where I tuned him out, because he was presenting a superficial view of what was going on -quintessential "professional left." I was *still* interested, though, to see KO on Current TV. I watched the first two shows... didn't really go back. Wjy? I didn't relish yet another source of "pony" commentary cutting the knees out from under Obama. Truthfully, I think the move to Current TV is one of the worst moves KO ever made. The MSNBC "cache" did not transfer.

I agree with what you said. I watched a couple new shows too and that was it. To me KO tried to make himself more important than the country and the politics.....and in the end he's just a tv guy with an attitude.

**Dimwitted Fool** · 12-30-2011, 01:46 AM

(12-29-2011 10:26 PM)jaxx Wrote: <...>
To me KO tried to make himself more important than the country and the politics.....and in the end he's just a tv guy with an attitude.

Note that he's been fired from most, if not all, of the news jobs he's had.

I got tired of him long before MSNB did-- little hard news, hardly any decent interviews or outside expertise, so many "special" comments that they weren't special any more, a good quarter of the show dedicated to celebrity snark...

And I had to buy a bigger TV to fit his head in.

**PoliticalTiger** · 12-29-2011, 11:07 PM

(12-29-2011 10:17 PM)janedrake Wrote: Look, I'm just saying - KO seemed to (understandably) change A LOT after the relatively close deaths of his parents. Did he take time to properly grieve? I remember KO's coverage of his father's last days in the hospital, and yet... KO's show went on to give out massive disinformation on HCR - a segment with Michael Moore comes to mind. KO then went on to some *interesting* positions on the Prez. it got to the point where I tuned him out, because he was presenting a superficial view of what was going on -quintessential "professional left." I was *still* interested, though, to see KO on Current TV. I watched the first two shows... didn't really go back. Wjy? I didn't relish yet another source of "pony" commentary cutting the knees out from under Obama. Truthfully, I think the move to Current TV is one of the worst moves KO ever made. The MSNBC "cache" did not transfer.

I agree. Olbermann was getting on my nerves toward the end of his MSNBC gig. He seemed to get caught up with the Glenn Greenwald-Michael Moore 'Obama sucks' mentality. I've only watched him on Current TV a couple of times so I don't know if he's snapped out of the constant whining now as 2012 gets closer and is seeing things in a different perspective. I miss the old Obermann who was witty and informative, not the one who parrots the Professional Left's talking points.

**Drunken Irishman** · 12-29-2011, 10:29 PM

Agreed. Something changed. I know Olbermann was a big Obama supporter in '08 and didn't hide it well. He even choked up, on air, announcing Obama as the next president.

For whatever reason, he changed. Maybe he saw an opening and decided someone high profiled needed to hit Obama from the left and, over time, he started buying what he was trying to sell - I don't know. I haven't watched his show on Current, so I don't know if he's moved back toward Obama like, say, Ed Schultz has recently or if he's still trying to throw Obama under the bus at every chance he gets.

**kahuna** · 12-30-2011, 07:23 AM

(12-29-2011 10:29 PM)Drunken Irishman Wrote: Agreed. Something changed. I know Olbermann was a big Obama supporter in '08 and didn't hide it well. He even choked up, on air, announcing Obama as the next president.

For whatever reason, he changed. Maybe he saw an opening and decided someone high profiled needed to hit Obama from the left and, over time, he started buying what he was trying to sell - I don't know. I haven't watched his show on Current, so I don't know if he's moved back toward Obama like, say, Ed Schultz has recently or if he's still trying to throw Obama under the bus at every chance he gets.

I watched a couple of times on Current. When he started having on his PL pals to help him bash the president I tuned out for good.

Now what we need is a volunteer.... Grin

... to watch KO to see what his current mood is. Anybody? Grin