Keith Olbermann Answers a Question from a Republican College Student

[Charleston Chew]

Run time: 01:44 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bz68oHU9dE   Posted on YouTube: April 04, 2011 By YouTube Member: mobilizeme Views on YouTube: 36   Posted on DU: April 05, 2011 By DU Member: Charleston Chew Views on DU: 4906

 
That dude just served Keith a word salad of nonsense. One can't just use big words and expect others to perceive them as thoughtful, articulate and sincere.

His question / statement was meaningless.

[90-percent]

1. Keith on stage

From that distance at that camera angle he reminded me of George Reeves as Clark Kent.

Hey, DU community, where can I get my Keith again? I'm dying out here!

-90% Jimmy

[Charleston Chew]

3. Hot 'N' Fresh

http://foknewschannel.com /

[whathehell]

7. You know he's coming to Current TV in the Spring with a new show, right?

Just want to help out a fellow Keith fan.:-)

[Charleston Chew]

8. Current TV Co-Founder talks About Keith Olbermann's New Show

As it readies for the debut of the Keith Olbermann show, Current TV is building a studio in Manhattan, says co-founder Joel Hyatt in this interview with Beet.TV.

Hyatt says that the studio will have additional uses beyond the Olbermann show, which will debut in "late Spring."

The San Francisco-based cable network has its primary broadcast studio in Los Angeles. Although Current maintains business operations in New York, this would be its first studio.

Hyatt and Olbermann were featured luncheon speakers, interviewed on stage by paidContent editor Staci D. Kramer.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x565078
__________
also check-out my (abandoned) current channel @ http://current.com/users/HolyCity2012.htm

[whathehell]

35. Thanks for the information!...n/t

[Buzz Clik]

2. ugh.

The kid had a good point, and Olbermann dismissed him with a jab. I really hope there was more to his answer that simply didn't make the clip.

[Charleston Chew]

4. ugh indeed

If you are unable to discern from the opening image that this video was obviously edited by a right wing group then I will hold your hand and walk you through it.

[Buzz Clik]

10. Having a bad morning?

I found the link to the entire lecture and I'm listening to it now.

[Charleston Chew]

13. Laugh Out Loud!

Sometimes I drink too much coffee in the morning. My comments tend to be extremely literal and that can easily be interpreted as hostile. I do often feel like a jerk after reviewing my text replies.

[comtec]

15. would you be so kind as to provide us with a link good sir?

while an accurate, and good answer.
a better (and yes it was a RW attempt to attack, that failed) response was 'you may be an engineer, but you obviously, willfully, lack a understanding of the realities of the economy.

hmm... too many long words.

... "that's because the vast majority of conservatives are stupid" ... yeah, that's pretty straight to the point.

conservatives don't understand details.

how sad.

[Buzz Clik]

24. ..

http://foknewschannel.com/video/cornell-speech-part-3-questions-and-answers/

[90-percent]

5. more context

If you have the approximately 130 minutes, you can view the link so generously provided by Mr. Chew and make your own conclusions based on what went on before the above clip.

-90% Jimmy

[Buzz Clik]

11. I found it on my own, and I'm listening now.

[TheEuclideanOne]

6. More? How do you argue that a group of people is NOT stupid.

It is an opinion question, not one that can be answered quantitatively. I suppose that you can average IQ scores, but in general, a question about whether Republicans are stupid can only be replied by apologizing or doubling down. I love the way he added the "Wildly Stupid" in going down the double down option.

I don't agree that the kid had a good point. Then again, I have seen several clips daily of Republicans taking positions in support of things that are provably false. To me, that is a pretty good display of stupid. Most of the time I can not agree or disagree with Republicans because I am so caught up with the fact that they take posititions that are so blatantly stupid (no... wildly stupid).

The kid is the President of the Student Republicans, so he has spent his last few years believing and spewing purely emotional arguments, ones that do not require support by any facts whatsoever. This is why he can not even phrase a question that can be supported by fact. The question of "Why do you keep calling us stupid?" is a great example of that. It was a Republican talking point for a while, I am sure, because I remember one week where both Limbaugh and Beck were telling their followers that they are not stupid (I kid you not). If the kid posed the question in the format of "the average Republican IQ is 30 points higher than the Average Democrat" or "70% of Republicans graduated from college and 30% of Democrats graduate", it would be a more intelligent question. Instead, what the kid asked can be interpreted not as a question, but more of whining that he does not like to be called stupid.

[Buzz Clik]

12. Meh. Whatever.

Do you know any intelligent conservatives? Apparently not. Your loss.

[Charleston Chew]

16. about "intelligent conservatives"

There is such a thing and there is a place for them in contemporary discourse but this kid is not a Conservative. How do I know that? Because the moment he mentions Ann Coulter he goes from being a principled conservative to a stock standard Republican.

Some examples of a "intelligent conservatives" can be found @
http://election.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x568960
&
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x569721

[TheEuclideanOne]

19. Not too many, but a few.

Unfortunately, most of the ones I know are like this kid. I can totally appreciate the conservatvie viewpoint, but I can not relate in any way to this Limbaugh/Beck/Coulter crowd.

[AlbertCat]

26. Do you know any intelligent conservatives?

FEW!

And none of them think Ann Coulter is worth listening to.

I find most conservatives parrot what they hear on Fox (which I might add has been shown to create the most uninformed viewers of any news program) or Limbaugh. This is not a "stereotype"... or if it is, it is an accurate one.

Are there stupid liberals? You bet! But not in such numbers.

[bongbong]

27. my repig friends

I have a few repig friends, and mostly we don't talk politics. But two of them are very honest about politics. Those two acknowledge that repigs lie & steal (while using the standard talking point that "both sides do it"), but they are both well-off and come right out and admit they want more tax cuts on the wealthy, acknowledging that repigs favor the rich.

I know two honest repigs. How rare is that???

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Charleston Chew]

45. yikes?

I do not think that is the kind discourse we need @ DU

[Hamlette]

17. agreed

and while it may have been edited to make Keith look bad, why is it posted here and why are we cheering?

The kid did have a good point, the name calling is not productive. Granted the kid was an arrogant....well, kid (college kid trying to sound smart, not quite getting the Buckley imitation down right) but Keith could have provided a better explanation.

I know some on here hate republicans no matter what but it would be better to convert them, IMHO, and I know plenty who have converted.

[russspeakeasy]

29. Convert? Seriously?

[Hamlette]

31. indeed

What I hate the most about Palin is how dismissive of me and my kind she is. We are paling around with terrorists in her mind.

I know a few very liberal democrats who switched and it wasn't because some dem called them stupid. It was because they saw how stupid their party was behaving. Point that out. Some will come around.

[kenfrequed]

37. A few things,

I'm about as left of center as probable while still being a democrat, dislike Palin etc not for any absurd dismissiveness. She doesn't dismiss us or call us stupid. To Her and her ilk we are the enemy.

To try to conflate Olbermann's justifiable dismissal of a canned absurd question into somehow slipping into Palin/Bachman turf is false equivalency on a grand scale.

Also anyone who would switch from being a liberal democrat to a republican because someone called them out for not knowing something has a lot more to worry about than being called stupid.

[AlbertCat]

39. the name calling is not productive.

Then the right should shut down it's HUGE "name calling" operation.

Oh... and Repug policies are not productive either.


It is quite obvious that the only way to be "fair" is to agree with the Repugs totally. Just like religion. Agree with us and it's fair. Disagree, and you're name calling! The GOP is now a cult. I wonder how that coulda happened??? Hmmmmm....

[trumad]

22. And the point was?

[Dollface]

23. I listened to the whole thing and thought his answer was too dismisive. I love Keith but I think

he could have handled the kid better.

On second thought, maybe it was KO humor to act in the manner in which the questioner accused the left of acting. Well then that's funny. Guess I was a little slow.

[Zambero]

30. Using Ann Coulter as a case in point is a tipoff

that this kid is indeed quite stupid.

[Buzz Clik]

33. We're having a bit of trouble with the verbiage.

A senior in engineering at Cornell is not a stupid person.

We agree that his political views are misguided, but stupid? No. As much as I despise Coulter, she is not stupid, either. Limbaugh, yes, stupid. Hannity may be the dumbest human being I've encountered. But not Coulter.

[AlbertCat]

40. A senior in engineering at Cornell is not a stupid person.

How do you know? You got his grade point average? What if he's at the bottom of his class? After all Dubya went to Harvard.

Appeals to authority are not valid.


Besides, he may be a brilliant engineer, but a complete political moron.

Was Coulter not stupid when she called John Edwards a fag? Or was that a sign of her brilliance? She's a self serving moron.

[Buzz Clik]

41. If I told you he was carrying a 4.0 GPA and is a Rhodes Scholar...

... would you suddenly change your mind?

In engineering, you don't accumulate enough credits to become a senior unless you maintain a minimum GPA... what am I doing? You really don't care about this. You are simply content to call all people with differing views "stupid" and move on.

Nevermind.

[colorado_ufo]

51. Are we thinking of the same "Ms. Coulter?"

The "radiation is good for you" Ms. Coulter?

[Buzz Clik]

57. Yeah, Coulter says stupid things. She is hateful and spiteful, and I love seeing her head explode.

But, I've seen her give a 60 minute lecture in a college auditorium, and (if you can filter out the standard "I hate liberals" bullshit), she is very bright. Example: The room was filled with young and old Republicans and a few people who like me who enjoy train wrecks. A young Republican woman was complaining bitterly about the federal government interference in the state-funded institution, saying the feds should keep the hell out. Coulter then calmly explained that, although it's awful, as soon as any institution takes one nickel of federal funding, the institution has bought itself a government nanny that will not go away. You can imagine what mindless crap the Bachman or Palin might have said.

I'll never buy one of Coulter's books or actually pay money to hear her speak, but she ain't stupid.

[Zambero]

53. Given a normal statistical distribution

of just about any demographic, educational or otherwise, some very dim bulbs are likely to emerge. For "Cornelliites" (or however they might define themselves) perhaps the idiots in question reside at the outer edge of a bell-shaped curve. But they certainly exist, sheepskins notwithstanding. And conversely -- there are any number of of brilliant individuals in our midst who've never come anywhere near an Ivy League institution, or any other for that matter.

[Buzz Clik]

56. Maybe I should be asking this: other than being a Republican, what makes this kid so stupid?

What stupid thing did he say?

[kenfrequed]

59. Feh

He was demanding respect for stupidity.

He was trying to suggest that liberals to fight with a hand and a foot tied behind their back in the arena of public debate. Seriously, why is this so hard to understand?

[kenfrequed]

38. What was the kid calling into question?

Precisely explain exactly what time the kid was implying that Olbermann was calling a conservative stupid and how it wasn't justified.

I'm sorry but this defanging of our own assertive aggressive voices is the very reason Democrats are unable to grab peoples attention. Our progressives are muzzled at meetings, ignored by self appointed party officials of the DLC, and then we get the "concern" of those that would just as well eliminate any actual media presence that we have carved out.

I saw the same self hating BS when conservative concern troll legions rip on Michael Moore.

The fact of the matter is that the people Olbermann calls out for their stupidity deserve it and we deserve to know how stupid they have been. Or would you have Bachman, Palin, Bill-o, Limbaugh, and the rest of that crew somehow treated with a deference and respect that they have NEVER, ever given anyone else?

[Buzz Clik]

42. Damn. Did you even read my post? I wasn't defending Coulter.

:wtf:

[kenfrequed]

43. Did you read mine?

I didn't mention Coulter. Not once.

This is about Olbermann.

Scroll up and re-read.

[Buzz Clik]

49. Here's your screed:

Quoting:

Precisely explain exactly what time the kid was implying that Olbermann was calling a conservative stupid and how it wasn't justified.

I'm sorry but this defanging of our own assertive aggressive voices is the very reason Democrats are unable to grab peoples attention. Our progressives are muzzled at meetings, ignored by self appointed party officials of the DLC, and then we get the "concern" of those that would just as well eliminate any actual media presence that we have carved out.

I saw the same self hating BS when conservative concern troll legions rip on Michael Moore.

The fact of the matter is that the people Olbermann calls out for their stupidity deserve it and we deserve to know how stupid they have been. Or would you have Bachman, Palin, Bill-o, Limbaugh, and the rest of that crew somehow treated with a deference and respect that they have NEVER, ever given anyone else?

And, here's mine:

The kid had a good point, and Olbermann dismissed him with a jab. I really hope there was more to his answer that simply didn't make the clip.

Ok, so you ramble on about Micheal Moore, Bachman, O'Reilly, Palin, Limbaugh etc, none of whom I mentioned. So, I assumed that you were saying that Olbermann was justified in dismissing this kid by saying all conservatives are stupid, particularly the kid and Ann Coulter (who was the subject of the kid's question).

But, as you pointed out, you were talking only about Olbermann and absolutely not talking about Coulter. Now, the only thing I can get from this interchange is that you think Olbermann is taking the right approach in slamming any and every conservative, with the lone exception of Ann Coulter. Right?

[kenfrequed]

52. absurd and red herring

So, rather than interract directly with my "screed" (nice characterization btw) you decide to toss in some ridiculous quip?

I mean, there really isn't an argument or a discussion point there. Just an empty quip. Did you wish to make any more? Maybe you could make fun of my handle or something...

[Buzz Clik]

55. I like this! Let's start all over again, and this time I'll read my lines just as you want:

Me:

The kid had a good point, and Olbermann dismissed him with a jab. I really hope there was more to his answer that simply didn't make the clip.

You:

What was the kid calling into question? Precisely explain exactly what time the kid was implying that Olbermann was calling a conservative stupid and how it wasn't justified.

I'm sorry but this defanging of our own assertive aggressive voices is the very reason Democrats are unable to grab peoples attention. Our progressives are muzzled at meetings, ignored by self appointed party officials of the DLC, and then we get the "concern" of those that would just as well eliminate any actual media presence that we have carved out.

I saw the same self hating BS when conservative concern troll legions rip on Michael Moore.

The fact of the matter is that the people Olbermann calls out for their stupidity deserve it and we deserve to know how stupid they have been. Or would you have Bachman, Palin, Bill-o, Limbaugh, and the rest of that crew somehow treated with a deference and respect that they have NEVER, ever given anyone else?

Me (revised):

Okay. I have no problem whatsoever with Olbermann calling rightwing pundit and idiot politicians "stupid." They deserve it. However, the kid was polite and very respectful to Olbermann, yet Keith gave him a nasty slap. Not only did Keith (rightfully) stand by his label of "stupid" for Coulter, he made it clear he thought the kid was incredibly stupid as well. That was too much. The kid had said nothing stupid and deserved better.

How's that? Am I following your strict rules of debate closely enough to merit a response that isn't adorned with bile and sputum? I certainly hope so. My only function on this board is to please you.

[kenfrequed]

58. Great.

So you restated the question twice without interracting or answering it then.

Great job! Would you like a gold star?


It was a stupid and misleading question from a political activist of a party that has become one living shambling ad hominem against everyone that doesn't agree with their sexist, racist, homophobic, ignorant, unscientific, greedy, xenophobic, fundamentalist view of reality. To accuse Olbermann or call him out for calling Coulter, conservatives in general, and the questioner specifically, stupid, is to justify or elevate the very pseudo-dialouge that Olbermann (and others) have pointed out to us for years now.

I suppose you would prefer a timid liberal like Bill Press (of his crossfire years) quietly mentioning little tidbits here and there and trying hard to straddle one foot in moderate-democrat land and the other on the back of whoever has control of the Democratic parties finances.

We all know how well that works already I think.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. No one can say it like Olbermann, and mean it.

Conservatives are strange creatures. They wear their religion like it's proof of their commitment to humanitarian causes, but then they rationalize everything based on economics, allowing the bottom line to decide for them where the triage begins.

[Roy Rolling]

14. definition of stupid

Most (not all) conservatives today fit the definition of stupid:

1. Slow to learn or understand; obtuse.
2. Tending to make poor decisions or careless mistakes.
3. Marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless: a stupid mistake.
4. Dazed, stunned, or stupefied.
5. Pointless; worthless: a stupid job.

So the truth may hurt, but they fit the definition of stupid. And worse yet, they are proud of it----they boast that they are anti-intellectual and "folksy" to win over people. They embrace the definition of stupid but are offended when someone points out their actions to them. Not only are they stupid, they are hypocritical.

Anti-intellectual IS stupid, but of course, if one is stupid how can they understand it? If they want a different label, as my dad used to say, use your head for something other thatn a place to put your hat.

Stupid and proud of it has made a speaking career for Sarah Palin and others.

[TheEuclideanOne]

20. Not only do that, but they support each other on breaking new ground in stupidity

How many times has Sarah Palin made up words because she did not know the correct word. The right supports her on it and even starts using the word in their radio talk shows as if it were a real word. She even had words written down on her hand and the followers endearingly call it a Redneck Teleprompter.

You can make all the same arguments regarding racism.

Let's face, nobody calls Palin out on her stupidity because she is a weapon of the right. The same thing applies to Beck, Limbaugh and others on racism. But you can't have your cake and eat it too, which is what they want. So either they need to stop worshipping stupidity in a very public way or get used to people thinking they are stupid. The fact that they are now trying to destroy the educational system does not help their cause either.

[Plucketeer]

28. Thank you, Roy!

Gosh, I miss Keith!

[thereismore]

18. Enough pussyfooting. They need to deal with the truth. nt

[PatSeg]

21. Oh that is so sad

The kid is trying so hard to impress Olbermann by using BIG words and he just sounds pretentious and silly. Brings back memories of high school. Hopefully he'll outgrow it.

[Shining Jack]

25. K&R

[90-percent]

32. Conservative Republicans

Their whole schtick reminds me of Amway Soap.

An operation that is predatory at it's core, with a boat load of losers and an occasional winner.

Balls of their ass poor exploitees desperately working their asses off that in the end only benefit the wealthy.

-90% jimmy

[Charleston Chew]

34. Can we all agree?

We need to understand that a Republican and a Conservative are two separate entities, at least by definition.

When I use the word "conservative" I only mean it in the most literal of definitions.

The title of this video refereed to the questioner as a "Conservative" but I altered the headline to "Republican" because anyone who can not understand why Ann Coulter doesn't receive a certain amount of respect is not (by definition) a true conservative.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

36. oy another tagteam thread....how's the pay?

[GaYellowDawg]

46. Funny, but ultimately counterproductive.

KO could have served up a number of examples to demonstrate that conservatives hold their beliefs when they are obviously, horribly wrong, and called it stupid. Instead, he made a punch line out of the kid. Sometimes you have to answer a dumb question in a serious fashion to promote a safer environment for learning; I'm used to having to do that in class as a biology teacher.

[xchrom]

47. ha! -- wildly stupid. good one. nt

[Charleston Chew]

48. Cornell Review questions Keith Olbermann March 31st Lecture, The Tone of Politics

The Cornell Review questions Keith Olbermann at his March 31st lecture at Bailey Hall on his contribution to the vitriolic tone in the national conversation, especially in cable news outlets like MSNBC and Fox, that was questioned by both the right and the left after the January 8th shooting targeting Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x570223

[Dookiestix]

50. I'm not surprised by Keith's reponse.

Watching anyone make an attempt to quantify the lunatic rants of such luminary right wing conservatives like Ann Coulter deserves a doubling down, IMHO. But I must correct the unfounded fact that this student was presenting an intellectual question to Keith. Perhaps pseudo-intellectual at best. Afterall, he was supporting the rants of an individual who believes that the massive radiation coming from Japan and being dumped into the Pacific as a "good thing."

Case in point.

[pam4water]

54. Marked

[ailsagirl]

60. Olbermann: I Nominate Susan Burns For President!

http://foknewschannel.com/video/the-first-guess-i-nominate-susan-burns-for-president/