Damn I love Kieth Olbermann but.

[progressiveinaction]

Look at his staff! Keith, would it be a problem to get a minority or two on the staff?

[Bladian]

1. I guess I don't see why it's a problem, really

Those are the people on his staff. That's how the stars aligned. What's the issue?

[dvo]

I don't either?

[The Backlash Cometh]

75. Well, I guess it's because he's not going to win himself over any minority groups,

since he won't be speaking to them directly.

No problem, if that's not a priority.

[senseandsensibility]

I see some minorities in that photo

Granted, not many, but they're definitely there.

[JackRiddler]

66. I see about TEN people who might be (ethnic) minorities (non-whites) JUST on the left end!

The leftmost fellow, for example, could easily be black, and I bet most people looking at that photo do not notice.

By what magic is one supposed to definitively identify Indians, Arabs, Latinos or Chinese (or people of mixed race backgrounds) in that picture?

In fact, I just enlarged the photo and a MAJORITY of the people in it look like they COULD BE of non-white background. Probably most of them aren't, but YOU CAN'T TELL. Even the prominently featured fellow in the Detroit jersey might be Latino.

I AM VERY SUSPICIOUS OF THE THINKING IN THIS OP.

[senseandsensibility]

68. Yes, Hispanics, especially, are difficult to identify visually.

Other races can be too, and as you say, some may be mixed race. But I definitely see MANY people in that photo who could be Hispanic.

[elleng]

2. think I see 3. gotcha

[progressiveinaction]

6. 3 out of 40 isn't exactly what I would call diverse.

[arcane1]

11. Another possibility...

is that he hired the best candidates, and their racial makeup was irrelevant to the decision?

[Bladian]

12. That's precisely my point. n/t

[CreekDog]

53. i can't tell race from the photo --so i don't know how diverse the group is

i imagine it's higher than just gleaning that there are 3 minorities visibly identifiable in the photo.

that said, and this isn't directed at Keith --if you're in New York City and you hire almost all white people --you likely aren't hiring the best candidates because the best candidates are from many groups, not just one.

[EOTE]

13. I'm guessing the actual count is much higher than that.

It seems none-too-smart to look at a picture and try to do a demographics break down from it. There's a reason that they're called "minorities", if the bulk of his staff were minorities, that wouldn't be very representative of America. There are a number of things I can think of to be upset about now, this doesn't even come close.

[Taverner]

31. How would a Young Barack Obama look in that picture?

Chances are, you'd be hard pressed to identify him as an African American

So there might be more minorities there than we think

[devilgrrl]

83. Then how many would make it diverse?

Huh? Troll.

[valerief]

34. Maybe just 3 blacks, but a bunch more Latinos. And maybe they're all gay, too. nt

[tabasco]

67. gotcha!

LOL.

[jtown1123]

3. I agree. You only have two black people?

[david_vincent]

4. I see three guys who would seem to be members of minority groups

at least, judging by looks, which isn't smart. Flip side: lots of people may look white, but aren't, or are multiracial. I look white, but I'm multiracial.

[EOTE]

5. I count at least four.

That would be more than two. It looks to me that his staff is fairly representative of the real America.

[Luminous Animal]

14. Only nine women. Last time I looked, women comprise a bit more than half the population.

[arcane1]

18. There are more than nine

and again, there is no rule that says one's staff must exactly match the country's demographics.

[progressiveinaction]

19. Totally agree.

I bet if this we're a repuklicans staff the replies here would be a little different.

[EstimatedProphet]

65. I know where you're going with this

This is your attempt to fight back against the criticism of the teabilly rallies and how white they are. Besides the obvious mathematical difference (9 women and at least 2 blacks out of 40 people = ~25% vs. 1 or 2 black people in crowds of thousands = <0.001%) it's simply not realistic to go to the "lefties are racist too so it's OK" defense.

Regardless of what you believe, regardless of what you say, regardless of false equivalency arguments, everyone knows the right is racist. EVERYONE. This includes the right. What makes it doubly galling is that they want to get away with it, so they come up with all these invalid arguments to justify themselves.

People would be able to respect the repubs more if they would come out and admit to their racism. But they try to pretend they aren't, which just makes them hypocrites on top of being racist.

[EOTE]

21. What silly things to get worked up over.

Why don't you picket NASCAR over how few women are involved there? Really, I'm sometimes amazed at the things people will get upset about.

On edit: Oh, and I count 11 women.

[Luminous Animal]

57. Ooooh! I'm all worked up!!

[HopeHoops]

73. Yes, but the NASCAR women win in the "big hair" department.

[arcane1]

7. Such as the black guy standing right behind him?

Or the one to the left, under the Obama poster?
:shrug:

[progressiveinaction]

16. 2 out of 40 is good enough???

I expect more out of a progressive like Keith.

[arcane1]

20. It was good enough for you in your OP n/t

[EOTE]

23. Not very good at counting, are you?

I'd expect more out of a "progressive" (cough, snicker) like you.

[CreekDog]

54. how can you even see the race of people in the group?

i can't discern more than the most obvious cases from the blurry photo.

[JI7]

62. it's more than 2 out of 40 but the fact you made that up shows you have some agenda

[devilgrrl]

69. I wonder if any of those people are Muslin?

:popcorn:

[Dollface]

8. It's not his fault that Republicans won't work for him.

[Springer9]

9. It's not an issue except on RW sites that have been passing this

around for a few days. They even have a twitter site of "jokes"

#HowWhiteIsKeithOlbermann

[sufrommich]

22. Yep. Michelle Malkin pushing it big time. nt

[arcane1]

25. That proves just how much of a non-issue it really is, if she's pushing it

[sufrommich]

26. I wouldn't call it a "non issue" as much as a "pretend issue". nt

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

77. Really?

Hmm....very interesting then.....the OP....

[Kolesar]

10. The Daily Show has a "black correspondent"

A "senior" black correspondent: Larry Wilmore

[H2O Man]

15. gosh

[Old and In the Way]

17. Women appear to be unrepresented as well!

Any analysis on the % of gays on staff? I'm series, this is hugh. I'll have to put KO on my ignore list, I guess.

[John Paul Jones]

24. This thread is an example of one of the things that is wrong with this country.

Who cares....?

These are the people HE wants. As soon as you start paying them, you can select them.

[Deep13]

39. BZZZT! wrong.

First Al Gore is paying all of them. Second, we have a Civil Rights act in this country. Granted, you may have preferred the Constitution the way it was before the War of Northern Aggression, but as it is the 13th and 14th Amendments authorize such legislation.

Honestly, I see a few nonwhite people in there, so I guess I don't see the problem.

[John Paul Jones]

43. Why is the color of someone's skin so important to you? Is that the basis of your

hiring criteria?

The important thing to me is: Can they do what I am paying them to do?

[Deep13]

55. A long time ago, shortly after the establishment of the Plymouth colony...

...on Cape Cod, the first African was brought to New England in chains...blah, blah, blah...Civil War...blah, blah, blah...Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Johnson in 1964.

You said in essence that the only thing that matters is the will of the employer. I'm telling you that business exists within the rules of a civilized society and that includes the Civil Rights Act. This isn't about me. You seem to think wealth gives an employer the right to deny employment based on race. It doesn't.

[A HERETIC I AM]

59. What mkes you think, based on the photo in the OP, that ANYONE was...

"deny (ed)" employment?

Did you stop to think that all the people you think should be in that pic already had jobs? And that those in the pic represent the most qualified of the applicants?

[Deep13]

60. What the hell are you talking about?

My post is in response to the post immediately preceding it. I said as much in the post. I have no opinion on the staff photo.

[A HERETIC I AM]

64. I responded to the following statement of YOURS

"You seem to think wealth gives an employer the right to deny employment based on race. It doesn't."

To which I asked what it is that makes you think anyone was denied employment.
That is what THE HELL I am talking about.

But hey...if you have no problem with the crew in the pic, fine.

Because there is no problem with the crew in the pic.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

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

[devilgrrl]

40. +1

eom

[peace frog]

44. For as long as it lasts

which I'm thinking won't be long.

Michelle Malkin, you sly thing! No need to hide behind a fake-progressive handle. Let your teabag flag fly, girl! ;)

[postulater]

28. I see a couple, there's a guy with white hair and an overweight guy.

[onehandle]

29. I see several. And the GOP consider women 'minorities.' (second-class citizens)

So you could argue that almost half of them are 'minorities.'

[WhiteTara]

30. 12 women and 6 non white looking men...almost half

of the number 40.

[cleanhippie]

32. I see quite a few minority folks in that pic. Why can't you?

[EOTE]

33. Didn't work out like you thought it would, did it? NT

[Ed Suspicious]

35. The inference, even the discussion seems asinine to me. n/t

[classof56]

36. Good grief--this is an issue with the RWs? I'm guessing they're Green with envy.

I'm looking at an array of diverse and talented people on Keith's staff, each one of whom is, thanks to him, employed. Maybe they're even--gasp!--union members! This is a non-issue if I've ever seen one. Would be mildly amusing to see Michele Malkin shrieking insanely about this, but since I can't stand to watch her I'll take a pass on her rant.

Tired Old Cynic

[JoePhilly]

37. Hey .... Where's Waldo??? I also see ... (can YOU find) ... the following??

Some "big" people.

People who may be gay

A few old folks ...

A few drunks ...

A few who appear to be "little people" ... tough to tell at this angle, could be sitting in little chairs.

Wait ... there is more!!!!!

I also see what appears to be a female doctor ... wearing a white lab coat.

A baseball fan other than Keith.

Men with glasses.

A man with glasses who's eyes look like lasers.

Men who look like terrorists.

President Obama.

A woman with visible cleavage.

A tall woman in a short skirt.

A black man who was clearly forced to stand in the back.

Women not wearing black.

People wearing ID badges.

Men with facial hair.

Women with short hair.

Real Blonds.

Men wearing ties.

Men who look over 50.

Women who look under 50.

Bottles of Champagne.

A Cake.

Hats.

Bald guys.

People who are too short to be in the back of the photo.

[Buns_of_Fire]

47. He even got Geraldo Rivera! (Over there on the right...) nt

[JoePhilly]

52. Hahahaha ...

[Dappleganger]

38. Way to spread the RW meme of the week.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

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

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

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

[devilgrrl]

45. I see your point. There aren't any angry right wing Asian women on his staff.

:popcorn:

[Donnachaidh]

46. uhh, need new prescription glasses?

I see black, latino, possible arabic -- or are you partial to a certain amount of each? It's a pretty diverse group -- and even has more than a few women!

[Uncle Joe]

48. Fascinating, I just noticed that your handle can be taken in two different ways.

in action or inaction.

But the important thing is that you love Keith Olbermann.

[devilgrrl]

56. I'm going to guess that the OP means the latter.

:popcorn:

[Doctor_J]

49. So you're propagating an organized right-wing smear

:thumbsup:

[TBF]

50. I see a bunch of women in that photo, although it would be nice to see women of color as well.

Which particular minority are you looking for?

[A HERETIC I AM]

51. Oh, for fucks sake.

I swear, some DU'ers would be unhappy with a lefty merely because he has the ability to urinate to the right.

Did it ever occur to you that the people in the pics were the most QUALIFIED for the jobs they hold?

[JackRiddler]

70. You should be careful in thinking everyone's a DUer.

I don't see political correctness at work here.

I see subterfuge... disinfo that originated with right-wing attack sites.

Look at the picture again -- at least two dozen people in it could be ethnic minorities (and at least six are obviously so).

[hay rick]

58. Crossposted to Glenn Beck site?

Unrec.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

61. You people are really clutching at straws, aint'cha?

[MrScorpio]

63. Dude… Really?

That's it?

[ncrainbowgrrl]

71. "Kieth" (SIC)

Seems to have a nice looking staff.

[WilliamPitt]

72. (fastestfasilever)

[suffragette]

74. That pic disproves the NY Post meme that KO was having difficulty finding staff,

so it looks like this new meme is being spread around now.
I wonder why you found it necessary to post on DU.

[madamesilverspurs]

76. Damn, I love Keith's butt, too.

Let's just say that the OP seems to be pole vaulting over some mouse turds.


-

[aikoaiko]

78. You don't know what a minority looks like, do you?

:shrug:

[spanone]

79. which minority would you prefer? and how many?

edited to add, dumbest fucking op of the weekend

[devilgrrl]

81. and yet it hasn't been locked.

:crazy:

[dionysus]

80. epic division fail....

[nadinbrzezinski]

82. There might be something else you are not considering

if I were in the photo I fit two minorities, apart of being a woman. I am Jewish and hispanic. Trust me on this... you could not tell from a photo. I am whiter than my Irish husband.

[YvonneCa]

84. KEITH. What this thread does is provide an EXCELLENT example of...

...how difficult it is to define/profile ethnic minorities.

In my family, my children have a Hispanic parent...but one is blonde and the other not. THEIR children are ALL fair...no one would guess they are of Hispanic origin. Hence...

...the problem for me as an educator: Some want ME to look at children and judge their immigration status??? To decide if they should be allowed in school?? Based on what??? Their appearance???

As to Keith and his great staff :)... I would guess to judge their minority/majority status by appearance only has similar issues.

[Enrique]

85. not a single one of us fell for it

a big goose egg for the OP. :thumbsup:

[keroro gunsou]

86. your concern

is noted.

maybe, just maybe, the company he works for that does the hiring for his staff hired the best people for the job.

to say this is all olbermann's fault is kinda... wrong.

[Edweird]

87. Do what now?

[devilgrrl]

88. Hit and Run

_____

[October]

90. Really. Stir it up and leave everyone to fight it out.

divide and conquer is a popular agenda.

[October]

89. I see 4 or 5 people of (more obvious) color and he has women on staff, too