The effort to reinstate Keith Olbermann to his spot in MSNBC's lineup is impressive, but is that really good for the progressive movement's future?
Does it seem like a good idea to keep providing profits and authority to a network and corporation so clearly bent to supporting the other side?
Why not find some alternative in which Keith Olbermann's tremendous talent, intellect and charisma are channeled in to benefiting the progressive movement without the side effect of buckets full of profits to right wing overlords?
My humble suggestion is that we encourage Keith Olbermann to become Senator Olbermann. There is a job opening up in Connecticut in 2012, currently occupied by Joe Lieberman.
The undertaking would not be easy, nor cheap. But, as Ned Lamont demonstrated in 2006, it is absolutely do-able. Keith Olbermann has the capacity for this undertaking and would be a great leading voice during the 2012 national campaign.
My belief is that if he were to begin this effort now (in the next 3-4 months) by early 2012, he would be in a very strong position, and in addition to helping Democrats up and down the ticket throughout Connecticut, he could be a fund raising powerhouse for the party nationwide.
He would be a strong voice of sharp and precise rhetoric to combat the amplified lunacy of the (fox)right. With an aggressive campaign to the left, he could flip the conventional wisdom on its head, demonstrating that running left IS running strong. Once elected, he would be a powerful leader for the progressive movement and an agent of change within the US Senate, where the quality of membership has fallen off significantly over the last several decades.
We need to start going after them the way they go after us. Unrelenting, consistent messaging. Put Keith Olbermann out there as our first candidate, our version of Marco Rubio, standing tall without fear, but a whole lot more honest and intelligent.
We need a vocal progressive majority in the Senate, the more members they gain, the more capacity to do great things each individual will have. More than that, we need progressive voices that can package ideas in to language that will be understood, accepted and repeated by Americans all over the country. Senator Olbermann would be able to deliver that.
As a Senator, Keith Olbermann would be able to raise massive sums of money and shine the spotlight on lesser known challenger candidates of the same mold. He would be able to join Al Franken and the rest of the small progressive core in the Senate to tilt the balance of influence our way within the DSCC, possibly preventing them from working against "us" so often.
Stop making money for conservatives and start acting to restore the progressive, intelligent, honorable and sane majority.
Who is with me? Tweet your support to knock out Joe Lieberman with the hashtag: #kojoe2012