Over the last few days a high number of people have made their comments and feelings known about Keith Olbermann's departure from MSNBC. Having had a short bit of time to think about this, I felt obliged to chime in with a few thoughts of my own.
Keep in mind, this isn't my thoughts about MSNBC, or his departure, but rather a blog about Keith's contribution to our national conversation over the last few years.
I was a bit late to the party when it came to "Countdown" with Keith Olbermann; a special comment which speaks for itself and needs no editorial commentary from me. (I had initially planned to embed. Couldn't get it to work, even using the advice in previous diaries about MSNBC videos.)
It was a Special Comment that resonated with me and pulled me off the sidelines, where I had stayed for several years.
In the years prior to the 2000 presidential election, I had volunteered countless hours to political campaigns. I had driven voters to the polls. I had put a great deal of time and effort into the campaigns of candidates like former Michigan governor Jim Blanchard, the presidential campaigns of Jerry Brown in 1992 and Bill Clinton in 1996, and the senatorial campaigns of Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, not to mention a few campaigns for congressman Dale Kildee over the years.
In 2000, I volunteered for Al Gore and through the primary season, the candidate who worried me and my fellow volunteers the most was John McCain. Of course, once the Republican machine got behind George W. Bush, we felt confident in the chances of the election of president Al Gore.
And then the 2000 election actually happened. And whether right or wrong, seeing the candidate who I worked so hard for actually win the election and be denied the Presidency sickened me. It sickens me to this day, but at that point, I was so disenchanted, so disgusted with the political process that I completely withdrew from political volunteering and discussion. I think my reasoning was "What's the point? You can win an election and the crooks can still keep you out if you're not the favorite son."
I had hope that with George Bush's mismanagement of almost everything during his first term that there would be no way he could possibly be re-elected in 2004, until the Democrats nominated John Kerry. Don't get me wrong, I thought Kerry could win. I just didn't think he was the guy to rally the troops behind him and put the Democrats back in the White House.
He wasn't. And he still almost won.
As time marched onward, I felt a growing sense of disgust with the Bush administration and the Republicans, who blamed liberals for everything from the economy to polio. I watched the Republicans' lies growing, becoming more ridiculous by the day. I could not have have known how craven and shameless the Republicans would become over the next few years, and I shudder to think about how low they will stoop in the coming years.
That was why the day I first saw your Special Comment dated October 6, 2006, titled "A Special Comment about lying" was so important to me. This segment, more than any book or newspaper article I had ever read, or any other video I have ever seen, said in plain English what I had been feeling for some time. I personally felt hopeful that there was someone in the media, someone who I respected, who was an unflinching supporter of the middle class and of regular American citizens. Someone who wasn't afraid to take the fight to the Republicans.
It was this particular Special Comment that brought me back into the fold because I realized that there were still people who were fighting the good fight. It helped me channel my disappointment and encouraged me to become active and outspoken once again.
Since that fateful day in 2006 when I was reawakened politically, the Republicans have continued to be exactly what they have been for some time now - callous sociopaths who cravenly pander to the lowest common denominator.
For being an encouraging voice over the years, Keith, I thank you. I especially thank you for your comments over the years that have summed up so eloquently just what it is that I have felt, yet not had the eloquence myself to put into words.
Additionally, I thank you for shining a light on the dark underbelly of the conservative movement. You have taken the effort to point out when the leading voices of the right wing, men like Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, or Rush Limbaugh have said or done things that are offensive, hypocritical, or even dangerous to our society. You have showcased the inconsistency of the Tea Party movement, helping to demonstrate the disconnect between their stated goals and their actions.
For that, and the many more aspects of your show that I dare not attempt to mention in this blog because of the interests of space, I thank you.
And while you have been an unwavering voice for the progressive community, I implore you to not be a silent partner to progressives now that you're no longer with MSNBC. We need your voice, and we need it now more than ever.
So please stay active, and please stay visible. Whether you continue your presence online, or whether you take to the radio airwaves, or even another television show. Stay with us and keep fighting the good fight.
One of the most frequently paraphrased quotations of Edmund Burke comes from his 1770 "Thoughts on the Cause of Present Discontents", when he said "When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle."
You have consistently been one of the most effective voices for the progressive cause. As we face one of the most pivotal moments for our nation, it is vital that your voice not be silenced.
Thank you Keith, and I hope we hear from you again very soon.