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Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder
Prove it. Limbaugh and Beck both race bait, make things up, and incite violence. Olbermann isn't on the same planet.
You say he glosses over Democratic flaws, yet here he is going after Democrats, hard.
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I've found that when one accuses another person of race-baiting and inciting violence it is akin to race-baiting and inciting violence. No question that they make things up. And in this case 'they' is Beck, Limbaugh, Olbermann and all of the other hyper-partisan political pundits.
I don't think Rush and Beck necessarily race-bait as much as they pander to the white, male, non-urban listener and play on their fears. Olbermann does the same thing but for a slightly different audience. Both camps find snippets and use them to say "see, I told you this guy was a Marxist/Fascist/Communist/Racist/Corporate Shill/Worst-Person-In-The-World..." They do what I tell my kids never to do which is judge other people based on stereotypes and pre-conceived notions. Do you really think that Olbermann believes that some Republicans are evil, whatever that means? I've heard him say as much. Do you really believe they are evil? I've heard Beck and Limbaugh use the same approach too.
In regards to going after their own: both Limbaugh and Beck heartily criticized G.W. Bush during his precidency, albeit mostly towards the end. They also consistently criticized John McCain during his presidential campaign for not being conservative enough. Olbermann occasionally does the same with Obama but for not being progressive enough. Olbermann is not unique in going after his own. That being said, I don't think he necessarily sees Democrats as one of his own. I think he sees himself as a Progressive Liberal, the principles of which just happen to line up better with Democrats than with Republicans. Conversely, I've heard Beck refer to himself specifically as not a Republican but rather as a Conservative Libertarian, the principles of which just happen to line up better with Republicans than with Democrats. All in all, both Beck and Olbermann serve the same purpose but for different political spectrums. However, when it boils right down to it all they do is create violent division among the electorate when really the Republicans and Democrats essentially have the same platform. They create noise and distraction by focussing on the details of who said what to whom and why that means you can or can't trust them. It bogs people down in the muck of the argument rather than allowing them to see the stinking, fetid political swamp that they inhabit.
By the way, I try to watch Olbermann as much as possible because I find him thoroughly entertaining, intelligent and once in a while illuminating. I tried watching Beck but he was too over the top for me to handle even in a take-it-with-a-grain-of-salt kind of way. I also watched Rush when he had his TV show in the 90's where it seemed like it was his personal mission (along with just about every other Conservative) to take down Bill Clinton at any cost. He was pretty entertaining too. He was even occasionally illuminating. I don't get Fox News on Shaw but every once in a while I'll check out Bill O'Reilly on youtube or if I'm away on business on the hotel TV. He's pretty entertaining too and occasionally has something interesting to say.
We need more 'John Stewarts' in the world and fewer 'Olbermanns' or 'Becks'.