Login HereWith the cable news networks ramping up wall-to-wall political coverage, the demand for people to analyze, comment upon and speculate wildly about the presidential race has expanded accordingly. The nation's economy might be coughing and wheezing, but there is no shortage of employment opportunities in Punditland.
MSNBC's Keith Olbermann says that when he introduces his network's lineup of analysts and commentators on primary and caucus nights these days, it conjures up the long-winded introductions on an old variety show. "I am reminded of the way 'Hee Haw' opened," Olbermann says. "I am sorely tempted to finish [the list] with 'Joe Scarborough, Rachel Maddow, Gene Robinson and Pat Buchanan -- Grandpa Jones! . . . Junior Samples! . . . the Hager Twins!' "
Although the image of Tucker Carlson in a plaid shirt and overalls may have scarred me for life, I'll at least get even more of a laugh out him before I change the channel. And it raises a fun question in my mind: which pundits are actually doing a good job, and which ones are sucking so badly that you cannot get to the remote fast enough to switch the channel before their voice hits your ears? (Not that the printed page doesn't have its losers -- just ask Somerby, dday, and hilzoy -- but let's stick to teevee for a moment.)
It's worth contemplating which commentators are doing a great job (there have to be some out there) and which you'd love to see replaced. Just as an exercise to see where you find credible news coverage and commentary -- and where you don't. So, in your world of worlds, who stays, who ought to get even more face time...and who gets tossed off the teevee island?
When I get frustrated with the offerings of the various pundits and campaign gurus, I like to turn to this gem from Digby, and this blast from the past of mine wherein the values at the heart of the Democratic party are bandied about. Remember those? Can we talk about the things that matter now? Or is that too much to ask?
*Well, second funniest. But since the evil TBogg made me spew my coffee, I'm denying him credit. Do read the comments -- especially the one from montysano at #4. But put down all liquids before clicking the link. You have been warned.
(The above YouTube is the classic Jon Stewart on Crossfire appearance. Bwahahahaha...)
Share This 
Spotlight
Christy!
I was saying just last night that I wish the wonders of technology would let me program the mute button to so I could watch MSNBC’s panel and have Pat Buchanan and Noron be muted automatically. Rachel Maddow and Eugene Robinson are great; Pat and Noron are a waste of air.
But now that we’re into election season, at least we don’t have to deal with that creepy “Oh my god, I’m agreeing with Pat Buchanan” feeling any more.
This it what I tell my students. Year after year. You need to know English, math, and reasoning.
Which pundits said a year ago that it would be McBush and Obama in the general election. We can give them a bit of credit.
I always loved KO, but recently he’s been having more a**holes like Pat Buchanan and Dana Milbank on…and not challenging them when they repeat Republican Talking Points….I’ve been driven to the boring Wolfie for my afternoon cable news viewing…as boring as he can be he presents a more balanced approach to the news then many of the other dipwads like Matthews and Scarborough…and the occasional gem from Cafferty makes the viewing worthwhile….
MSNBC’s total approach to the Coke and Pepsi Political race drives me crazy>
And of course I get more truth from Jon Stewart then a whole busload of Bobbing Heads….
Buchanan is actually pretty good when he tries to honestly describe what’s going on. Unfortunately, he gooperizes most of what he says.
History and it’s lessons are imperative.
Hi Christy.
#1 on my exile list is Tweety, #2 is Timmeh
The newspaper gets all the football brains to pick winners weekly. This enables you to take their opinions with a large measure of salt when you see that they’ve gotten five right and 10 wrong so far this year.
I don’t see the shows, but has anyone made a big deal at buyer’s remorse. That the people are showing up and showing up pissed off at anything that resembles “the establishment.”
Yea I know I know, Obama is a senator and from the beltway. Technically true. BUT THAT’S NOT THE PERCEPTION ON THE STREET.
Can’t you jerks figure that out!
We are fucking sick and tired of your tired old politics and solutions and nasty war and predatory economy tuning us into a 3rd world country.
We are supposed to be the richest nation in the world. That’s what they tell us. CLUE: we’er not, just YOUR BUDS with the million dollar salaries for talking about rubbish on Teevee.
I can’t watch them. It makes me laugh or puke.
Walter Cronkite.
Is he still alive?
Anyway, he’s awesome.
It’s felt in this house that the reason Senator Obama is doing well, is that he represents hope.
and that just assumes all of the punditricky at Fox is ceased and desisted.
Saw Cronkite bein interviewed a few years ago. He was asked what the biggest need of the nation was. He said ”Obviously education cause it’s obvious that the american people are not capable of picking their own president.”
Kinda liked that one.
There’s this woman who shows up on Teevee once in awhile..her name is Jane something…she’s pretty good.
;-)
LOL
Don’t know if this has been mentioned yet today, but Greenwald has a rundown of the awesomely bad. I will let GG speak for me on the bad side:
Wednesday February 20, 2008 10:43 EST
A week of petty though typical attacks on Obama produced nothing
http://www.salon.com/opinion/g…..index.html
Or dissed and deceased.
In this house we strongly believe the time is fast approaching when it will be time to unite. We need to keep focused on removing the Republicans from the White House. We will perhaps need to think about new Supreme Court Justices. And appointments to the federal bench too.
That about says what needs to be said for this pundit free zone in Bend, Oregon on Florida st., a sovereign nation 200X100 ft rectangle.
They don’t give Jane enough face time, nor Christy.
Rachel’s Maddow is just scratching the surface.
Tee vee is a vast wasteland.
Hmmm? Larry Kudlow business guy CNBC he is wrong about everything it hurts to listen to his lies. Tweety the man needs to sleep with Bill and stop getting so jealous of Hilary. Glen Beck is this guy with the Klan? I can’t bear to listen for even a few minutes. Lou Dobbs because of him I just stopped watching CNN and got to meet KO. I only watch him when I’m worried about being deported.
Tucker the man dresses like a kid like howdy doody I’m sure he has the do not live next to a school demographic sewn up. Plus he is just a bad interviewer with no understanding of anything he just recites the talking points.
Fox I don’t watch I click on accident though.
Any Anorexic talking head GOP blond Meth Kills I wish they would get help.
Any Brown Person who is a GOP talking head I have more respect for homeless people. Money does not buy you respect.
Rush I hate him. Still what he does in the Dominican Republic that he needs drugs to enhance the experience is probably not legal even on the Left coast and should not be thought about before lunch.
Greenwald links to a National Review piece which says that during the time Obama’s mother and father met- only communists had mixed marriages..yep- it really says that. Fuckeroo!
Keepers: Olbermann, Maddow, Cafferty
Crappers: Tweety, Tucker
Speakin’ of the punditocracy, there’s a teaser on BBC America for a new guy starting on 2/29. Jeremy somebody, I googled him and then lost my post-it and can’t find over at BBC right now, but he sounds promising.
I will revise and extend my remarks.
To Tucker puppets making crank phone calls… How old are you;;;35…and you are wearing a bow tie…I know your inteligent they are not easy to tie…you are a bunch of partisan hacks! Lot of funny one liners… like msn call comedy central to get their line on a moral compass….something like that.
This is a keeper…you guys call spin honest debate.
My party. The Democratic Party, is poised on the precipice of history. It is time for us to act out our dreams of fairness, justice, equality, and the rule of law.
Must be a clip-on, then…
I think Attaturk hit that here this morning. Bizarre stuff…
kiddo February 20th, 2008 at 1:47 pm 19
In this house we strongly believe the time is fast approaching when it will be time to unite. We need to keep focused on removing the Republicans from the White House. We will perhaps need to think about new Supreme Court Justices. And appointments to the federal bench too.
THE FOCUS exactly the point thank you.
Could scarcely believe my own eyes as I read it..Holy SHIT!
Understand this Mr. McCain and Mr. Rove: you are going to lose come November. There is a new dawn coming. A Democratic dawn.
just so.
Someone didn’t get KKKarl’s memo: OUCH!
My votes to get kicked off the Island:
Bobo Brooks. Cloying stupidity and faux centrism, is not an asset.
Pumpkinhead Russert. Need I say anymore?
Tom Friedman. How wrong do you have to be for how long before people catch on. No matter how many taxi drivers in Mumbai you talk to.
Tucker. Just because, even if he ditched the bow tie.
Will no one stand up for David Shuster? He stays. As a correspondent, of course.
Tom Brokaw is fun to stand up next to the real whack jobs for contrast.
All news models must report to the green room…
Goopers have decided to make McBush the sacraficial lamb this fall. Obama will win and goopers will make sure that he isn’t able to do anything to fix Clusterfuck’s mess- then they’ll run someone in 2012 on a ”change” platform.
Oh, and Lanny Davis for being an annoying Lieberdem.
“But now that we’re into election season, at least we don’t have to deal with that creepy “Oh my god, I’m agreeing with Pat Buchanan” feeling any more.
reply” Pat did say he thought Scooter should go to jail:)
1.762 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizens kiddo and Loma and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
Yer wisdom is showin’, brother kiddo…it is my experience that fear emasculates and renders the warrior weak and hope empowers and makes the fighter stronger. But most importantly, when the warrior is fighting on his/her home ground, defending history and family, then hope is impossible to defeat.
KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, THEY ARE FIGHTIN’ THE WRONG WAR, WE CAN’T BE STOPPED!!
because I have no life I can point out that Attaturk hit this earlier, it;s worth the trip
I can’t decide if True Believers are truly upset that McCain is their choice this doomed cycle or if this is part of their evil plan…
I go for Shuster!
Tom Friedman married into one of the richest families in America.
Go figure.
The GOP does realize that after lying to us for 7 years that all there handpuppet pundits do is make us angry as a conditioned response and energize our 70%er base.
Tom Friedman should be making olive sandwiches for homeless people.
-G
It’s not “go figure.” That’s the point. His views are always aligned with those of the superrich.
The commenters on the blogs do a great job - I’m sticking with them.
I avoid the crap on t.v.
A lot of great specialty pundits appear on Democracy Now! and they deserve a wider audience.
I like John Nichols a lot. Always worth a listen when he shows up on the airwaves.
Almost anyone who appears on Bill Moyers’ Journal deserves attention.
Robert Novak, man of integrity. /s
High five! Knuckle bash! Body slam…no wait, ouch.
Robert Novacuity?
more like degradity
Just look at what the Tweety effect did in New Hampshire, everyone thought Obama was going to win but the sight of Tweety replaying Hilary crying over and over again while smiling was just to much for some people.
OK I went back and read Attaturk. yow.
This is a meme that is going to get a lot of play. One of my oft mentioned wingers was saying he didn’t like McCain but he “didn’t want to vote for communism”. He doesn’t make this stuff up…he gets it from somewhere. most likely big rush.
How could I have missed that?
I’ll take Approval Ratings for 19, Alex.
ok, I declare myself a pundit, I am pudalicous, I am pundabnoxous, I amd pundaprogressive, I am a pundicrat
I am punditman
I am pundaperris
has Melanie Morgan already been voted off? does she still count?
is that a pun-jab?
I think we in the Netroots have a window of opportunity here to really grow our audience. This will be crucial for future DemocratIC success as BigMoney will spend the next few years trying to pin the collapse on President Obama and the DemocratIC Congress.
After an initial explosion onto the scene 5 or so years ago, it seems the number around the Liberal blogs at least have slowed down. We must expand by 2,3, or 10 times as many readers getting their “news” from places like FDL. The public is turning against the status quo right now. Let’s capitalize!
I wonder how much longer the MSM can piss people off before a Pavlovian response starts getting automatically triggered and it won’t matter what they say? The CIA must have statistics on that and it seems they are not sharing them with the Corporate controlled media.
maybe, maybe it’s a series of puns?
How could I have missed that?
couldn’t see the forest for the treason…
you are pundapunais?
Bad: Anybody who shills for a candidate or a Party. (Includes Gene Robinson, Tweety, Milbank, Olbermann, Russert, Shuster, Crowley, Foreman, Malveaux, Henry, King, O’Donnell, Mitchell, etc…)
Good: Anybody who remains objective < <crickets>> Ok, maybe Tom Brokaw.
pretty punny, pundapunais
I don’t watch the ones that I’m really allergic too unless I get caught by surprise. I most resent it when they turn up on Washington Journal, without a lable attached. I can’t recall many of the names, but John Fund is one, and anyone who writes for “Human Events.”
Actually, I find myself sort of fascinated to see what Chris Matthews might do next. He’s so iratic. At times, he’s fairly rational and I even agree, such as his opposition to the war. But you can never tell when he will turn dumb, nasty, bullying, etc. When he gets on his consistent anti-Clinton rips, I don’t watch.
pundaperris remains objective
Keepers: Olbermann, Maddow, Cronkite, Brinkley, Donaldson, Terkel, Ivins oops, my age is showing…
Okay, Olbermann, Maddow are excellent. I can handle a few other average folks. But the dumps - not all righties, just grating - are O’Reilly, Novak, Matthews, Hannity AND Colmes, Rivera, Blitzer and some others whose names I don’t know because I hide when they appear on my magic TV screen.
protection against nausea inducing agents, with no immediate antigen at hand.
for local markets I nominate resident wingnut Debra Saunders of the San Francisco Chronicle.
This was the show that shut down Crossfire. I r a r e l y watched the show, but happened to tune in that day and it was amazing!!!
And then the show was canceled.
Good riddance.
But there were so many others to take it’s place.
My votes,
KO
Daily Show
Colbert
Dan Schorr
Bill Moyers
Rachel Maddow.
I think that’s about it. Sad isn’t it?
I like Linda Ellerbee. Good newsperson.
TV pundits? TV commentators? Doing their job? You’re kidding, right, Christy?
The windstorm yesterday - 90-plus MPH - blew out the satellite connection on the downstairs TV. Maybe I’ll leave it that way until the Olympics….
We might have shy friends in Spooksville Darth ignoring the CIA and setting up his own *cough* Prowar intelligence team must have pissed off a few people.
That and Darth,Scooter and Judy Miller getting away with outing Valerie Palme must have really blown some air up a few Spooks sheets.
Reports that women with ‘downs syndrome’ were used for suicide bombings in Iraq shall be joining the pantheon of or trumped up war horrors along with the Kuwaiti babies ‘ripped from incubators’ by Saddam’s troops in 1991.
Sick fear mongers.
-G
She gets my vote, too. Her reasoning sort of escapes me.
please to digg this post
(I’m working to rid the airways of Tweety)
Bob NovHACK.
-G
sad, but it’s a quality start.
And yes, that day on Crossfire was earthquakin’ !
Kathleen Parker print columnist and guest of Tweety on weekends GOP spin, lies and of course a world view the John Birch Society might enjoy…if they had a real bad trip on acid.
Ok are there any sane honest GOP talking heads out there?
Somehow, I just knew you guys would have a few opinions on this subject. *g*
contradiction in terms.
Can we get The Greatest on-air?
Actually, I thought almost all of the anchors and reporters were pretty good, and were objective, until sometime in the mid 80’s, when the right wing was able to change the see-saw fulcrum quite a ways to the right and news and entertainment became the same thing.
No.
This has been another case of simple answers to simple questions…
sometimes scarborough is sane, I remember one episode he asked if bush a moron
that was pretty darned sane of him
Keepers? Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Gene Robinson, and Richard Wolfe seem to speak intelligently (and Keith gets a special shoutout today for his smackdown of Tweety at the end of coverage last night). I’m ashamed to say this but I must be fair…Pat Buchanan sometimes makes intelligent comments and doesn’t seem overly awed by the GOP powers that be or the cretins on talk radio. I can’t abide his politics but his comments on strategy are often interesting if only for their insight into how those strange minds of the goopers work.
Off with their heads? Obviously, Tweety, Pumpkinhead, Dana Milbank, Bob Novak, Tom Friedman, Nora O’Donnell, Howard Fineman, David Brooks, Tucker, Andrew Sullivan…gads, I could go on and on and on and on…
The FED keeps cutting interest rates and shipping $Billions to broken NYC banks and financial houses, yet mortgage rates go up, assets (housing & stocks)deflate, and inflation goes crazy.
WTF do you expect people with Neurastheniacs running the asylum.
Reuel Gerecht,
haven’t seen him lately but I can never ever never ever forgive him for essentially saying that the erosion of women’s rights and hence the quality of their lives -and this is the quality of life EACH AND EVERY GD DAY- was mere collateral damage in the War against Terrah Terrah Terrah booga booga booga
I forgot that-He is one of the good guys on earth. More of those please.
Reuel Gerecht
Yeah, he’s one of names I couldn’t think of. Maybe if I’d had to clear my throat, it would have come to me.
in Iraq,
sorry I neglected to add the crucial detail
Thanks for the Crossfire Youtube. I’ve watched it a few times, but never get tired of it. Gotta hand it to Stewart, he really smacked ‘em! KO is the only show I watch. All the others are too painful.
Start from the beginning with what you think you know and start questioning everything. Perris @87 has a good example, but I’n not sure it passes the even a broke clock is right twice a day test.
Or at best fleeting bits of sanity for Morning Joe, or Pat on MSNBC when he said Scooter should do time.
Cliff May is like a week old diaper. Ready for the dumpster.
-G
and can we PLEASE get rid of Lawrence O’Donnell too?
My keepers (limiting myself to MSNBC) - Maddow, Craig Crawford, Pat Buchanan (I know, I know, but sometimes he makes sense) Richard Wolfe.
Not including Olbermann - I don’t consider him a pundit.
I’m going to remember that, great line!
not soon enough
Oof. Obama’s site now has 524,000 donors just within 2008. 48 hours ago, the counter showed 460,000, and it looked like their goal of 500,000 by March 4th might not be met. It has gone up 64,000 donors in less than two days….for a primary.
They announced a new goal today of 1 million total donors by March 4th, and will probably get it. Unfathomable for a primary campaign. Shocking.
Dick Cheney Controls Tim Russert!
Just in case anyone for got….
*g*
Oh yeah, Monica Crowley, of the McLauglin group, repulses me more than even most conservatives, for reasons I can’t define.
Just got an e-mail from Obama campaign saying that they were up to 911,658 donors and reaching for 1m. WOW
I love the conversations between Bill Moyers and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. She’s the best guest on any political show, and Moyers is the best interviewer. He asks the exact right questions and then gets out of the interviewee’s way.
Rachel Maddow deserves her own channel, not just a show.
Keith is, of course, good.
And chalk me up as another semi-fan of Pat Buchanan. I disagree with him so frequently, but his opinions are actually his own. He doesn’t get hung up on gossip, conventional wisdom, or party talking points. He’s actually capable of reason and analysis. His conclusions, though…not so good.
And Howard Fineman needs to be disappeared. He’s the worst kind of gossip columnist who, for some reason, is taken seriously by his peers.
Is it because Precious Poopsie wants to sleep in daddy’s bed tonight?
It’s almost enough to make someone think that cutting taxes for the wealthy isn’t so great for the economy, in spite of Bush’s promises.
McCain is still talking about even more tax cuts, undeterred by the failures of the Bush economic strategies. It’s probably just an interlude before he goes full force to save us from the evils of gay marriage. In the coming soup lines, will we all be glad that gays cannot marry? At least we won’t be paying taxes because we won’t have income.
She so smug. Can’t stand her either.
But Laura Ingraham takes the cake.
Colter is completely nuts
“I like Linda Ellerbee. Good newsperson.”
I think maybe Linda Ellerbee has some Molly Ivins in her.
Bob in HI
and he controls joe lieberman yet for some bizarre reason reid gave lieberman the gavel for one of the pro forma sessions in the senate
can someone ease my mind a little bit and please tell me it’s not possible for lieberman to produce legislation and have it voted on
because if he can, he will
don’t forget, cheney is “president of the senate” and what ever rules cheney wants to make up in his own head will get authority from the supreme court
so someone who knows, please tell me it’s impossible for lieberman to propose law during the pro forma session he’s going to chair
There are a lot of Pillsbury dough boy conservative hawks who my son always categorized as guys with very “punchable faces.” Since we don’t advocate violance, I would never say that myself, or mention any names.
Lose Tucker Carlson. As soon as possible.
That’s a lotta commies. Tailgunner Joe is rolling in his grave…
LOL. By George, I think you and Sander @ 103 got it!
joined by Nixon, of course.
yep and the same disease IIRC.
Tool time trifecta:
Frank Gaffney, David Rivkin, Michael Ledeen.
-G
LIEberman’s gonna what?!?!?!?
please, you are kidding aren’t you?
Oh yes. All three, but Rivkin counts double.
She is ver smart and I enjoy the segments but she bears a disturbing resemblence to Trent Lott that makes me chortle.
-G
Get rid of Carlson, Matthews, Russert, Hume, Crowley, Malkin, Ingram, Broder, Ifill, Gloria Borger, Brooks, this could go on and on. More of Olbermann, Maddow, Katrina Vandehuvel, David Corn…………….
Those chickenhawks could lose some of their doughy