In an announcement that surprised viewers, Keith Olbermann signed off tonight’s show and thanked his viewers — for the last time. MSNBC released a statement: “MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC’s success and we wish him well in his future endeavors.” Olbermann has long feuded with brass there, though it’s unclear whether their latest and final dispute is related to Comcast’s impending takeover (perhaps it isn’t?).
goodbyes
Keith Olbermann Leaving MSNBC
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Meher Zaman
I hope MSNBC doesn’t take Rachel Maddow. I love her and it’s the only reason left to watch this network.
ewe
I am gonna miss him only because he balances the wack jobs over at Faux Noose Network.
Baxter
America just became a slightly less angry place. Now if only they’d drop Ed Schultz.
unclemike
@Baxter: If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention.
SpiffyShindigs
This… is very bad. Here’s hoping that Rachel’s safe from Comcast.
christopher di spirito
Keith Olbermann: smart, learned, informed, opinionated, funny and not afraid to speak truth to power.
Comcast is an ultra-conservative corporation. Keith’s a threat to them and their management. I predict Rachel and Ed to move their programming content to the center in order to not piss off the Comcast suits.
tjr101
This is just the first in a gradual move to make MSNBC another mouthpiece for right-wing propaganda. Welcome Faux News Lite!
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Yay. Whacko. The left’s Glenn Beck.
American Patriot
Good riddance.
Hopefully they let Rachel Maddow & Ed Schultz go too.
MSNBC’s ratings have been in the gutter as they’ve moved even further to the left. Fox News DOMINATES the ratings. Despite what most of you on the left like to think, the United States of America is a center-RIGHT nation.
We’re here, we’re conservative. Get used to it.
Ian
@American Patriot: Yes we know your here from your incessant prattling and ignorant redneck cat-calls. Take a moment and do some research and you will find that just about EVERY social, economic, and scientific advance that has occurred in the history of America was done by PROGRESSIVES with a liberal bent. And just about every slowdown in those same advances have ALWAYS been spearheaded by conservative goose-stepping Fox viewers and Hee-Haw reruns fans.
American Patriot
@Ian: Wow……you can go and check for yourself. Fox News dominates the evening cable news ratings over both CNN and MSNBC. Sorry if that’s a bitter pill to swallow for ya.
And thanks for the name-calling — “Redneck”, “goose-stepping” and “Hee-haw”.
For a group of people that love to preach “tolerance” and “equality”, liberals sure HATE anyone who refuses to believe everything they do.
antonyvietnam
I hope Thomas Roberts will replace with Keith Olbermann and we will have “Countdown with Thomas Robert”
I like Thomas. He is smart and talented enough to become the host of his own show.
antonyvietnam
I hope Thomas Roberts will replace with Keith Olbermann and we will have “Countdown with Thomas Roberts”
I like Thomas. He is smart and talented enough to become the host of his own show.
gregger
@Baxter: It would be a lot less angry if Fox News dropped their entire roster.
Thomas Marx
@ American Patriot.
I have always loved the idea that hate groups attack liberals for not preaching tolerance and equality.
Let me get this straight. Liberals believe everyone should be treated with respect. Conservatives say fuck that, anyone that doesn’t conform to the white male rich straight ideal should immediately commit suicide and stop bothering the white male rich straight people.
And because liberals don’t agree with this, we hate anyone who refuses to believe everything we do?
Did you even make it past the third grade?
That makes absolutely no sense. Liberals think every voice should be heard. Conservatives think only their own voices should be heard, and anyone who thinks differently is evil.
And why exactly are you on a gay site to begin with? Bored, or just hoping to find a cock to suck? Conservative minds want to know.
gregger
Guess what, get ready. NBC was taken over by a Bushie. Say goodbye to MSNBC say hello to SSnbc. Another EXTREME RIGHT WING (okay reactionary) PROPAGANDA MACHINE. MSNBC was a joint effort of NBC and Microsoft to provide a counter to the bile that is Faux News, eeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr Fox News. Kiss it goodbye.
gregger
@American Patriot: Fox News ratings are behind ABC, CBS, NBC, CW, FOX (the entertainment version not the hatemongers), WWE, you can keep going. Faux News is a niche market for asinine people who cannot process anything other than “Death Panels,” “Marxist,” “Socialist,” but they are the first people to cry for their medicare and social security and don’t see the hypocrisy therein.
Adam
@Thomas Marx: Right. It’s not a contradiction to be intolerant of intolerance, contrary to what these moronic conservatives think.
lvglife365
I applaud Thomas Marx and his response!! You totally called it like it really is. It’s amazing when conservatives whine and moan when they’re not in power. Liberal people are free thinkers and don’t necessarily need a bible to “tell” us how to live or what to judge. Just the fact that “American Patriot” used that name is a total joke. Anyone knows that being American is about being open and accepting of anyone different. Conservatives want everybody to be like them and under their spell.
This joker “American Patriot” needs to move to China where everybody is alike. Because animals like him are trying to do just that, turn America into China! It’s creepy, they all move and breathe the same. It’s sickening. I’ll stick to our freedoms or should I say what freedoms we have left until the Republicans vote them all out! Keith will be back and louder than ever and I can’t wait! America needs his volume and his honestly because most American’s are asleep at the damn wheel.
ewe
I guess Oprah Winfreys new network is gonna surpass all of them after all cause he is bound to be on there soon.
American Patriot
@Thomas Marx: “Liberals think every voice should be heard. Conservatives think only their own voices should be heard, and anyone who thinks differently is evil.”
Oh really? If you think “every voice should be heard” then why are you trying to silence conservatives’ voices?
And then you say conservatives are evil? Really? When you’re the one calling me a member of a “hate group”, asking me if “I made it past the third grade” and then taunting me if I was “looking for a c*ck to suck?”
Your hypocrisy, and other liberals who think just like you, is downright amazing. You see anyone who identifies as a conservative, and your first instinct is to automatically call them “moronic”, “redneck”, “bigot” and “hate groups.”
Who’s bullying who here?
Even though I may disagree with what you have to say, I will always defend your right to say it.
Liberals like you, on the other hand, will silence anyone who doesn’t believe as you do.
Baxter
@gregger: The only semi-angry person on Fox News is Sean Hannity and even he is nowhere near as frothing at the mouth mad as Olbermann or Schultz. Beck is crazy, but not angry. O’Reilly’s stupid, but not angry.
American Patriot
@lvglife365: You are correct that most liberals don’t use the Bible to tell them how to live or how to judge. Liberals get that from sources such as The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Code Pink. If you’re liberal & gay, then you also get it from the HRC, Get Equal, and GLAAD.
No, the name “American Patriot” isn’t a joke. I’m proud to be an American. I believe in American Exceptionalism. I don’t make any apologies for being American. Unlike a lot of liberals.
You don’t like what I have to say, so you want to force me to go away to China?
The amount of hatred from the group that purports to “love & accept everyone” is amazing.
I seriously think that conservatives (including gay conservatives) need an “It gets better” campaign from liberal bullies.
jak
Although you are most likely a troll, I will respond to the assinine statement that you “conservatives” defend everyone’s right to say what they think. This is a bald-faced lie. If you believe that, then you are living in total denial. If these hypocrites had the chance, they would not only strip those who disagree with them of their right to speak, but would most likely strip them of their very lives. We have seen this in fascist governments time and again in history. In Spain where I now reside, the country just recently broke out of the yoke of tyranny of rightwing Franco. Repression of speech in the media and entertainment realms was the norm for many years. Unfortunately, America now appears poised to repeat this same folly.
ALEX
I am sorry to see Keith go. I listen to the “Countdown” podcast daily. I admire his willingness to tell it as he sees it, and look forward to his next venture. I’ll be there!
Troy M
@American Patriot: Your entire response is a contradiction of reality.
Example: “Even though I may disagree with what you have to say, I will always defend your right to say it.
Liberals like you, on the other hand, will silence anyone who doesn’t believe as you do.”
justiceontherocks
@Troy M: @Troy M: No. His response is not a contradiction of reality. His entire life is a contradiction of reality.
And she wants us to have a pity party for her because some people on the internet were mean to her.
So here’s my final thought: no asswipe “we don’t love and accept everyone.” Stupidity and self-righteousness are not welcome here.
Jeff
@unclemike: Amen!
And, I hope Ewe is right.
Jake the libertarian
I never really liked Keith. It’s not political either. He was needed balance to the Fox “News” conservatism. I simply didn’t like his smug, somewhat snotty, “i have a thesaurus” style.
It’s my understanding that everyone who has ever worked with him considers him to be an entitled obnoxious ass. Nothing is ever his fault or his sides fault and the way he bitches and moans about verbose dishonest hack pundits on the right without the slightest sense of irony was… ironic.
I say good riddance. I’d like to see Ed Schultz go too.
BartmanLA
I am not here to argue, I just am sad to see Keith taken off the air like he was, I found his programs and views to be direct, informative, honest, compassionate and thought provoking. His interviews always left you better informed and often with questions about the topic which any one that is interested in politics should have regularly. His passion about the subjects he covered was inspiring and often his special comments where in my opinion something I would like to say to the people they’re addressed to, but he had a much bigger platform to say it. I refuse to believe he fabricated, embellished or twisted any topic he discussed, so to me he demonstrated something many people in that industry and this country lacks, integrity.
Tommy
@Jake the libertarian:
Totally agree with you. I’m a very progressive liberal so I totally agreed with Keith’s politics but as a person I found him obnoxious. I understand he was competing with Fox, but I hate being yelled at and lectured too even if I agreed with the person’s views. I like to be given logical arguments and left to make up my own mind without all the self righteous screaming.
Jim in St Louis
Have you no job Sir? At long last, have you no job?
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He was the counterweight to GB. Simple as that. Two sides of the same coin. Have a prob with that? Just means you’re not in touch with your own prejudices.