Olbermans new Blog Good or Bad ?

[Twist_U_Up]

I`m still reading it


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/

SECURE UNDISCLOSED LOCATION —I’m on vacation again.

It is at once touching and scary that I should have to explain why I’m not posting or on television on a given week. Scary, of course, because the latest Gallup Poll which closed Sunday reports that 19% of Americans believe “incidents of fraud” decided, or helped to decide, last month’s election. The most intriguing part of that number is that more than a month ago, 18% of Americans believed there was something illegitimate about the vote.

What was and wasn’t legitimate is now difficult to sort. The most, and least, credible stories of voting irregularities continue to flourish side by side on the 'Net— the natural by-product of its unedited, but unproven, nature. Time to review the various running stories to try to separate the wheat from the chaff.

[IStriker]

1. I feel like he is backing away....

[zann725]

5. I feel like he slammed the door on us...REAL hard!

Something's not right.

[Hamoth]

2. Overall, simplistic and dismissive. Naiive IMHO. -NT

[Twist_U_Up]

3. this would not be good if true

Firstly, the attorney for the firm for whom Mr. Curtis worked at the time of the purported skullduggery request, Yang Enterprises of Oviedo, Florida, insists that the company has never sold any voting software. Its lawyer claims Curtis has previously threatened the firm and its top officers, in writing, and that they were sufficiently concerned to file a police report as a result. Though the term “disgruntled employee” is too easily thrown around (I can attest to that), if somebody has put it in writing, it’s a tough climb back to full credibility.

[Straight Shooter]

4. I think he has done very well with this blog.

Remember, he isn't talking only to the 19% who believe there was election tampering, he also has to draw in and keep the interest of the supposedly 81% who think everything is just hunky-dory.

This caught my eye, though, the debunking I've been wanting to see:

3. The American media has a liberal bias:

I think we can pretty much put this one to bed.

The mainstream media has so tiptoed around the voting irregularities stories that it’s deflated any reasonable belief that there are swarms of reporters bypassing facts to substitute their own agendas. Instead of a circus, the Conyers “voting forums” have received tepid coverage.

Had there been a reversal of the poles in this political equation, of course, the impenetrable Sean Hannity would be in his 49th consecutive day of broadcasting without sleep, and by now would’ve already announced that Democrats from Outer Space had stolen the election.

Thank you, Mr. Olbermann, for smacking Hannity up the side of the head and making it clear to America that if the shoe were on the other foot, the Republicans would have taken it off and been beating on the table with it incessantly in the same inimitable style of Krushchev, yelling that they will bury us.

[lonestarnot]

12. Don't believe 19% is accurate number even though Keef banters it

around. Believe the number of beleevers to be much higher!

[Straight Shooter]

16. I think you're right.

Keef, what's wif this 19 percent number? Can we please get at the troof of this, Keef?

[pleiku52cab]

6. I think he's 'telling it like it is'

Remember, he is a national reporter and a member of the MSM. He is not preaching to the converted (like we here at DU). He is presenting the FRAUD stories in a reasonable way to the skeptical public. I'm sure these same statements he is making in his blog are questions he feels that merit consideration and reflect what the majority of the population would pose if you talked to them. He has to remain even-handed in his approach. He is also about the only person in the media still mentioning the election anymore. CUT HIM SOME SLACK

[mdb]

7. SECURE UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

Well... my bets are he is not in Hocking county.

[KittyWampus]

8. It's Fair. Although I'm Sure DU'ers Have Sent Him Info On Yang Ties

etc. which call into question their credibility.

[Bill Bored]

9. 2 points

First, what else does he expect Feeney to say: "I'm guilty as charged, now please lock me up and throw away the key?" At least someone has talked to Feeney about Curtis' allegations, but it sounds as if they backed off when Feeney threatened to sue, which is outrageous. We are supposed to have a free press! Fox reports "Some people say" stories all the time but no one's suing them, are they? Maybe someone should. The Swiftboat Veterans for the Flat Earth is a perfect example of their Fair and Balanced reporting, isn't it?

Re the Hocking County stuff, KO failed to mention Cobb's allegations that the Triad tech wanted the tabulated count of the 3%-recount precinct posted on the wall so the election workers could make it "match up" with the manual recount. Now personally, I find this story a bit convoluted because it presupposes that those actually doing the recount (Cobb's people) would want to fix the recount result to match the official one and avoid a full hand count of the other 97% of the votes. I don't think this would happen, so what exactly was Cobb's point? What am I missing here? I'd hate to think Cobb was just grandstanding but anyway, KO should have opined a bit more about this instead of just saying the computer maintenance work was routine but the machines should not have been available to be worked on in the first place.

The rest of his points were pretty much well reasoned and insightful. Hard to believe, coming from a card-carrying member of the MSM, huh?

[libertypirate]

10. Sucks up to middle the road...

and people who think * is legitimate. I think it might be better for us then most would naturally think simply because a skeptic will read and take it more seriously. People generally seek out supportive sources to what they already think or believe. What they will find is an entry that may serve to reinforce what they want on the surface but it also qualifies a lot more of what we already know. Those who don’t want to hear it or remain disinterested will also be reinforcing facts and in some cases setting the stage for more that will come.

Any news at this point that keeps up with this story even the good the bad and the ugly is a ways from where we have been!

Any thoughts?

[Carl Brennan]

11. Maybe he hurd about Gary Webb being suicided.

and decided he wanted to live a while longer.

[lonestarnot]

13. Believe this to be true of many who could be doing more.

[Clark2008]

14. I'll volunteer to hide him

OK... estrogen aside...

I think the piece was where it should be - where all media should be - and straight up and down the middle.

I'm not as up on the Curtis charges as many here, mainly because I, too, find them a bit convoluted and I'm one of the 19 or so percent who think this election is fradulent.

Someone posted on a similar thread that we've forgotten that the media should present all sides of a case - that's what they used to do before Rupert Murdoch got a hold of a bunch of TV stations and newspapers - and that this is what KO is doing. I agree.

[crispini]

20. LOL, Clark 2008.

And agree. :)

[ailsagirl]

15. Also see discussion of same topic here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=184548&mesg_id=184548

[Blue Christmas]

17. I think it's fairly FAB...

"Fair and Balanced" that is... (now where have I heard THAT before?)

I've really enjoyed and been encouraged by KO's reporting and blogging up 'til now. I just wish he could have looked at Feeney's story with the same critical eye that he used to size up Madsen. Most disturbing to me about this newest entry, though, is the lack of mention of the cheat sheet. I believe he's referred to it before, so why has he dropped it now?

Regardless, I'm not ready to sell Keith short quite yet. I believe he's done a great job at dragging some of the fraud issues into the MSM light under what is most likely a good deal of pressure to steer clear of these topics. So while I'm not the biggest fan of this latest blog, I'll reserve judgment for the time being.

I just hope he comes back from his vaca fresh and ready to resume the fight.

[newyawker99]

23. Hi Blue Christmas!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[McCamy Taylor]

18. this part was good...

...

"But the real impact in Hocking is the simple fact that a computer technician had access to the voting equipment in violation of the Ohio Secretary of State’s controversial extension of the “canvassing period.” Simply put, according to Kenneth Blackwell, nobody should’ve been allowed to dust the machine, let alone replace a battery or parts, except under extremely controlled circumstances.

"Thus the evidence of a “fix” in Hocking is almost nil. The evidence of holes in the security of the voting system big enough to drive a full-sized scandal through, is conclusive."

In other words, he isnt convinced there is proof of fraud but he doesnt think anyone made any effort to keep fraud from taking place.

Remember, one of the long term goals of the Bring to Light Election Fraud in Ohio Movement is to make the America Public DEMAND election reform before 2006. If that means painting the current system as being run by the Keystone Cops, then paint away.

[mattclearing]

19. He ignored the Sherole Eaton claim of a cheat sheet in his debunking.

I emailed him about it as follows:

Subject: Sherole Eaton "Cheat Sheet" and Exit Poll inquiry
To: [e-mail]


Dear Keith,

I have been following your coverage of the Ohio recount, and am one of those several posters at www.democraticunderground.com . I'm also a student journalist, and understand the skepticism you have to maintain about the information you report.

That said, I am curious as to the omission of the "cheat sheet" Sherole Eaton told of in your recent quasi-debunking of her story. Any recount that was geared towards a pre-conceived conclusion can't be considered valid, can it? Is there any chance you would be willing to clarify that?

Also, I was wondering if, as an NBC anchor, you have access to that raw exit poll data Rep. Conyers has been asking for. I imagine that of several precincts have individual instances of bizarre vote totals (like more Bush votes than exit poll respondents who claim to have voted Bush), that might be significant evidence. Has your staff looked into this?

Thanks, and I hope you are having/had a great vacation.

Happy Holidays,

[zimba]

21. Sounds like he's trying to cover MSNBC'c back

in case the Feeney threat is real.

Bradblog raised an interesting point. He accepted Feeney's and Yang's rebuttal at face value but never contacted Curtis for a reply.

I think the MSNBC attorney's might be getting a little nervous is all it amounts to.

[Pacifist Patriot]

22. Maybe not such a bad thing.

"Time to review the various running stories to try to separate the wheat from the chaff."

Surely wishful thinking on my part, but this sentence has a whiff of investigative overtones to it.