Dear Randi Rhodes: Put up or STFU already.

[Berry Cool]

She was at it again with her slams against Keith while talking about the primary and the coverage by Keith and Tweety. Saying that she never wants to meet Keith because she has heard "awful, AWFUL things about him--mostly from his women staff."

What IS this shit? And why does she have to keep alluding to it without saying what it is?

If she's not just going to come out and say what dirt Keith's female staffers are supposedly dishing to her about what an awful, AWFUL person he is, she should just shut her piehole.

All I know is, she added that she understands that Keith is "really short." Given that we know him to be 6 foot 3 1/2, I'm not so sure Randi's other info about him is so reliable, either.

I also find it terribly interesting that for weeks Randi was claiming that Keith's producers were "stealing" stories and ideas from her, and that now she's claiming that his staff is telling her tales out of school about how "awful" he is.

[MrMickeysMom]

1. So... I see I'm not the only one bitchen about Randi "you are my queen" Rhodes...

I think the reason she quips about Keithy is she WISHED she would be invited to comment...

I think they tend to be a little more selective of who they invite to "interact" (Rachael Maddow is a good risk for that, Rhodes isn't)

[Berry Cool]

4. Oh, far from it.

I listen to her far more often than I should. But it's been about eight or nine months now that she's really frosted me...I've noticed she's spending more and more time shouting down her callers, for reasons I don't even understand...sometimes I think they're actually trying to make a pretty good point, and I wish she'd just shut up and let them have their say, but she interrupts and attacks them and yells that they're idiots and cuts them off. Honest, it's like listening to Rush or Billo, just a lefty version.

And she's been on an anti-Keith warpath for months, on and off. I just don't get it. All I know is, she got this bee in her bonnet a while ago that Keith and his producers were "stealing" all their topic ideas from her shows, as if she was the only person who could possibly have thought of covering a certain news story. And going on and on about how she loves Keith on TV but has heard that he is NOT a nice person, so she never, NEVER wants to meet him, EVER.

Now comes this crap about his staffers--specifically, his FEMALE staffers--confiding in her about what an awful, AWFUL person he is.

And it seems to have gotten worse and worse as Rachel Maddow has shown up more and more on MSNBC, to the point where you can barely tell anymore which show it is, all you know is there's Rachel again.

It's hard to believe there's not an envy element in it. And as for how she treats her callers, well, sometimes I just think she's going nuts.

[WolverineDG]

2. Lemme guess

Rachel's on again tonight, or she's still pissed that Rachel got so much airtime last night. :eyes:

dg

[GigiMommy]

3. What's up with Randi!?!

Haven't listened to her in a while. I USED to like her but I LOVE Rachel. I hope it isn't jealousy.

[GigiMommy]

5. Rachel good fortune is Randi's angst.

Maybe this helps to explain it. Good for Rachel though.

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/9/16334/34494/407/433854

[Berry Cool]

6. What I can't figure out is why all of a sudden it seems to be the "in" thing with some progressives

to bash Keith for being exactly as sexist as Tweety is.

First, you have all the people who get angry at him every time he says Britney, Paris or Lindsay are stupid, and implies that he's "misogynist" because of that. Then you have Rebecca Traister in Salon, who is trying to trash the media for writing off Hillary too soon and too eagerly:

...the Iowa commentary was just a warm-up for the post-Iowa free-for-all, in which everyone from the New York Times to Keith Olbermann speculated giddily, practically drunkenly, about when, exactly, Clinton would pack it in...."Could New Hampshire end the Democratic primary race?" leered Olbermann on Monday.

"Leered"?!? WHAT?!?!?!?

And these comments on that column, in which she primarily takes Tweety to the woodshed for his sexism:

...the left's television hero Keith Olbermann has more than a few blind spots that his admirers chose to ignore, not the least of which is a certain condescending attitude toward women, both in the studio and in his interviews when he infrequently has them. He tried to turn Monica Novotny into his little Girl Friday when Countdown first got underway and she fled.

He had Joan Walsh on his show only once, if I recall, and he was stone cold. I think he is intimidated by strong women...

(That was from a "Garry Owen.")

Am I blind, that I did not see this? Is something wrong with my hearing, that I have never seen Keith act "condescending" with women? Or even have them "infrequently"? And what's this about Monica? She didn't "flee"--she told Stephanie Miller Keith was a great mentor!

"Anonymous" says:

MSNBC should be ashamed to have "women bashers" on their staff. The men obviously are threatened by women, expecially strong women, who have the mendacity to venture in the male bastion. While Chris Matthews is the worst of the worst, other pundits--if that's what their negativity makes them--are vying hard for second place.

"Have the mendacity"? That one's worthy of Freeperville. Yeah, strong women venture into the male bastion because they are liars...LOL. I guess you could say that one is "casting asparagus" on MSNBC.

But anyway. Am I the only one who thinks the world is going crazy? I guess not. Some people actually posted comments defending Keith and asking WTF Traister was talking about. And, more importantly even than defending Keith, pointing out that it's really kinda juvenile and scary to say that you would vote for somebody, in a primary or a final election, just because you wanted to PUT TWEETY IN HIS PLACE. I mean, come on. We're electing a president here. It's a serious decision. Are we supposed to do it out of pique or spite? Makes about as much sense as eloping to Vegas with a stranger just because your ex has announced an engagement to someone you hate. OK, so it was kind of funny when Rachel Madddow suggested it last night, but I thought that was the point...it was a JOKE. All those New Hampshire women determined to stick it to Tweety, or sexism in general, by going for Hillary. Ha ha. Funny.

Of course, the sad truth that has to be faced is, yes--people really DO do things like that, and I guess we ignore that fact at our own peril.

[gkhouston]

7. given the quality of some of the "journalism" on MSNBC, mendacity

might be a plus. The "horrible to staffers" strikes a false note, though, regardless of gender. I can believe KO's demanding -- he comes across as someone who isn't quite obsessive-compulsive but nevertheless likes for things to be done right -- but he "feels" like someone who doesn't ask more of others than he expects of himself. I've had bosses like that in the past, and generally liked working with them. Often that sort of person knows what they want and will tell you so you aren't dealing with the "management by telepathy" issues that drive me crazy.

I've only listened to Randi a handful of times and IMO, she's not going to rise about the "radio talk show" position, ever, has realized it, and is flailing around in bitterness and desperation. I don't know if she's hoping to wound or to entice, but she's apparently not succeeding at either task. Maybe she's simply trying to keep people coming back for more, and if that's her aim, she does appear to having some success.

[bleever]

13. My feeling is that your first paragraph is

insightful and true.

I haven't had Randi on a daily basis for too long to say about the second paragraph, but I will say that I think there's a lot of potential that she has that might be constricted by things that are personal for her, even when her heart is in the right place.

[Gogi]

8. She's just jealous that Rachel Maddow got the gig and she did'nt. eom

[Berry Cool]

9. I noticed that on today's show Randi was chock-full of praise of Rachel.

She was defending her against all the dumb things Tweety said, calling her wonderful and dear and sweet and the most fantastic person who ever walked the earth. Honestly, she was so gushing over with Rachel praise that it was almost comical. It was as if she'd read this thread and was determined to prove to US that she had nothing against Rachel Maddow and she just looooooooves her to death.

At the same time, she was actually complimentary to Keith, playing a clip of his explanation of how the undecided voters in NH might easily explain the results and saying "Thank you, Keith." Very strange.

I don't know WHAT is up with her. Except that my mind goes back to that incident where she was out at the Irish bar "watching football" and stepped out for a smoke and then woke up on the sidewalk with teeth missing. Does she have a drinking problem we're not hearing about? I know the wingnuts are always saying that, but sometimes I really wonder.

[MrMickeysMom]

10. I read your post just as I was getting ready to say -

the EXACT SAME thing. Good reality check for me... Heard her give the same praises to Maddow, then Olberman.

I think she does read the DU critics here. How could she not?

Now, that story about waking up with missing teeth after stepping out for a smoke.... uh..huh?... I'm gonna sound like a diagnostician here (but I have been a respiratory therapist for many years). I'll also use my years of listening background, lest I sound like a groupie to know the time she basically talked over Patty Smith, getting pretty emotionally bent afterwords. Also, hearing her swing back and forth from sarcastic / demeaning to sugary / sweet, not to mention about her recounts of her family's history of memory problems AND the fact she has smoked for all these years.... I would now humbly hope she reads this.

Randi, you in trouble, girl....

Get yourself CHECKED out... if you don't stop the smoking at least, this, coupled with the time I heard you go on about your family's Alzheimer's history, there is a real possibility you may have done disservice by nature and nurture to set yourself up for vascular problems. A brain like hers is really a terrible thing to waste. Underneath all that baggage, there is one smart person, not necessarily by scholarly achievements, but smart.

Randi, I'll stop demeaning you on DU if you'll do something about it! You don't want vascular disease, and you sure as shit don't want to loose your pulmonary function.

[SharonRB]

11. When I had dinner with Randi back in November

I asked her if she read DU and she said she doesn't. Her friend who came here with her does read it sometimes, though.

[Berry Cool]

12. I wish if you see her again, you'd ask her what the deal is with her and Keith

but I know that would probably put you in a tough political position, what with her being a supporter of Nancy and all, so I certainly wouldn't expect it.

I just wish I knew what was going on. And MrMickeysMom, your post was quite thoughtful and kind. You showed real concern. I, too, wish that if something is really wrong with her, whatever it is, she would do something about it, if she can.