Some Thoughts About Olbermann's Exit From Opposite Sides of the Internet
The internet has been all abuzz since Keith Olbermann's surprise announcement that Friday would be his last appearance on MSNBC's "Countdown."
Over at the liberal website Salon, Steve Kornacki wondered, "Is Olbermann the victim of his own success?":
MSNBC, for its part, embraced the identity Olbermann was offering them. By 2008, his frequent guest, Rachel Maddow, was given her own show at 9 p.m. And liberal radio host Ed Schultz was given his own shortly after that. Lawrence O’Donnell, another left-of-center voice, was added just a few months ago. Eventually, the network adopted a new motto -- "Lean forward" -- that’s about as subtle as Fox’s "fair and balanced" pledge. MSNBC’s prime-time lineup is now awash in progressive politics. [...]
Of course, now that he’s surrounded by similar voices, Olbermann isn’t nearly as essential to MSNBC’s brand, which surely has something to do with his abrupt departure on Friday night...Now that they’ve built a loyal prime-time audience of left-leaning viewers, NBC’s executives may simply feel that they can afford to be rid of Olbermann and all of the headaches he brings with him. It used to be that he was the only reason liberals turned on their channel at night. Now he’s one of many reasons -- a victim of his own success, in other words.
Hot Air's Ed Morrissey doesn't agree:
Other than Maddow, whom Olbermann most certainly discovered and nurtured into a parallel show, the other people in the lineup had careers in broadcasting before Olbermann. Larry O’Donnell, who will replace Olby in the 8 pm ET slot, has been around NBC for years as a talking head, having also worked on Capitol Hill and as a writer and producer on NBC’s West Wing, for which he won an Emmy. Ed Schultz came out of the sparse liberal talk-radio circuit (as was Maddow, who survived the Air America train wreck).
Olbermann may have set the tone for MSNBC’s prime time, but that didn’t come because he took over the hour of programming, commando-style, and refused to leave the set until MSNBC decided to get partisan. MSNBC made that decision themselves when they hired and then rehired Olbermann. The actual strategy decision to go full-tilt to the left rather than present some notion of balance was made years ago, which Kornacki again credits to Olbermann without much evidence.
Actually, I'd take this a step further as I'm not sure you can consider what Olbermann and MSNBC have achieved with their prime time lineup a success.
Is getting absolutely destroyed in the ratings night after night success?
Certainly, MSNBC's numbers have improved in the past couple of years, but I'm not sure going from last to a very distant second in a three man race is something to brag about.
As I noted Saturday, I doubt the folks at Comcast, who as of last Tuesday have actual ownership of MSNBC, feel averaging 834,000 viewers per hour during extended prime time is all that spectacular when Fox News is doing almost 2 million.
But Morrissey offered an interesting speculation about Olbermann's future writing, "A return to sports might be in the offing, although with bridges burned at both ESPN and NBC and his years-long animus towards Fox, there aren’t many options there either."
A self-proclaimed media insider made the same observation at the far-left website Daily Kos Friday:
It will happen (so I'm told) on the channel now known as Versus. It's a sports channel owned by Comcast, and the story I'm hearing is that it will be rebranded as NBC Sportschannel once the takeover is complete, with Keith as its star personality.
If Comcast was going to move Olbermann to its own sports channel, why would they humiliate him this way first?
Further refuting this speculation is that according to the New York Post, the former "Countdown" host was offered his full multi-million dollar salary throughout the remainder of his contract to leave. If he were just being moved to another Comcast property, wouldn't they have renegotiated his existing contract rather than buying him out?
Whatever the answer, as the late Ed Hart used to say, we will know where Olbermann ends up in the fullness of time.
- Noel Sheppard's blog
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Comments
For the gamblers out
Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:29pm.
For the gamblers out there:
Odds that the words "Sarah Palin" will be prominently mentioned along with this story over the next week?
First talking head to do it?
Who's on next
Submitted by Boudin on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:37pm.
?
I will take my winnings in small bill's
Who's on next?
Submitted by CO2Maker on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:27pm.
I don't know, who?
No, who's on next. I don't know who's on Thursdays.
Who's on Thursday?
I don't know.
You don't know? I thought Schultz's on next.
No, who's on next. Schultz is on drugs.
I thought O'Donnell was on drugs.
No, O'Donnell is on hormone replacement therapy. Or should be.
Good grief, not Rosie O'Donnell. I'm talking about Larry.
So am I. When he goes of on those rants, he sound like Eleanor Clift's banshee screeching, and she could sure use HRT.
HRT? Hostage Rescue Team? Who needs them?
Besides Comcast, I dunno. Who's on the team?
No, no, no, who's on next.
Odds....
Submitted by BookinWeasel on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:38pm.
-110 on Sunday morning barf-fests, -135 Morning Joe Blow with Bubbles, +135 already happened....from a degenerate George Washington gambler......
Off with 'the head'
Submitted by Captain Repus on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:36pm.
Off with 'the head'
"... the victim of his own success?”
Submitted by kj1097 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:58pm.
He’s successful, so he’s a victim? A twisted explanation coming from a leftie who liked him. They probably got rid of him because he’s a jerk who was chasing viewers away.
I disagree with Morrissey re: a possible return to sportscasting
Submitted by SickofLibs on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:02pm.
Olbermann cannot keep his rabid politics out of anything, sportscasting included.
He has made himself so toxic, that there cannot possibly be enough sports fans, who are also moonbats, to make it economically viable.
So it goes
Submitted by alvin on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:03pm.
In my area it seems like the good local restaurants close, but McDonalds goes on and on.
Versus?
Submitted by ricklail on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:15pm.
Noboby watches that either. The last thing I saw on there was Indy 500 qualifing. How many people watch bull riding and salt water fishing? I know that Slippery Rock v Lock Haven in football back during the season was a big draw.
Dear Comcast,
Submitted by Cactus Kurt on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:57pm.
Dear Comcast,
I watch Versus. Moving Olbermann to the Versus network would be a catastrophe. The "man" is radioactive. Hell, after booting Olbermann from Sunday Night Football, NBC had a ratings spike.
I turned to Versus while ago
Submitted by ricklail on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:43pm.
I turned to Versus while ago and there was nothing. Looks like with all the college b-ball they would have a game.
I watch Versus.
Submitted by almostacowboy on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 9:06pm.
And so do all of my African hunting, hockey loving, salt- and fresh water-fishing, cowboy friends. My wife and I look forward to PBR every Saturday night. You should get out more, Rick. There's a whole other world outside your keyboard. :-)
I wouldn't go as far as
Submitted by Beukeboom on Sun, 01/23/2011 - 5:52am.
I wouldn't go as far as saying "nobody." I for one watch Versus when they have hockey on.
It shouldn't have to be this
Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:17pm.
It shouldn't have to be this way.
Nice, Bob!
Submitted by SickofLibs on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:30pm.
I've been waiting for that
bk,
Submitted by Dave. on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:38pm.
ROFL!
Okay, so how do I go about getting coffee off my monitor and keyboard?
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Hey Keyser
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:40pm.
That photoshop reminds me of that "Skin" picture with the kids laying around on top of each other in varying degrees of undress. Except your photo displayed more mature garbage.
It took me a while with your pic, but I finally found Waldo . . . er . . . Olby.
CA
Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:53pm.
I had another one in the Where's Waldo? format, but didn't initially upload it for fear that it might be too subtle. But let's play anyway. Where's Olby?
→ I knew it Keyser
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:56pm.
You're always a step ahead.
~Bk
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:20pm.
These manly forearms still make my heart go pitter-pat. *flutter*
Bru
Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:29pm.
I thought for a moment there I was about to see a sleeveless Michelle. LOL
~GACK
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 6:43pm.
Buzzkill.
→ Missed a spot Keyser!
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:14pm.
Your p-shop demands one more detail.
Tell me you can't see the Dalai Lama walking past that heap.
Liberal 'success' =
Submitted by Slyrr on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:27pm.
Liberal 'success' = failure.
Can anyone say 'Air America'? The liberal braintrust STILL think it was a huge success despite its barely 2-3 year existence and ignominious death.
Olberdork was BSNBC's highest rated show. But it was STILL regularly clobbered by the lowest rated shows on Fox News. And in the liberal brain, failing slightly less than some other show (i.e. all the other shows in BSNBC) equals success.
By the same token, liberals still think, despite 2 years of Obama failure, that you can 'spend your way out of debt', that -1 trillion and -2 trillion somehow equals zero or + something.
And they still don't see how ridiculous they look when they regularly say stuff like 'Be civil you b@$t@rd$!!!!'
Re: Slyrr
Submitted by Vivaldi5 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:07pm.
This probably needs to be an ongoing series:
This could be an almost endless list, I'm thinking, Slyrr....
Congressman Cohen
Submitted by Jerry Mack on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:10pm.
If you repeat a lie often enough people will start to believe it ( if you are a liberal)
I find it an insult to my meager intelligence when I read or hear these propagandist say how absolute failures are successful. Perhaps someday one of these shills can provide us an explanation of what is a success in their minds.
more
Submitted by almostacowboy on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 9:11pm.
Liberal success is telling a lie when telling the truth would be more beneficial.
→ In the cleanup position
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:47pm.
Maybe Gibbs and Olby trade places on the roster? Same team anyways!
EEEWWWW! Did I really say "cleanup"?
Reporting of Olbermann's out, in the LA Times
Submitted by Gary Hall on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:50pm.
Throughout the past several years, the LA Times has literally, on hundreds of occasions, taken Beck, Hannity, Rush, O'Reilly, Coulter, Fox News, Fox News, Fox News, Conservative Talk Radio, Conservative Talk Radio.. (did I repeat myself?) .. to task. From fake "news pieces," to op eds, to editorials, to the paper's staff columnists (all 6 or 7 of those liberals), they have ripped them to shreds, laying them out as liars, and a threat to the country. They have, on occassion, specifically quoted their words, or what others have said about them, but more often they were selectively edited, or excerpted, so that they were out of context; however, always the effort was to single the person or the entity out as hateful, inaccurate (they spread mis-information), dangerous to the intellectual political and policy discussion, etc.
Occasionally, along the way, in a gold leaf thin, "of course there is also Keith Olbermann, who is also controversial on the other side," that provides some of this loud rhetoric, as well. That's it - that's all they gave along the way, and for that, they feel that they have provided balanced coverage of both sides. In no instance did the LA Times just come out an attack Olbermann, as they did the others.
In Olbermann's exit today, we get this: "MSNBC ends contract with anchor Keith Olbermann -
The liberal commentator doesn't volunteer a reason for his abrupt departure. Insiders say it has nothing to do with next week's takeover of NBC Universal by Comcast Corp," on page AA-1. I would have liked to have seen, "MSNBC's resident hate monger and lying son of a bitch is fired," but, oh vell.
In the piece - well, there's really not much. There's "Lawrence O'Donnell is expected to take over," but nothing about O'Donnell having a history of being controversial, including being banned from NBC for a while. There not a word about Olbermann's lying, calling President Bush a liar, a fascist (w/even Howard Dean denying); etc., nothing about never allowing a conservative to appear on his show - nothing, except the usual summary:
Cable news channel MSNBC ended its turbulent relationship with its most-popular anchor, Keith Olbermann..
.. the forceful liberal commentator didn't volunteer a reason for his abrupt departure from the channel that became an ideological counterbalance to the rival Fox News Channel.
.. and neither did the paper of record - never did - never would. The LA Times will be back to attacking Fox, talk radio, Beck, O'Reilly, Hannity, Rush, and the handful of other voices on the conservative side - tomorrow. Hey, perhaps the editors handed out the assignments the team, today.
(;~/ gary
Oh, PS (phonics please): On the editorial pages, the paper did highlight a letter to the paper (response to an op ed - from the left - by the deputy editor of Playboy - "Mouthing Off," ) in which the reader gets to clearly express his view that, in addition to objecting that Olbermann was even mentioned in the piece, "Beck makes baseless assertions," "Olbermann .. always has facts to back up his opinions." I suspect he never visited NB or Olbermann Watch.
What difference would it make?
Submitted by CobraMan on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:22pm.
"I doubt the folks at Comcast, who as of last Tuesday have actual ownership of MSNBC, feel averaging 834,000 viewers per hour during extended prime time is all that spectacular when Fox News is doing almost 2 million."
What difference would it make, Noel? Since Comcast carries both MSNBC AND Fox News, they'd make a profit no matter which news network is at the top of the ratings chart.
That two million Fox viewership number is misleading anyways, other than indicating how much Comcast can charge for ads on their provider service.. It all depends on how many viewers of any Fox show have Comcast as their provider. As Comcast now owns MSNBC, their ad revenue will increase even more do to the fact that they will receive additional revenue from more than just their own provider service.
In addition, Comcast no longer has to pay MSNBC for their content. They do, however, still have to pay Fox News. I can see Comcast trying to have MSNBC compete against Fox News in order to raise Comcast's profits, but, since it's the celebrities of Fox News (Glen Beck and the rest) that makes Fox News so popular, I doubt that MSNBC can ever really compete. For every increase in MSNBC's popularity, you'll have a corresponding decrease in Fox's popularity, and a corresponding decrease in the ad revenue Comcast receives from the ads they run during Fox shows. Unless MSNBC garners more than, say 75 percent of Fox's viewership overall, Comcast wouldn't see much of an increase in profits.
So, what would they have to gain by forcing a change in MSNBC, like firing Keith Olbermann? They're not gong to gain much at all. They may even lose some MSNBC derived revenue as they would have alienated a lot of his viewers, viewers who will most likely switch to another liberal network.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Comcast is no conservative outlet
Submitted by exLib on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:50pm.
I have been saying this for awhile but comcast pushes liberal talking points on their site.
I have been with comcast since it took over Roadrunner/AT&T (And my rates have more than doubled in 10 years).
Every day I have to log into my email at comcast.net. When I do they have an aggregate news feeder that i have to at least peripherally look at. They link to HuffPo and Daily Beast as new sources but no conservative leaning sites.
Routinely comcast.net posts the most volitale anti-conservative/anti-palin/anti-beck/etc news stories on the net. usually with the most loaded headlines.
Comcast content is rife with unsavory content I am forced to buy to get what i want.
They have a "family" package that does not contain Fox news but does contain Cnn headline news which is just tabloid trash. The only way to get Fox News with comast is to get their extended basic cable package.
I think most of us agree that MSN or GE or whomever was losing money on the MSBNC line up in order to push liberal politics.
Who Cares
Submitted by grammajane on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:08pm.
Who cares why he left or got fired or whatever. This is the 3rd job he got canned from in a short period. Espn, NBC Football, and now Pmsnbc. So this is success?? What are the facts that Timm Russert was his biggest fan? ODonnell will not be watched either. He, and olbergoof could be twins with their stiff lips and hateful faces. Schultz at 10pm .....people will watch only to see/hear him make a futher ass out of himself.
Did anyone read the story on
Submitted by Hunter12 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:23pm.
Did anyone read the story on FoxNews.Com? It's an AP story, which explains the screamer at the end: "He could give a boost to struggling CNN's prime-time lineup, but Olbermann would mean CNN would make an abrupt shift in its nonpartisan policy." What CNN does passes as nonpartisan anywhere in the MSM universe?
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
In and Out
Submitted by djaymick on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:37pm.
Olbermann out, Rendell in. Rendell, former governor of PA, is a friend of Brian Roberts. He even appeared in their studios to do the post-game wrap up on all Eagles games. He's looking for a TV gig (as reported in today's Phiadelphia inquirer).
They'll replace him with Dipstick
Submitted by ZuccoZoid on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:58pm.
Sheriff Dipstick will be the new talking head, with his own show. Given the near-heroic status the Left gives him for shirking his duties in favor of leftist propaganda - can't you see it now? "The lawman with the courage to buck the (right wing) system, and tell it like it is..." Plus he comes with the "gravitas" of a law enforcement background - oh, what stories he'll tell !
Most likely Zucco
Submitted by exLib on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:32pm.
He is likely to be recalled soon, so that would free him up to do the show and not worry about a job.
The ink had not completely
Submitted by jkwtrading on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:03pm.
The ink had not completely dried on the deal (comcast) when Olbermann was ousted..love it..
Sign and exit as fast as it gets..
Olberman is leftwing fodder only
Submitted by exLib on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:32pm.
Olberman has so muddied the waters with his over-the-top left-wing rants there is no way he would last at any Sports Show that wanted to avoid controversy.
It seems clear to me that Olbie was taken off NBC's Football Night in America because of viewer complaints like mine that said they wouldn't watch the show as long as he was on it.
Any network that hires him will know they are catering to a left-wing crowd only.
I think this whole "uncivil debate" dust-up from the left has given them a chance to rebrand themselves to the public as well. When Jon Stewart had to give Olbie a rebuke on air for his comments about Malkin and others finally put Olberman's rants in the public eye and exposed him as a "hate-monger" on par with the boogey-men on the right. Comcast is just dumping Olberman to supposedly "prove" they are cleaning the debate up.
#blamepalin
Submitted by JPP on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:34pm.
Obviously Sarah Palin is behind this. Poor Keith, next stop a 1KW AM radio station in Vermont. I hear he may get a shot at broadcasting high school football up there.
Like I said before, Sirius
Submitted by ricklail on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:48pm.
Like I said before, Sirius Radio will put anybody on. Don't be surprised to hear he has his own channel like, Rosie and Oprah. Just as long as he doesn't come to the station here to do football.
Regarding Olbermann's Exit & MSNBC
Submitted by Bourbeau on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:55pm.
Firstly, garbage in and finally garbage out. Whatever they thought they were getting with this individual, it couldn't possibly be complimentary to their corporate culture. Unfortunately, GE under Immelt, had no interest in cultivating a network that people admired. He was perfectly comfortable having the corporate image tarnished, day in and day out, by the likes of Olbermann, Matthews, and O'Donnell. Secondly, now there's Comcast, and they have majority ownership and have all say in programming decisions. I think Olbermann's departure is the first move; I think there will be more. I don't personally care if their biases are as liberal as GE's, now that Immelt is on Obama's team, what I care about are hosts that truly have something to say and can tolerant of dissent without going into a masked vulgar diatribe. I think Comcast is such a company; and I think we'll be seeing some major shakeups on NBCU's channels in the months ahead. A quite frankly, it's about damn time.
Quick, call Ricky Gervais and
Submitted by sergeant stogie on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 4:57pm.
Quick, call Ricky Gervais and Bill Maher. Proof that there is a God. Because he has "smote" the most evil, narcissistic, hateful, lying piece of crap sonuvabitch that ever made it on TV. Even better is all the psychotic doomsday rantings being posted by all the adoring "fans". Priceless.
Good one, Sarge
Submitted by almostacowboy on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 9:14pm.
.
No send off, no warning, just gone - no spinnin' that one!
Submitted by Wawaashkeshi on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 5:06pm.
Oh look! Olby got new
Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 5:12pm.
Oh look! Olby got new sneakers.
I saw that bullseye
Submitted by Boudin on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 5:19pm.
Why do you hate cabbies : ) I dont think he can hit it anyway.
Very good BK
Caught that, didja?
Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 5:21pm.
Caught that, didja?
Olbie
Submitted by RightRealDeal on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 5:26pm.
Master of the Bath Tub could wind up on QVC, HSN or Infommercials.
How about he take over the commercials for the lawyers with Mesothelioma or how about the girl in her pajamas about going to school online or the one about having inventions......they have not had a good pitch man since the great Billy Mays left us, Anthony Sullivan doesn't cut it but maybe Olbie would.
I could see him though in the middle of th enigh hawking vacuum cleaners or kitchen stuff on QVC. It is not that far from NY.
Is Bush's & Palin's Fault Olbie Got Canned...
Submitted by gruyere cheese on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 5:46pm.
I am waiting for the lefties to put a political spin on this!
Puzzling.
Submitted by Ashrak on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 6:22pm.
With the rumor mill swirling, I see Keith wanted more money. Now if that is true, it is frosting on this cake. It would be the demonstration of yet another limo-liberal lamenting "greed" only to be exposed as the one demonstrating it the most.
The only thing that could be more sweet is if a tax scandal, think TurboTax Timmy, would come to light.
Uh . . . what?
Submitted by Galvanic on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 6:34pm.
KORNACKI: "Lawrence O’Donnell, another left-of-center voice, . . . " Lawrence O'Donnell unabashedly declared on the air that he is a socialist! That's Kornacki's definition of left-of-center?well,
Submitted by almostacowboy on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 9:14pm.
He didn't say how far left of center. :-)
I'm betting long that
Submitted by E7-2521 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 6:59pm.
I'm betting long that Olberman will be calling the Idiatrod, live and in person, in March.
“There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no one independence quite so important, as living within your means” -Calvin Coolidge
Olbermann's new assignment?
Submitted by Beukeboom on Sun, 01/23/2011 - 6:00am.
I thought he'd be a natural to be the NBC news correspondent at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica. He could call the penguin races at McMurdo Station.
did not see this coming . . .
Submitted by john t on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 7:25pm.
what a great start to the weekend!
No show for you!
Submitted by Rebar002 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:47pm.
I would have given anything to be on the maintenance crew that would have been emptying out this schmuck's office and taking his computer and whatnot.
"Your degree from Cornell Moo, Comrade Olbermann, and don't think it hasn't been a little slice of heaven . . . 'cause it hasn't!"
Olbermann was a huge success
Submitted by p-squared on Sun, 01/23/2011 - 11:31am.
From a progressive perspective, Olbermann was a huge success. He was the leading liberal news analyst and commentator. His unfavorable ratings compared to anything FNC offered didn't make him unsuccessful in their view. The high FNC ratings are the result of all those ignorant, bitter, scared white folks hiding in their basements, clinging to their Bibles and guns, tuned in to FNC propaganda while waiting for the swarms of blacks and Hispanics to invade their homes. Most progressives/liberals are too busy organizing labor unions, get-out-the-vote efforts at cemetaries and illegal alien holding cells, and drive-thru abortion clinics at local high schools to watch television, but you can bet that if they had the time they would have been tuned into Olby & Co.
Oh yeah, and all the ridiculous and imflammatory crap that came out of his noise-hole got reported on conservative news outlets and blogs. If by success the progressives mean "Makes conservatives waste their time and energy", then he certainly was a big success.
Olbermann is a smart guy in spite of his self-proclaimed Ivy League education (New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, class of '79 - kind of like the Ivy League vo-tech), and I imagine he will end up on his feet somewhere in the progressive web like the Center for American Progress after he writes an autobiography about his life as a victim at the hands of corporate America.