In his tours at ABC (particularly the weekend versions of Good Morning America) and CNN, anchorman Aaron Brown was fond of liberal editorializing. So it's no shock that when New York magazine interviewed him as he takes on anchoring the PBS series Wide Angle, he declared he was a big fan of Keith Olbermann's show:
How about Keith Olbermann?
It’s a good television program. No, it’s a very good television program. That’s how I want to put that.
This matches his shout-out earlier in the month to TV Newser: Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly "are both larger-than-life figures," he says, but Olbermann is "smarter, funnier, better read and eminently more talented."
Some suspect Brown would like an hour next to Keith's on MSNBC. They certainly sound alike. On November 10, 2004, for example, Brown lamented poor, losing John Kerry as he looked at pictures in the military newspaper Stars and Stripes:
Look at this picture here, if you can. ‘Troops’ Bravery Honored in Iraq.’ These are all Purple Heart winners. Someday, one of them will run for President and someone will say they didn’t earn the Purple Heart. Welcome to America.”
(HT to Conservathink)
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Keith Olbermann and Bill
June 3, 2008 - 09:19 ET by NewsbusterbrownKeith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly "are both larger-than-life figures," he says, but Olbermann is "smarter, funnier, better read and eminently more talented."
I'll give Olbermann funnier, since I laugh much more during any of his telecasts than I do with BOR. Of course, I'm not laughing with him...
“There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964 Republican Convention)
People aren't going to watch.
June 3, 2008 - 09:54 ET by MeanderingNo matter how much these liberals try and talk up Olbermann, people still won't watch. Why, because he is awful at his job and I'm not going to waste my precious time watching his drivel.
Call me cynical
June 3, 2008 - 10:22 ET by KC MulvilleI wonder how much Aaron Brown had to pay for his agent to get him interviewed by anyone, much less NY Magazine. It must be expensive to get his name back into media circulation. As for Brown, he was a boring personality with a boring agenda, and nothing seems to have changed.
I loathe Olbermann, but
June 3, 2008 - 11:24 ET by Chris NormanI loathe Olbermann, but really can only barely tolerate O'Reilly. Olbermann perverts political facts to suit his own twisted view of the world, while O'Reilly's self-importance has grown to the point that it dominates his whole show and intrudes on the content. He thinks so highly of his "big interviews", like last night with the spokesweasel, Scott McClellan, that he has on guests afterword to discuss, more or less, how he, himself, performed. Grrr. Olbermann is so rank, there's no point in discussing him. Brown uses his "quiet and thoughtful" persona to arrive at standard liberal positions and to me, comes off as phony.
Pretty much
June 3, 2008 - 12:23 ET by mikefiskOver the years, I've just found O'Reilly to be insufferable... better than Olbermann, but that might just be by default. I don't suffer pompous, self-aggrandizing fools well, regardless of where their ideology is.
"Insufferable" - that's the
June 3, 2008 - 12:49 ET by Chris Norman"Insufferable" - that's the word. The way he cus off guests, who are making better arguments than he, is unsufferable. The manner in which he talks down to his guests, many, who, are more intelligent than he, is unsufferable. Last night he cut off Katherine Hamm several times and overrode her commentary. I would much more trust her opinion than his opinion.
Chris - you didn't like is McClellan interview?
June 3, 2008 - 12:37 ET by Dee BunkI didn't watch after the interview. I do think BO is diluted by his self-importance, but I really enjoyed having someone actually ask Scotty a few hard questions.
I haven't watched BO in years except a couple rare times here and there but I watched on the night that the McClellan story broke and this interview and I liked them both. I'm ready to start giving him a try again. The other thing I used to like about him was that he was the only one who ever called attention to outrageous judicial decisions.
He doesn't understand economics and when ever he talks about anything economic I cringe. He also sucks up for big interviews. He sucked up for months just to try and get a Kerry Interview and I'm sure he'll do the same with Obama. When he starts doing that then I won't be able to watch him.
I think BO is really the old conservative Democrat that doesn't exist anymore and so we will agree with him on some things and not others. He's still 1,0000 times better than any of the liberals. He may yell and dramatize but he at least allows people with different views on his shows.
It's definitely annoying how much he talks about himself.
Dee, I have put it this way:
June 3, 2008 - 12:54 ET by Chris NormanDee, I have put it this way: The Factor has the best topics, the best guests, and the best questions. Then, O'Reilly spoils it all by hosting it. Know what I mean?
Without BOR you dont get
June 3, 2008 - 14:23 ET by general companyWithout BOR you dont get the "best questions". I like Bill, I dont care about his arrogance, he has a right to beat his own drum, for the very reasons you suggested above. Bill tackles many of the very same issues we do here, he is our loudest vioce against media bias.
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Chris and general - I'm somewhere inbetween
June 3, 2008 - 16:48 ET by Dee BunkI definitely see Chris's point and think he is more about himself than anyone else. I probably only agree with him about half the time but it's better than none of the time like it is with all the liberal hosts.
Right now I'm just thrilled that he asked McClellan some real questions.
General, Well, my comment
June 3, 2008 - 17:00 ET by Chris NormanGeneral,
Well, my comment was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. However, a well produced show, no matter the host, can have good questions, good guests, and good topics - whether it's a success or not is another matter. In my opinion, Bill O'Reilly has let his ego and self-importance ruin his show - for me, at least. If you still want to watch - great.
daily affirmations? calling Stuart Smalley
June 3, 2008 - 21:06 ET by mom_roxChris, I watch the Factor on a regular basis, but I agree with your earlier comment "that he [O'Reilly] has on guests afterword to discuss, more or less, how he, himself, performed" whether or not you wrote it 'tongue-in-cheek'.
This is true with his McClennan interview, and it was interminable with his Hillary Clinton interview. If Barack Obama finally comes on the Factor, I just need to remind myself not to watch the post-interview postmortems.
A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw, 1944
There's not a word I'd
June 3, 2008 - 14:34 ET by fitzfongThere's not a word I'd change from that observation. The BORe Factor is unwatchable because it's simply a program about BOR. Like McCain, he uses pseudo-populist class envy rhetoric to mask his economic illiteracy.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
Gee. I would've thought the
June 3, 2008 - 12:53 ET by SickofLibsGee. I would've thought the adoration/lovefest would be going the other way: Olbermann to Brown.
After all Brown won the Edward R. Murrow Award for his 9/11 coverage at CNN, while Olbermann was probably curled up in the fetal position in his bathtub.
Oh well, at least Brown called KO's show a 'television program' and not a newscast...
No surprise Brown loves
June 3, 2008 - 13:05 ET by bigtimerNo surprise Brown loves Olbie...what is a surprise to me is he is still around....the love he feels for Keithie and msnbc makes one think he is aiming for a job there...or one is already in the works...either way he fits right in.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
The Incredible Hack
June 3, 2008 - 13:19 ET by jwm45Aaron Brown was a hack of the highest order - it only figures he's a big fan of The Incredible Hack (Olbermann)
Aaron Brown. How the
June 3, 2008 - 14:38 ET by fitzfongAaron Brown. How the "mighty" have fallen. What's next? Public Access? Dead Air America? Mark Cuban's Network? Bill Moyers' replacement? Future prospects not looking so good...
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan