Alterman: Matthews Centrist; Olbermann Merely 'Taken for a Liberal'

Photo of Mark Finkelstein.

What does it take to be a liberal in Eric Alterman's book? In his current column at The Nation, The Many Man-Crushes of Chris Matthews, Altermann labels Chris Matthews a "centrist" that MSNBC sandwiches between the "right-wing" Tucker Carlson and "taken-for-a-liberal Keith Olbermann."

"Taken-for-a-liberal Keith Olbermann"? Sounds like Keith hasn't quite earned his lefty wings in Eric's estimation. I mean, after all, Olbermann has only called for President Bush's impeachment, accused the Bush administration of representing a new form of fascism, and generally chewed the leftist curtains in his overwrought "Special Comments."

If Keith's liberal street cred is suspect, I wonder how Eric might view the credentials of others on the left? Let's imagine:
  • Taken-for-a-Communist-dictator Fidel Castro.
  • Ersatz left-wing film-maker Michael Moore.
  • Faux progressive Ralph Nader.
  • Self-styled leftist Noam Chomsky.
  • So-called liberal Barney Frank.
  • Would-be radical Katrina vanden Heuvel
Might Alterman take it to the ultimate: "meretricious marxist Karl Marx," anyone?

Feel free to add to the list!

Aside: Alterman's column gives rise to another rousing round of WIARHSI. What if a Republican had written of Chris Matthews' "many man crushes"? How many nanoseconds before the first liberal cry of "homophobia!?

Contact certified conservative Mark at mark@gunhill.net


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possible labels-add to the list

Not-quite-a-socialist George Soros?

Soros? Did he not buy stoc

Soros? Did he not buy stock in Halliburton? I haven't heard the usual left drum beat towards Halliburton after he did that. Oh, and another point, isn't Lady Bird Johnson, the widow of Democrat President LBJ majority owner in that company?

"Before I refuse to take your questions...I have a statement.." Ronald Reagan

MB

You are oh so correct on both points. Not a peep from the MSM about Soros. For that matter about lady Bird neither. Check this out...

file:///Users/gregc/...

Hope it opens for you..

Soros supposedly lost $25 mi

Soros supposedly lost $25 million (on paper) this week on his Halliburton investment. 

So does that mean Halliburton

So does that mean Halliburton is losing $$$$?

Not necessarily. I have seen

Not necessarily. I have seen Wall Street punish companies for not 'exceeding' expectations. Though I cannot say for certain that is the case here.

"Centrist" Hillary

"Centrist" Hillary Clinton?

"True Progressive" I.F. "Izzy" Stone (whom Alterman has expressed his devoted admiration to in the past)

"Conservative" John

"Conservative" John McCain?

"People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news."  - A.J. Liebling

"Former Hitler Youth" Sean Pe

"Former Hitler Youth" Sean Penn?

Nortonalec

Sean Penn  "Dum Man Wal

Sean Penn  "Dum Man Walking".

Good point Antimedia,He has

Good point Antimedia,

He has had only one moment of "brilliance", having a pizza delivered during class at Ridgemont High. Now that was funny! Ever since then... Dumb! (losing a brother must have been tough though).

"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...

"Staunch War supporter a

"Staunch War supporter and Hero" John Kerry.

Stuck on Stupid

Wasn't that the fellow that was "stuck" in Vietnam.

No surprise here since in his

No surprise here since in his first book on the media (Sound and Fury), Alterman described Anthony Lewis as a "centrist" columnist for the NY Times.

Note: Lewis acknowledged this past year that he's a socialist; although he also admitted that "It doesn't work".

I guess in the world according to Altermann, admitting socialism doesn't work while still embracing it constitutes a "centrist".

SMG, so backing a failed poli

SMG, so backing a failed policy equates to a centrist? OK, then we must add liberals and dimorats to that failed list as well (because they think they are a centrist's already anyway).

They should read my Tag:

"To bad Ignorance isn't painful..."

Mark, the first thing I envis

Mark, the first thing I envisioned reading your post was, Al Bore being called a Prophet during the "hearings" today.

I hope that is adding to the subject in a round-about way.

Al Gore is the Core

of Non-Carbon credits Galore,

He has said;  "Me and my family are Carbon Neutral"

I say, "so they all must be Dead".

P.S, I have never been good at poetry and I have now exposed it for all to see :-)

"To bad Ignorance isn't painful..."

Alterman has the same affli

Alterman has the same affliction they many on the left have. They concider a definition of a liberal as too broadly based as to make it irrelivent. Or to put it another way, they're not all that fond of the term.

If Olberman isn't a liberal, then I'm not in radio. Maybe they would like us to call them socialists instead. It might even be more accurate.

Radio, I will do the same in

Radio, I will do the same in regard to calling them what I please, namely, communist lovers, call it socialist if you will but the two are mutual in my dictionary.

"To bad Ignorance isn't painful..."

"Man Made Disaster"

"Man Made Disaster" George W. Bush.

 I used to think Jimmy Carter was the worst president in history - then along came George W. Bush.

*yawn*

Ho-hum... I'm not exactly a fan of the guy, but it's easy to have sympathy for Bush when the opposition's so-obviously-weak. Why not turn over a new leaf and say something halfway interesting???
JMR

....but it's all over now

Cut Bill some slack Sarc.  Evidently Bill is now only operating on feelings.....he states very clearly in his tag line he "used to think". 

LOL! Joseph F.-is that you? W

LOL! Joseph F.-is that you?

Weak, very weak. Especially since by calling Dubyah a "man made disaster", you're admitting that Pappy Bush was a man and not the devil incarnate as you "tolerant" people on the left so often describe him as.

Can I have some of your moonshine? Or is it something more powerful?

Del...I forgot about JF!There

Del...

I forgot about JF!

There's been so many!

LOL!

same as before

Bill,

That's the exact same text you posted before. I know Control-x, Control-p, is your best argument. Just in case though, the correct answer is Warren G Harding. He was voted the worst. It might make you happy to know he was a Republican. See Historical Rankings.

Jimmy was worse than Bush or Clinton, whom seem to be running neck and neck. Guess the list isn't morals based.

Wait, hold everthing! I did a search. You're a clever one! That silly comment is your signature. You don't even have to think and it's in there. So no matter how many posts you make, you'll always include the wrong information.

Make a bunch of posts and I'll start swaying back and forth reciting the Koran. That way I can get in the proper mood and if you post often enough I could become brainwashed and come over to the dark side.

I feel it Bill.. Death to America, Death to America, keep posting.

m1xram

More from the Clown Clan

"Man Made Disaster"

Where oh where do you find the time to do such in-depth research for your comments?  You as the others in the clown clan are still incapable of contributing to adult discussions (still haven't answered to the minimum wage question), but that's expected as you run away from facts.

"I used to think rhayes was an asshat, then along came Billy"

Alterman...Who is he to be ab

Alterman...

Who is he to be able to judge anyone when he himself is the biggest maddening leftist as they come out there...

Just ask Paul Weyrich...who wanted to come across the table and bash him a good one years ago on the Washington Journal...along with any red-blooded American that is patriotic.

If Weyrich's face could of got anymore red that morning he would of killed somebody or went through the roof...Brian Lamb knew it...so did that piece of work slick snide grinning wussie Alterman.

I think Weyrich still had NET then...which I miss to this day.

Alterman is the enemy within to a tee..so is Katrina vanden Heuvel...whom he writes and works for The Nation ( that Katrina's communist grandfather founded) for if memory serves me correctly.

I detest the sorry piece of empty work.

Back in the late 1990s, I saw

Back in the late 1990s, I saw complaints about Alterman from some of his fellow "The Nation" writers-Katha Pollitt, for example.

In addition, some of his interns complained that he was a world-class A-hole to work for.

A few weeks ago, another blog (Ann Althouse's) discussed Alterman at length-apparently, he was echoing Hillary Clinton's proposition that the Internet needed "gate-keepers" and "filters", so that dangerous right-wing ideas couldn't get thru. Goebbels would be proud of him.

Back in the late 1990s, I saw

BTW, I was on an e-mail list back in 1999 that was run by a supposedly "free thinking" group of people who were very liberal. One would think that these people would welcome or accept opposing opinions (that's what liberals do, right?)

When I brought up my doubts about Alterman, illustrated with concrete examples, I was banned.

Del,Thanks for the info...I d

Del,

Thanks for the info...I do not know any real leftist anywhere that do not want control of the internet...they had power in the media forever until FOX, they can't control this venue so far... although they try in every way shape and form...it is very worrisome...and if people do not get out and wake up and vote..they will win through complete control in Congress, the courts and the Presidency.

I have joined some other left sites too (not rabid yet, but working on it, they want complete control of these)...just waiting until I am banned...if they themselves do not control all forms of speech and what is let out for all to hear and see...they are not happy...and when a leftist communist is not happy...we will pay if we do not pay attention and fight back.

People had better wake up soon...before it is too late.

The leftist with the biggest spewing mouths do not want the First Amendment to apply to anyone but them, and their agenda....pure socialism and power...everywhere within the USA...they already have a good foothold...they have for the last thirty plus years...they are not going to stop now...

ACLU anyone?

Conservative bashing

Believer
I don't even know why we are wasting time on the subject of those two and their obvious antiAmericaasiliketoknowitism agenda. When I had cable I could take about 1 second and that was only because I forgot how to skip over them with the remote.

I had always made a habit of phoning them and others when I saw wrongness. Alas, now they are emboldened by the last election and that is what we will get until our side has the courage to flip the switch. I never thought I could, but I did. Now I keep current with NB, et al. Words of opposition are not going to change them, anymore than trying to change Hollywood. They just have too darn much money and do not care whether we go to their movies or not.

Moderate Ted Kennedy

Moderate Ted Kennedy

They are moving everything to

They are moving everything to the right by one (Social Communist = Social  Liberal, Social  Liberal = Lefty Loon, Lefty Loon = Liberal, Liberal = Centrist and so on) so they won't seem so extreme to sheeple.   Remember their foucus from this point forward is on the 2008 election.

I would love to ask Alterma

I would love to ask Alterman who he would describe as a liberal. I think he would probably not be able to come up with a name. To people like him there are only the extreme right wing and centrists.

D


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