The fact that an ignorant gasbag like Chris Matthews is rated on the Power Grid at all, let alone ahead of Maddow and Olbermann, tells me the Power Grid is pure wank.

The idea of Olbermann appearing on Meet the Press is absurd because he has a much higher-profile job on Sundays: hosting the football games on NBC.

Of course, there is no denying that MTP’s ratings spike when Maddow is on. And, while Olbermann might otherwise be involved on Sundays, I don’t think he could carry off MTP.

Hosting a football game requires more skill than hosting Sunday morning talk shows. First of all, people actually watch football. Second, there is fact-checking in sports. If you cite a statistic that is even slightly off, you will be corrected almost immediately, and pilloried without mercy for getting something wrong. If you’re caught bullshitting “I know the scoreboard says the Saints won the Super Bowl, but there are those who say the Colts really won, so I guess we’ll never really know…” your credibility is shot.

Jelperman, that’s ridiculous. Hosting a football game? Olbermann is the 5th wheel to the actual hosts. He spends huge blocks of time off camera writing his scripts for his several 30 second spots. Everything is prepared ahead of the time he is on camera. And he still sucks.
Maddow, when on MTP, has to think on her feet, debate the best of the best, in real time. Apparently, she is well able to do so.

Question. When was Keith Olbermann respected and influential?

Olbermann is more entertainer than Rachel;. Olbermann makes me laugh while Maddow does not.

Stewie the 3rd: Link trolls are not respected by anyone.

Is Rachel Maddow Now More Respected And Influential Than Keith Olbermann?

Neither are respected or influential.

Is Rachel Maddow Now More Respected And Influential Than Keith Olbermann?

Then again, I have a pillow on my bed that’s more respected and influential that Olbermann. At least IT has a purpose! Ba-dum.

But more importantly, she never relies on ad hominem attacks on her opponents – something that can’t be said of Olbermann.

“Never” is a pretty strong word. Hasn’t Maddow made the same requisite “tea bag” jokes as the rest of her MSNBC cohorts? Yeah… it may seem like “never” as compared to KO… but it’s just “less than.”

While his commentary and analysis is often smart and insightful, it is more often “inciteful” – meant to poke fingers in the eyes of his Fox News compadres (who happen to get much better ratings, it’s worth noting).

Hey look… another Mediaite writer officially comes out of the liberal closet! Thanks Colby… we already knew, but it’s nice to hear you say it.

Jelperman says:
February 22, 2010 at 11:30 am

The idea of Olbermann appearing on Meet the Press is absurd because he has a much higher-profile job on Sundays: hosting the football games on NBC.

Well… one is at night, and the other in the morning. Also one is for 17 weeks a year… and the other is, um… the other 35 weeks. Face it, it’s just more evidence that KO is afraid to face someone who might not expressly agree with him.

Jelperman says:
February 22, 2010 at 11:49 am

Hosting a football game requires more skill than hosting Sunday morning talk shows.

I’m thinking this is sarcasm… because otherwise it doesn’t make any kind of sense.

1) KO doesn’t “host” football… he appears in the pre-game, and halftime show… and then nods a bit in the post game. He doesn’t “host” anything… just rants for a few minutes about something interesting that happened that week in football.

2) Nobody’s talking about KO “hosting” MTP… rather, just appearing on it. Maddow doesn’t host, just is just a guest. There’s a difference.

Wow, that’s not saying alot.

Stewie the 3rd: Link trolls are not respected by anyone.

same2u, they are when they are spot on.

The respect for both of these is yet to be defined. Perhaps Mr. Hall has jumped the shark here in comparing them to each other or to others. Both people have shows whose main purpose is entertainment only. As someone stated above, Maddow used “teabagging” as agressively as Olbermann. Here 2 appearances on MTP show that she is in over her head when it comes to sunday morning discussion. She attempts but ultimately fails.

“Here 2 appearances on MTP show that she is in over her head when it comes to sunday morning discussion. She attempts but ultimately fails.”

Please send me whatever you’re smoking. Rachel is quickly becoming one of the most respected and insightful political commentators anywhere on TV, both for her research and intellect, and especially her respectful manner to friend and “foe” alike.

I Love Rachel Maddow!!

It’s not hard to be more respected than Keith Olbermann. But while Ms. Maddow is indeed far left through and through, she at least has a modicum of sanity left. Whereas Keith sits drooling, staring out the window repeating over and over, “I see racism. I see racism” .

Never mind Olberman, I would love to see a debate between Sarah Palin and Rachel Maddow, then we’lll see if the lipstick will get her through, probably couldn’t afford Sarah though, she doesn’t play unless you pay….

Rachel might have her on. Not Olbermann. If you’re not from Daily Kos or Huffington Post, you don’t get on his show. Keith will put up with no dissenting opinions.

When Rachel apologizes to the tea partiers for her injection of the sick and twisted “teabagger” stuff and for calling them a bunch of while people in white hoods, she may gain some respect. Until then, not so much. She probably has more credibility on the left than Olbermann does, because even he has stepped over the line one too many times. But, if Rachel wants to be taken seriously, she needs to dump her Olbermann imitations of “you’re racist” garbage.

while should be white.

PS: If you haven’t seen the video of the Dallas Tea Party inviting the “white people of MSNBC” to their next tea party event, instapundit has it.

While grinning about the ‘tea bagger’ label, I wonder if she’d have found it as funny if they’d been labeled as ‘carpet munchers’?

Amen, TfT, but I wouldn’t hold your breath on that one!

TfT: The Tea Partiers named themselves, and they didn’t use the nice noun.

I was carefully reading this article and trying to formulate my comment and editing when I looked screen right. There I spot a tease of a headline, “Lindsey Vonn In a Bikini” that completely distracted me. So, being a bit curious, I moved the mouse in that direction and clicked.
Lordy Lordy Lordy, what do I find? Just 45 pictures of a beautiful, fit young Olympic athlete, scantily clad in………..gasp, bikini’s. Old grampa took his aspirin.
Anyway, what was I going to say about Maddow? Damned if I remember. Guess I need some of that Ginko stuff to.
Never mind.

MSNBC’s (White) people were invited? That’s pretty much the whole crew, isn’t it? (Yes, we know, Royal. ‘Look at Fox! Look at Fox!)

ImNotSmart said: Then again, I have a pillow on my bed that’s more respected and influential that Olbermann. At least IT has a purpose! Ba-dum.

Your pillows have the easiest job in the biz! The one you sleep on has to carry the lightest load and the other one that sleeps next to you hasn’t had to do it’s job since you bought it! Ba-dum….wait for it….. CHA!!!

tjl says:
February 22, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Wow… it took you about 4 hours to come up with that… and it’s so lame. Go back, take another 4 hours, and come back with something funny.

ChickaBOOMer: Jump!
http://chickaboomer.blogspot.com/2010/02/jump_22.html

I agree, Maddow is just as left as olberman but seems more logical and not as quick to say stupid things.
I am not a tea party person but I have respect for anyone who disagrees with the government and voice it.

Maddow called them teabaggers which she lost my respect for that easy and juvenile comments on true Americans with free speech. Even if she didnt agree with their message.
Same thing with Cooper and others in the media trying to demoralize the people because they want to be cool or something.
What is free speech if the media trys to shut them up?

I think the people on here complaining about Rachel Maddow joking about the “teabaggers” seem to have a faulty memory. The tea party people called themselves that a lot at the beginning — when the jokes were made by Rachel and Shuster on MSNBC and Anderson on CNN it was early on, before I think the tea party people found out what it meant streetwise. It WAS funny at the time. A little juvenile, but still funny. It is similar to this comment:

“writer says:
February 22, 2010 at 4:06 pm
While grinning about the ‘tea bagger’ label, I wonder if she’d have found it as funny if they’d been labeled as ‘carpet munchers’?”

Except Rachel doesn’t call herself a carpet muncher, but if she did she certainly would understand what it meant. The “teabaggers” called themselves that, and it took months for them to get the sexual context, and there are multiple sites with pictures of multiple posters showing that fact. People that react now with anger about other people knowing what it meant all the time is somewhat silly.

Otherwise, Rachel Maddow treats her guests with much respect, and very seldom interrupts them. She is prepared in her research and I like her show.

This is a good article, and it accurately reflects Rachel’s rise at MSNBC and Keith’s decline.

Oh, and I totally hope that Rachel eventually gets her wish to have Liz Cheney on her show.

More respected than Olbermann? That’s not hard. Shamu, the killer whale has more credibility than KO these days.