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Keith Olbermann And Howard Dean Hash Out Differences On NYC Mosque

video
» 49 comments

The debate over the Islamic community center in lower Manhattan as not just caused a rift in the local community affected by it. By making a national impact, it has put traditional political allies like Keith Olbermann and former DNC chair Howard Dean on opposite sides of the debate. Tonight, Olbermann and Dean met on Countdown, and the discussion felt like watching two old friends talk out an uncomfortable disagreement over lunch.

Dean made a splash in some progressive circles for coming out against the construction of the community center recently, a move that Olbermann respectfully shot down on his Twitter feed. While many (including Bill O’Reilly during the time the Dean/Olbermann discussion aired) were heralding the disagreement as a “civil war” on the left, it appears that Olbermann and Dean both intended to display the disagreement not as a war, but as an ongoing, enriching discussion.

Dean played the more moderate role to Olbermann’s more traditional left role (which culminated towards the end with Olbermann asking “How do you compromise with people who are absolutely irrational?”). Dean argued that, while he did not condone any sort of dialogue with “the Sarah Palins and Newt Gingriches of the world,” there were “legitimate” people, such as the families of 9/11 victims, who may feel uncomfortable and deserve to be listened to. Olbermann countered that, throughout history, Americans have needed an extra push towards tolerance, citing the civil rights struggles and various instances during which Americans were denied rights because of their religion. On that point, Dean was at his sternest, telling Olbermann that he found that “to compare the civil rights issue to the location of a building is inappropriate.”

Granting that there is a discussion, Olbermann wondered who the discussion would include, as he found most of the people involved in the issue– especially on the national scale– to be completely irrational. “You don’t have the discussion with the demagogues,” Dean argued, but with “the people in the city that have a genuine interest in this.”

It’s a long and intricate video, and while it takes a certain level of dedication to get through the whole thing based on the nuances and– as it’s a civil debate– lack of shameless cable news-type entertainment value, it’s precisely the kind of in-depth talk that cable news detractors are constantly pining for, and for good reason. Now if only these types of discussions could happen between people on both sides of the spectrum– haha, who am I kidding? That’s never going to happen.

The whole discussion via MSNBC below:

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  • More Liberty

    Wow…Olbermann had someone on that disagreed with him?

  • http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

    KO said……….
    Olbermann asking “How do you compromise with people who are absolutely irrational?”

    Wow I thought he was talking about himself the Muslims that want to build the Mosque? But then he went on to attack those against the Mosque.

    The Mosque will never be built in that location. Olby loses and I win. The people win. America wins.

  • SWWT

    More Liberty said:
    Wow…Olbermann had someone on that disagreed with him?

    I know! And guess what? That segment was actually really good.

    I feel that his show could be much improved if he invited more people on the other side of issues and held civil debates such as this one…

    …but that’ll never happen.

  • Dave Richards

    I actually agreed with Howard Dean on this. ( I’m going to hell for sure now ).

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Flinner/1438330220 Mark Flinner

    What I think is hypocritical is when all those how support the mosque/cultural center, are the same people who do not have ANY tolerance for true Christianity.

    Either one has the right under our Constitution to practice without Government and State getting involved
    (*As long as there are no illegal activity happening .)

  • NORBIT

    Don’t these Kumbaya moments of the Professional Left just send chills up your leg? – or, Chris Matthews leg, at the very least!
    ———————-

    Did they agree that – whatever the stated intententions for building this mosque – it would be seen by throngs of Islamic RADICALS as a monument to their victory over the West – and IT WOULD BE THE GREATEST TERROR RECRUITMENT TOOL IN MEMORY!!

    Did they agree on that???
    In fact, has anyone on the Professional Left acknowledged that???

  • More Liberty

    To paraphrase Howard Dean, “Much of the Muslim world still live in the 12th Century.”

  • mathenjp

    kudos to dean! he slapped down olbermans lefty whining and in the same breath called out palin and newt for being the hick bigots they are..

  • newzmaker

    If not for race-baiting and O’Reilly, what would Olbermann do with his one hour?

  • Azarkhan

    “How do you compromise with people who are absolutely irrational?”

    Exactly. There can be no compromise with Muslims. Or Keith Olbermann…or Howard Dean.

  • ReFlex76

    gordonbloyershow said:

    The Mosque will never be built in that location. Olby loses and I win. The people win. America wins.

    The COMMUNITY CENTER will be built on that location. The terrorists lose. The people win. America wins.

  • dummy123

    Howard Dean calling Krazy Kieth part of the divisive asshole fringe right to his face…priceless!!!
    Did Olber-loon even realize it??!!

  • dummy123

    Dean has rubbed Keith’s nose in crap before…;)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkYmS5ylCrk

  • Latin2

    Olbermann says “How do you compromise with people who are absolutely irrational?”

    So Olbermann and the Left are calling the families of the 9/11 victims “irrational” people?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIlCiX0LIqA

    Why Liberals hate the families of the 9/11 victims?

  • Latin2

    Soooo Olbermann AND Mediaite writers (Frances Martel) Dean is echoing the same thing that THE OPPONENTS of the Ground Zero mosque is saying.

    Meanwhile the extremists on the Left, like the majority of the MSM (like Olbermann), are braindead and are LYING to protect Obama.

    SO DEAN JUST CALLED SOME MUSLIMS BACKWARD…WELL MEDIAITE WRITERS…WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?

    huh? Dean ISLAM IS NOT A RACE. Islam is a religion. Why are Liberals falsely claiming that Islam is race…that is lie.

  • Latin2

    SOOOO…Dean just said he is an ISLAMAPHOBE.

    Dean called Islam being practiced in many countries, which is the same Islam, SHARIA, that the mosque builder wants in the US, a backward 12th century religion.

  • Big Eddie

    All right ,you mugs . Big Eddie saw college boys like this up at Q . The only question was which one would get shanked out in the yard first . Big Eddie picks the palooka with the glasses .

  • MichelleF

    Frannie says:

    The debate over the Islamic community center in lower Manhattan

    Looks like Fran got the memo AP sent around that said to stop calling it the groud zero mosque. You journOlists have to stick together, eh fran!

  • Latin2

    So…Mr. Dean…why didn’t you bring up the FACT that the builder of the Ground Zero mosque WANTS SHARIA LAW…the same 12th century law that is practiced in the countries you mentioned; Afghanistan and Iran?

    In other words the Imam behind the Ground Zero mosque is THE BIGOT AND EXTREMIST Dean and Olbermann…he is the real intolerant bigot because he WANTS Sharia Law in the US.

    man…Liberals are stupid AND brain dead

  • Latin2

    Frances, you are aware the Imam called the “Islamic community center” a “mosque at Ground Zero”?

    So Frances the same Imam, who is behind the project, called it THE GROUND ZERO MOSQUE so why are you changing what he first called it? Maybe because you are a dishonest reporter?

    Once again proving you Liberals are SURE OUT OF TOUCH and brain washed buffoons…lol.

  • Latin2

    Frances writes:

    “Now if only these types of discussions could happen between people on both sides of the spectrum– haha, who am I kidding? That’s never going to happen.”

    uh Frances…it happens all the time…it’s called THE O’REILLY FACTOR.

    O’Reilly had 3 Liberals and 1 conservative on his show discussing topics on Monday in the first two segments…something that Olbemann NEVER HAS…even Dean is not a Conservative.

  • Azarkhan

    “You don’t have the discussion with the demagogues,” Dean argued, completely forgetting he was speaking with one.

  • Sean68

    It was nice of Howard Dean to describe the 9/11 victims’ families as “fairly decent.” It was even nicer of Keith Olbermann to acknowledge that Barbara Olson was a “decent” person to debate with “from the other side.” By the way, this is another example of the white left’s use of race as a Rosetta Stone for understanding ALL contemporary political issues.

  • lonestar77

    “Dean played the more moderate role” – Frances

    Calling people “neofascists” is moderate?

  • JimBob

    Glaring problem with this debate!
    Both of them are certifiable whacko’s!

  • Sean68

    Azarkhan said:
    “You don’t have the discussion with the demagogues,” Dean argued, completely forgetting he was speaking with one.

    And is one himself. But he isn’t as dumb as he looks. If that mosque gets built = Dem”s lose big. Al Queda wins, though, which is fine so long as Rethuglicans can’t claim victory.

    And since the left is throwing around hypotheticals, why shouldn’t this mosque be built smack dab on the site of the WTC? Why not? It’s still privately owned property isn’t it? Suppose the owners wanted to sell it to buyers backed by Saudi money?

  • Latin2

    lonestar77 said:
    “Dean played the more moderate role” – Frances

    Uh…Frances…that is the same role the people who are against the GROUND ZERO MOSQUE are saying…what Dean said about the mosque…so Frances, you just wrote that the people opposing the GROUND ZERO MOSQUE are MODERATES.

    So what does that make Olbemann? Oh Yeah…an extremist.

  • Sean68

    Also, to show what a fucking ignoramus Olbermann is, the name of the building–”Cordoba House”–is NOT “obscure” to muslims. Just like the date of the WTC attacks–September 11th–was NOT obscure to the attackers. The West is surely doomed if we have fuckheads like this defending it. Boy, it’s times like this I PRAY that Christopher Hitchens makes a full and rapid recovery!

  • MichelleF

    lonestar77 says:
    August 20, 2010 at 10:10 am lonestar77(Quote)
    4 0
    “Dean played the more moderate role” – Frances

    Calling people “neofascists” is moderate?

    To frannie, yes!

  • MichelleF

    Sean says:

    Boy, it’s times like this I PRAY that Christopher Hitchens makes a full and rapid recovery!

    HAHA, he is one of those people I can love one day and HATE the next. I canNOT listen to him talk religion, but he’s great on terrorism issues.

  • Constantly

    I bet they both went out together and got their vaginas waxed after the show

  • Sean68

    Latin2 said:
    Frances writes: “Now if only these types of discussions could happen between people on both sides of the spectrum– haha, who am I kidding? That’s never going to happen.” uh Frances…it happens all the time…it’s called THE O’REILLY FACTOR. O’Reilly had 3 Liberals and 1 conservative on his show discussing topics on Monday in the first two segments…something that Olbemann NEVER HAS…even Dean is not a Conservative.

    That’s exactly right. Olbermann’s show is propaganda plain and simple. They are so contemputuous of those who disagree with them that they can’t even stomach sitting across from them and discussing an issue. If you’re a conservative, they hate you. Period.

    The far left is still fighting the ideological battles of the past to such an extent that the people who are at this moment trying to figure out how to detonate nuclear weapons in the US are by comparison an inconvenience.

  • Latin2

    In fact even AFTER the whitehouse gave MSNBC an exclusive of the troop withdrawal…OLBERMANN’S NUMBERS HAVE DROPPED STEADILY FOR THE LAST THREE DAYS….even with the troop withdrawal exclusive…you know why Frances…BECAUSE THE PEOPLE DON’T TRUST MSNBC and their line up of extremists…and their ratings numbers prove it.

  • MichelleF

    Yeah, I think the reason MSNBC didn’t get a ratings bump with the pullout exclusive, is because people had no idea they were even doing it. I, and it would appear MOST people, don’t even channel surf to them to see what they are doing. Everyone knows they are a joke so they get the same loony viewers EVERY NIGHT. You will see Fox’s numbers go up during big events because people who don’t normally watch them go to them to get the big news. Those are just the facts peeps!

  • writer

    Maybe when people are channel surfing, they catch Olbermann scowling and snarling and get scared off.

  • http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

    What becomes evident in this type of exchange is that the list of those opposing this construction is growing, and that is due to those coming over from the left. What is facinating to watch is those on the left trying to disparage the opponenets without offending their allies who have indeed crossed over.

    Those are some linguistic gymnastics where you call the opponents extremists while still congratulating the “moderate voices” who have sound reasoning on the matter. Funny thing, they oppose the construc tion for the same reasons, but there is a need to segregate and label the “Extremist” conservative loons from the “Moderate” thinkers, like Dean, and Reid.

  • NORBIT

    Latest poll shows 70% Nationwide OPPOSE the “Victory Mosque”!

    This is a net LOSER for Democrats, but not as big a loser as their SUMMER OF RECOVERY!

    Too Funny!! – It’s hard to tell where the VOTES are siphoning away from Democrats the fastest!!!

    HAVE A NICE NOVEMBER 2!!!!!!!!

  • redwriteblue

    This was a very interesting discussion of how the “9-11 Families” feel about the potential for the construction of a 15 story monument to a religion, that they feel, was responsible for the death of the family members.

    Also, they were let-down by their own government whose negligence in allowing the 19 terrorists, several of whom had “overstayed” their tourist visas and two who were gtanted “Permanent Resident Status’ by President Ronald Reagan’s 1986 “Amnesty” for the 3 million (at that time) Illegal immigrants in the U.S.

    The controversy over the “Ground Zero Mosque” is a reflection of Americans increasing concern about Middle Eastern Immigrants and their determination to gain political influence as the U.S. State Department is continuing to bring thousands more to be “resettled” in the U.S. as “Political Asylum” refugees, Click Link:

    http://patriotsforamerica.ning.com/profiles/blogs/palestinians-have-missle

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Jones/1384303476 Chris Jones

    The real story here is Keith having someone on his show who disagrees with him (slightly).

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Jones/1384303476 Chris Jones

    If Republicans take back the House and Senate in November we should build our own victory mosque.

  • http://sharethisurlaboutglennbeck.com/ GlennBeckReview

    gordonbloyershow says: “The Mosque will never be built in that location. Olby loses and I win.”

    That’s what it’s about for you, isn’t it Gordon? You win and the Constitution be damned.

    I was impressed with Dean’s argument. Finally, someone is calling for dialog and mutual understanding.

    Of course, Mr. Blowhard wants to call the shots from the west coast, something Dean specifically argued against. This is not to mention, but I will, keeping the extremists like Beck, Blowhard, Palin, Newt, et al. out of any discussions.

    Gordon, watch your response: I’m in touch with your Portland detractors. I tried to tell you this on your blog, but registration there leads to a dead end advertisement.

  • http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

    What is amusing is that you don’t consider Dean to be an extremist. Must be the contrast in appearing next to Olberman.

  • http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

    GBR, the issue has NOTHING to do with the Constitution and you and all the lefties know it.

    The Mosque will not be built in that loccation because the “peaceful”,”moderate”, “sensitive” Muslims will decide they don’t want to offend the 911 families.

    Will you attack them for doing the right thing?

    GBR, are you on parole or did you escape? Put the crayons down and play with your playdough.

  • Cecelia

    I suppose a “discussion” whereby Olbermann characterizes people he disagrees with as being irrational bigots IS something out of a eighteenth century salon to Francis, simply because Olbermann sat in same studio with one of them.

  • BigOldMeanie

    Think anyone has taken aside yet and explained to him that the Ark of the Covenant didn’t have animals in it?

  • http://sharethisurlaboutglennbeck.com/ GlennBeckReview

    gordonbloyershow says: “GBR, are you on parole or did you escape? Put the crayons down and play with your playdough.”

    Gordon, you child/man; grow up.

  • Drew

    true tolerance is something that dose not conflict with the people’s will, their rights or the U.S Constitution. there are things that can be tolerated and things that should not be tolerated, especially the ideologies of the progressive left and social left who do not tolerate American values and principles.how cam we tolerate their ideologies if they don’t tolerate the constitution and American values, it makes no sense!

  • felixw

    Some people prefer Olbermann and Dean with Shemp. But I think the episodes with Curly Joe are funnier. Either way, stooges are still stooges.

  • writer

    For daring to disagree, Dean will spend a week on the worst persons list.

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