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Gibbs On Olbermann’s Nazi Appeasement Tax Compromise Comparison: ‘Stop.’

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by Tommy Christopher | 3:33 pm, December 13th, 2010

» 24 comments

During his patented Special Comment segment last week, Countdown host Keith Olbermann showed his displeasure with President Obama’s compromise on the Bush Tax Cuts by comparing it to Nazi appeasement. At Monday’s White House briefing, I asked Press Secretary Robert Gibbs if the White House had any reaction to the comparison. Gibbs responded that he doubted the President had heard Olbermann’s remarks, reiterated that the White House thinks the compromise is a good deal, and addressed the appeasement charge. See Gibbs’ response after the jump.

I was more interested in Gibbs’ thoughts on such heated opposition rhetoric coming from someone who’s so influential with the President’s base, but Gibbs opted to teach Keith Olbermann a quick mini-course on Godwin’s Law: (From C-Span)

Transcript:

Robert Gibbs: Tommy…

Tommy Christopher: Thank you, Robert. Thank you, Les. I have three quick questions. First one, last week during his Special Comment, Keith Olbermann compared the President’s tax compromise to Nazi appeasement. I wanted to see if you guys had a reaction to that. Did the President hear that? Or, what do you think about that?

Robert Gibbs: I doubt the President heard that. I, obviously, have given a number of answers that would denote that we think it’s a good agreement.And…I would say this to Democrats or Republicans, whenever you compare anything to what the Nazis did, if you ever get to that point in your speech, stop. Because nothing does, and hopefully, God willing, nothing ever will.

The entire point of Godwin’s Law, of course, is that those who violate it make themselves irrelevant. In the case of Keith Olbermann, though, a little light Nazi rhetoric isn’t going to break the spell he has over much of the President’s base. While Bill Clinton‘s Friday appearance at the White House may help to sway rank-and-file Democrats, the former President is no hero to the Kos nation over which Olbermann holds sway. Appeasing them may be a tricky thing.

Bill Clinton, Bush Tax Cuts, Countdown, godwins law, keith olbermann, Nazi Appeasement, President Obama, Robert Gibbs, Special Comment, Tax Compromise

Atticus Draco

‘
Gibbs responded that he doubted the President had heard Olbermann’s remarks

LMAO!
Boy that’s gonna piss Olby off
Pablo

1. The Nazis weren’t doing the appeasing, so there is no comparison to what the Nazis did, it’s a (foolish) comparison to what Neville Chamberlain did.

2. Godwin’s Law: “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” Contrary to widespread yet ignorant belief, it does not mean that whoever mention’s Nazis doesn’t have an argument.
tatboy

Olbermann without Nazi talk… that’s like a hot summers day without ice cream. If the ADL can’t shame Olbermann into stopping the Nazi talk by stating that he is upsetting concentration camp survivors… than NOTHING will stop him.

http://www.adl.org/media_watch/tv/20060728-MSNBC.htm
Seeing 2012 From My Window

Kind of hard to take Fibbs seriously when Obama equated Republican’s to terrorists.
tatboy

Pablo said:
1. The Nazis weren’t doing the appeasing, so there is no comparison to what the Nazis did, it’s a (foolish) comparison to what Neville Chamberlain did. 2. Godwin’s Law: “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” Contrary to widespread yet ignorant belief, it does not mean that whoever mention’s Nazis doesn’t have an argument.

I believe Tommy’s argument is that going to the Nazi well blows your credibility… not necessarily your original point you were making.
TeaPartyPatriot

CHRISTMAS JOY is when the lunatic-left d-crat socialists go at each others throats !!

Although it pains me deeply to say it, I must admit that TAX CHEAT olberman is correct in implying that this latest Washington effort to screw America is bad – even though he’s got all the WRONG reasons why that’s so.

If “You Lie!” hussein supports it, can there be ANY DOUBT that this is horrifically bad for America?

This is a TRILLION DOLLAR SPENDING “deal” made in lunatic-left d-crat socialist heaven. Overall, this is a BAD deal for America – “You Lie!” hussein only bent slightly, while the Ruling Class, out-of-touch establishment Repubs (especially mealy-mouth mcconnell) caved in to more economic/social atrocities from the lunatic-left. That is why Jim DeMINT appropriately opposes this “deal”.

THE GOOD: improves the d-crat socialists’ beloved DEATH TAX and doesn’t raise taxes in an economy hobbled by the failed policies of the d-crat socialists – including NOT raising taxes on small business owners to encourage job creation.

THE STINKINGLY BAD: cut the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax by 2 percentage points next year (…fiscal insanity: take a BANKRUPT Social Security program and make it EVEN MORE BANKRUPT !)

THE HORRIBLY UGLY: massively increases the national debt and deficit to preserve a bundle of lunatic-left tax credits and giveaways, including the wealth and income re-distribution earned income tax credit, child tax credit and outrageous tax credit that helps pay college tuition, it helps create a “permanent” class of unemployed living off government welfare (a goal of the lunatic-left d-crat socialists) while providing BILLIONS in special interest PORK, including ethanol subsidies, film and television producer tax breaks, give aways for Puerto Rican rum manufacturers, favors for auto racing track owners, a hand-out for businesses in American Samoa and on and on and on.

KILL THE BILL !
Padfoot

Wrong answer, he wasn’t comparing the president to the Nazis, he was comparing him to Neville Chamberlain
Pablo

tatboy said:
I believe Tommy’s argument is that going to the Nazi well blows your credibility…

My point is that Gibbs got it wrong. Nothing new there.
tatboy

Padfoot said:
Wrong answer, he wasn’t comparing the president to the Nazis, he was comparing him to Neville Chamberlain

Correct… he was compairing all Republicans to Nazi’s… Obama was appeasing Nazi’s (per Olbermann).
Atticus Draco

Pablo said:
My point is that Gibbs got it wrong. Nothing new there.

i know,, i just realized,, this is from a conservative mind you,,
between Gibbs and Obly,,
i favor Olby

lol,,Odd,, i thot i’d never favor Olby in any comparison
The Lantern of Truth

“…patented Special Comment segment …” Bet that is one valuable patent filing .

“…the Kos nation over which Olbermann holds sway…” Translation – motley collection of truther whackjobs and Behar watchers .
Rusty Shackelford

Tommy Christopher….official Olbermann joke sniffer.
Rusty Shackelford

actually….jock……but joke kinda works when you think about it.
Just4thefax

Fact: These two must make up what I call the losers braket! Who cares who wins on this one lets watch the winners braket over there in the GOP arena!
butchbarb

I don’t think that Gibbs wanted to embarress the Nazi party. He can’t even answer the questions if not pre submitted.
ModerateMan

Obama and Gibbs don’t care or watch anything that Keith Olbermann says. This might be a clue to Tommy Christopher that Olbermann is certainly not one “who’s so influential with the President’s base”.

Outside of the far left of New York City and San Francisco (and maybe the far left college aged crowd) Keith Olbermann is not taken seriously. I just am amazed Mr. Christopher seems to be trapped in this bubble where people actually believe that a President would care what is said by that mashed up bag of vitriol that is Keith Olbermann.
Patrick

Tommy
You’re certainly more familiar with the left base than I am, but I’m skeptical of your repeated assertions regarding Keith Olbermann’s supposed influence over said base. I would argue he’s more indicative of the left base (given his show’s near-100% reliance on blue blogs) than necessarily someone giving marching orders. Granted his show is highly-rated for MSNBC standards, but his books don’t sell and he’s never transcended the commentator persona and become a major public figure the way that his Fox News bete noires O’Reilly and Beck have. A few months ago Mr. Olbermann was the subject of great scorn on the Daily Kos threads following his comments regarding Obama’s BP speech and the Journolist leaks revealed that even commentators politically simpatico to Olbermann regard him as a pompous blowhard at best and a paranoid misogynist at worst. Jon Stewart is just as far to the left as Olbermann, and manifestly more influential. Keith, try as he might, is nowhere near the straw that stirs the lefty drink; at most, he’s a large ice cube.
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Patrick said:
Tommy
You’re certainly more familiar with the left base than I am, but I’m skeptical of your repeated assertions regarding Keith Olbermann’s supposed influence over said base. I would argue he’s more indicative of the left base (given his show’s near-100% reliance on blue blogs) than necessarily someone giving marching orders. Granted his show is highly-rated for MSNBC standards, but his books don’t sell and he’s never transcended the commentator persona and become a major public figure the way that his Fox News bete noires O’Reilly and Beck have. A few months ago Mr. Olbermann was the subject of great scorn on the Daily Kos threads following his comments regarding Obama’s BP speech and the Journolist leaks revealed that even commentators politically simpatico to Olbermann regard him as a pompous blowhard at best and a paranoid misogynist at worst. Jon Stewart is just as far to the left as Olbermann, and manifestly more influential. Keith, try as he might, is nowhere near the straw that stirs the lefty drink; at most, he’s a large ice cube.

OK… I’m sorry guys, but this is one of the BEST comments in Mediaite history.
trica

If the highly over paid (Olbermann #1) mouths in the media, TV, print reporters, professional bloggers, million dollar payday earner across the USA who think the POTUS caved on the tax deal would agree to give up and recycle just a few million of the millions they make every year into their company’s payroll so that the lower paid workers at their companies, such as janitors, cooks, gardeners, doormen, stage workers… could have their pay raised to a very good living wage. Such workers would not need all the Gov. subsidies that so many now must have just to break even. The Gov could take in a bit more revenue from these workers increased wages, and dramatically cut spending on social programs that these workers now use. This goes also for all the liberal politicians who have been in D.C. for many years, did nothing, now complain. They to can do without some tax payers perks.
Magister

Politically it serves Obama and his legislative goals to compromise and distance himself from a bunch of neophytes, who asked for a unicorn, but Santa only brought them a horse.

Olbermann is just another netroot. He may give them voice, but he too doesn’t understand the game.
CAconservative

I too doubt that Obimbo didn’t hear Olbermann’s usual mundane rant about the tax-compromise but, on this issue I have to agree with “Baghdad-Gibbs” assessment of the Nazi remark.
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