Ken Berwitz

Is keith olbermann a racist and a hypocrite?

Before you answer, let’s note what he said on yesterday's "Countdown" show, via excerpts from an article by Jeff Poor at www.newsbusters.org:

Grasping at Straws: Olbermann Claims Obama 'Arrogant' Label a Racist Euphemism

By Jeff Poor (Bio | Archive)
Fri, 01/29/2010 - 11:14 ET

A lot of leading thinkers on the right have warned about this, but now with President Barack Obama no longer enjoying high approval ratings and many of his defenders with their back against the wall, the race card is being deployed as one of the last lines of defense.

And one of the most bizarre and egregious examples of this desperation to defend the President at all costs came from MSNBC "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann. On his Jan 28 program, he singled out Erick Erickson of RedState.com, John Stossel, host of the Fox Business Channel's "Stossel", Jay Nordlinger of National Review, former Bush speechwriter and Washington Post contributor Marc Thiessen, John Hood, also of National Review and Fox News host Glenn Beck as racist for criticizing the president's demeanor during the Jan. 27 State of the Union address.

"But our winners, these guys, assessing not the speech, but the president himself," Olbermann said. "Erick Erickson, ‘cocky.' John Stossel said he hoped the president would admit he was, quote, ‘arrogant.' Jay Nordlinger, ‘looks arrogant whether he is arrogant or not.' Marc Thiessen, ‘defensive, arrogant.' John Hood, ‘flippant and arrogant.' Glenn Beck, ‘like a punk.'"

But here's where Olbermann played the role of race hustler. From just those comments, the MSNBC host divined what is in the hearts and minds of these individuals..

"Here's a little secret, gathered, sadly, from witnessing it my whole life, even from some in my own family," Olbermann said. "When racist white guys get together and they don't want to be caught using any of the popular epithets in use every day in this country about black people - and there's a chance one of them, or worse still a white guy who doesn't get it, might wander in and hear the conversation, when there's a risk even in saying "uppity" or "forgetting his place," the racist white guys revert to euphemisms and code words."

Therefore, based on Olbermann's supposed life experiences, criticizing the President for exhibiting a particular character trait earned these six individuals the distinct honor of being labeled Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" for Jan. 28, 2010.

"And among the code words that they think they're getting away with are cocky, flippant, punk, and especially arrogant," Olbermann concluded. "Mark Thiessen of The Washington Post, Eric Erickson of Red State, John Hood and Jay Nordlinger of the National Review and Glenn Beck and John Stossel of Fixed [Fox] News, today's ‘Worst Persons in the World.'"

So what do we have here?

keith olbermann is telling us that the term “arrogant” (among others) is a racist code word.  He is telling us that when Barack Obama is called “arrogant”, the person doing the calling is a racist.  Ditto for cocky, flippant, punk and who knows how many others.

It sort of makes you wonder what negatives olbermann accepts to describe President Obama.  Any at all?  Maybe he'd like to put out a study guide so Mr. Obama's detractors can know their racial limitations.

Personally speaking, I consider Barack Obama arrogant.  Extremely so.  Thus, in the happy horse-manure world of keith olbermann, I must be a racist.  

I also consider keith olbermann arrogant.  Extremely so.  But in the same happy horse-manure world, since the guy I am talking about is White that does not make me racist.  olbermann has made it very clear that "arrogant" is only offensive for one race.

Therefore. according to keith olbermann, my use of the term “arrogant” either is or is not racist, based exclusively on the skin color of who I am talking about.  If I use it to describe a Black, I am a racist.  If I use it to describe a White, I am not. 

And he is calling other people racist??????????  Holy excrement.

The hypocrisy is breathtaking.