Thursday, February 7, 2008

Enough.

I just sent the following to Olbermann, Steve Capus, the president of NBC, and Phil Griffin, senior VP of News.

Dear Mr. Olbermann:

After last night's program, I have deleted my DVR timer for your show. Your continued bias for Sen. Obama, as well as almost every commentator I have seen on MSNBC, is reprehensible. Your seeming GLEE at any negative you can attach to Senator Clinton and her campaign, while lavishing (undeserved) praise on Senator Obama, is unacceptable.

Despite Senator Obama's asertion that the Clinton Campaign has people who can research his past, thus implying there is nothing there, you and your network have failed the public MISERABLY in NOT airing more concerns about Senator Obama's record. Questions HAVE been raised, but you have chosen not to cover those concerns. Rather, you tout his endorsements, while ignoring Senator Clinton's. You play more video of him, and give more of his soundbites, than you do of Senator Clinton, UNLESS you are taking a jab at her. You fail to address his constant swipes at Clinton in his stump speeches, including the one that lasted over 20 minutes aired in FULL on many networks (in essence, FREE air time) Tuesday night, but continue to chant his mantra of standing for unity (and WHERE have we heard THAT before????).

You take Senator Clinton's victories, and turm them into losses, such as her "self-proclaimed victory" in FL - in which over 857,000 people voted for HER when HE was running ads in violation of their agreement, a landslide victory; her winning MA was turned into a victory for HIM, even though you and others on MSNBC were CERTAIN he would overtake her because of his endorsements from Kennedy, Kerry, and Deval; and essentially dismissing her win in CA.

Finally, your dismissal of those of us who support Clinton, along with your contributors like Chuck Todd, as a bunch of uneducated yahoos is just insulting. I, for one, have a Master's of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in NYC, with additional coursework completed at Harvard Divinity, and Andover Newton Theological Seminary. My partner is a software consultant, and our high household income. We are by NO means the only well educated, higher income, supporters of Hillary Clinton. Add to that the COMPELTE dismissal of her strong women's base by you and your contributors, is just plain sexism. You NEVER dismiss the large African American votes for Obama in the same way. NONE of you have discussed the possibility that Obama has gotten more white men voting for him because of SEXISM!!

Enough. You and your network have lost any semblance of journalistic integrity or ethics. I thought you were the Edward R. Murrow of our times, and I am tremendously saddened to accept that you are not - not at all. Your bias toward certain candidates is not unlike those on the network you despise. How sad. Sad for you, and sad for those of us who counted on you for truly fair and balanced reporting.

Sincerely,
The Rev. Amy

1 comment:

Stephen C. Rose said...

Seems to me you're veering toward the same balkanization you accuse Keith of practicing. Since I also graduated from UTS and, with my Jewish atheist wife, support Barack, why not concede that things are a mite more complex? I support Barack because I want a Democrat who can move beyond parties to create a working majority. Hillary ties McCain and would be a real risk to lose. Barack wins according to current polls. He will also win the most elected delegates which means that if Hilary wins it will be because of undemocratic shenanigans. I doubt it will happen. Cheers, S

As well. Cheers, S