Keith Olbermann is right: Turn the Press on Its Head

[babylonsister]

Keith Olbermann is right: Turn the Press on Its Head
Shawn510, author
Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 6:55:48p EDT

snip//

Keith Olbermann is right. Every Sunday morning, before the network talking heads roll out their panels of pundits and their polite “debate,” Democrats should hold a press conference. Not in Washington. Not in some D.C. studio where consultants whisper poll-tested phrases into earpieces. But in towns like Glasgow, Kentucky — deep in the heart of red America — where Trump’s policies are biting hard. Stand there, in front of that shuttered elder-care home, with nurses and families behind you, and tell the truth: “This is what Trump and his party have delivered. This is what they call success.”

Imagine Schumer and Jeffries kicking it off, with a few firebrands by their side — Warren, Raskin, AOC, Pritzker, Mayor Pete — all of them standing shoulder to shoulder and saying, “Enough.” By 9 a.m., the networks would have to cover it. By noon, social media would be lit up. By evening, local TV would run the footage. That’s how you turn the press on its head — you get ahead of it. You don’t wait for it to tell your story. You write it yourself.

The Democratic Party keeps insisting that the work will speak for itself. It won’t. The work doesn’t speak — not when the airwaves are jammed with right-wing propaganda and mainstream outlets are paralyzed by both-sides cowardice. The only thing that speaks in this environment is power, repetition, and emotion. The right knows that. They shout it from every rooftop. The left, meanwhile, sends out polite press releases that no one reads and wonders why no one is listening.

We don’t need another memo or another think tank report. We need Democrats with fire in their belly — Democrats who understand that decency and democracy are not polite pursuits. Every Sunday, there should be a drumbeat — one town after another — Glasgow, Youngstown, Flint, Duluth, Fresno, Amarillo. Walk into the places left behind and make it clear: “You voted for Trump’s America. This is it. Hospitals closing. Seniors abandoned. Teachers under attack. Workers losing unions. Families losing health care.” Tell them it doesn’t have to be this way. Tell them who’s responsible. Name names. Don’t back down.

The right wins because they never stop talking. The left loses because we keep whispering. That’s the difference.

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[Scrivener7]

1. That's a great idea!

[Conjuay]

3. Fight bullshit with TRUTH!

N/T

[rampartd]

2. this is a very good idea

but never underestimate the media's talent for ignoring important developments.

[Tetrachloride]

4. In the movie "American President", the Michael J. Fox character adamantly declares that the

President (portrayed Michael Douglas) and some of the inner circle are letting the Republicans grab the narrative --- BECAUSE -- the Democrats don't get in front of the cameras.

[Swede]

5. Or this from Nebraska, 6 hospitals to close and 3 in jeopardy because of the big beautiful bill.

Southwest Nebraska medical center announces plans to close, blames uncertainty over funding

https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/es/news/news-articles/southwest-nebraska-hospital-announces-plans-to-close-blames-uncertainty-over-funding/

[niyad]

6. KNR

[DET]

7. Of Course He's Right

This is so gobsmackingly obvious that I can’t understand why it hasn’t been done already. If Schumer and Jeffries can’t figure out how to do this, then hire someone who can.

[Orrex]

8. What are the odds that we'll see anything like this?

[AllyCat]

20. Unfortunately, we haven't exhausted the strongly-worded letter

Gambit so nothing.

[Pas-de-Calais]

10. Would be nice

[SheltieLover]

11. Keith is 100% no bullshit.

[BattleRow]

14. The Holy Trinity..

K.O.,Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell.
Thoughtful,incisive and fearless journalism,IMHO.
Kudos and appreciation to them.

[SheltieLover]

16. Absolutely!

Love all 3!

[gfarber]

12. Sunday Strategy

Each Sunday, while pundits all chat,
And panels play tit-for-tat,
Let Dems take the stage
With some justified rage —
In towns where the damage is flat.

Not studios bathed in D.C. glow,
But places where real people go.
Stand by shuttered halls
And crumbling town walls —
Say, “This is what Trump has to show.”

Let Schumer and Jeffries appear,
With Warren and Raskin near.
Add AOC’s spark,
And Pete with a bark —
Their message: “We’ve had it. Hear clear.”

By nine, let the networks respond,
By noon, let the socials abscond.
By night, let the news
Show folks what they lose —
When truth meets the stage, not a pond.

The work doesn’t talk on its own,
When airwaves are bought and full-blown.
Right-wingers all scream
While Dems softly dream —
Then wonder why votes never have grown.

No memos or studies we need,
But voices that rise, take the lead.
Where Trump left a hole,
Speak truth, take control —
Let fury and justice proceed.

From Glasgow to Flint, raise the sound,
In places where hope’s underground.
Say, “This is the cost
Of what you have lost —
And who let it all fall down.”

Say clearly who gutted the care,
Who shuttered the jobs that were there.
Point fingers, stand tall —
No whisper at all —
Truth’s nothing if spoken mid-air.

The right shouts from rooftops with glee,
The left types a note quietly.
One side repeats,
The other retreats —
Guess which side the people will see?

[Joinfortmill]

19. Wow! Impressive.

[BattleRow]

13. Revolutions are fought by those whose ribs are easily counted.

Are we on the countdown,?
Btw,wasn't that the name of Keith Obermann's show?
He's truly a K.O.!

[AllyCat]

21. Countdown with Keith Olbermann

[Tribetime]

15. We need keith back and prime time t v

[Paladin]

17. "Power, repetition, and emotion." YES!

As usual, Olbermann gets it right. Get busy, Democratic leadership---while we still have a country to save!

[Joinfortmill]

18. Please, Dems, beat the drum daily.

[RVN VET71]

22. When Shumer mentioned his "strongly worded letter"

my heart fell. About that same time, I heard Jeffries respond to a question about Democratic strategy by saying that we must first of all try to get the Fascists to be reasonable. I realized at that point, with the flaccidity of those words echoing in my brain, just how completely screwed we are.

Face it, today the Democratic leadership just ain't up to the challenge, and Keith Olbermann is absolutely right, they're giving the game away without putting up a fight.

There's still time to turn everything around, of course. But Olbermann's analysis, and the analysis made by so many of us, is not promising. The Democratic Party remains so afraid of losing that there's no way they can win without a major change in direction. If we let the Fascists overturn -- or even cancel -- the midterms, it's over. It will take a century of angry revolt to right the wrongs these "christian" fascists will have succeeded in doing to us and our democracy.

But if we are able to brutalize the MAGA Moron Party in the midterms, there's a chance we might be able to persevere and get back the democracy the bastards are dismantling before our eyes. Still, winning the midterms would only be the beginning.

Bunker Hill, after all, didn't end the fighting, it only began it in earnest.

[LuvLoogie]

28. Schumer and Jeffries have no sense of urgency

And little sense of anything else facing the people in the streets. It's all academic to the leadership. Theories, poll watching, listlessness.

This isn't 1992. Enough with the Carvilles And Axelrods. What The Fuck.

We are being sold down the river for Georgetown apartments and 4 hour K Steet lunches.

[multigraincracker]

23. Don Henley song abut the news.

First thing that popped in my head.
Working for the man by H Louis

Can thing of a lot songs for background music.

[democrank]

24. If Democrats' work speaks for itself

why is our polling so low and why did we lose the House and Senate. Why is Trump in the White House?

We have to take the lead on messaging, not wait then react to some asinine statement from the Speaker or the tyrant occupying the White House. Mainstream media ignores standards and shaves the truth if it gets them access to Republicans in power, so why not turn up the heat with something they wouldn’t dare NOT cover?

[DFW]

25. What WOULD happen if and when our press gets an injection of responsibility and objectivity:

[BaronChocula]

26. As long as it's handled properly

Reagan tried just that in his 1980 campaign appearing in a troubled area of the Bronx and he was very not welcomed. It turned into a fiasco. But of course, Reagan was a douche.

[maliaSmith]

27. Democrats need to get off their butts and speak out.

Why aren't Democrats doing this? Does anyone have a pipeline to any high-ranking Democrat or the DNC and advise them they need to get into action?

[Krazy_Kat]

29. Dems need to always be on offense

For starters, IMHO they should always refer to Donnie as "our criminal president" or "the felon in the White House." Enough with the niceties.

[elleng]

30. "decency and democracy are not polite pursuits!!!!!!"

[elleng]

31. DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GoodRaisin]

32. I think Olbermann has an excellent idea. We have already seen firsthand that our

work “doesn’t sell itself”.

[mountain grammy]

33. Thank you Keith! We need your voice and passion right now!

This would be a good start!

[Quanta]

34. Should be an entire series

Not just healthcare, farms unable to sell their harvest, rising grocery prices, MAGA shootings, trafficked children, families ripped apart, etc etc. Basically everyone has been harmed by this administration or soon will be. Maybe even tie it into something like "Tired of Winning YET?"
I dunno - just brainstorming. But yeah, our hotshots and firebrands need to coordinate and go on the brutal attack. The facts speak for themselves. Gotta gain command of the narrative.

[LudwigPastorius]

35. "By 9 a.m., the networks would have to cover it."

Would they?

And, if they did cover it, would it be more than a 15 second mention?

[The Wizard]

36. The media covers every Trump absurdity because

they want ratings that produce corporate profits. In 2016 Trump got 4 times the coverage as Hillary Clinton because the American education system has been dumbed down and vilified by uncivilized Republicans with the media as the bribing class megaphone.

[Mysterian]

37. Biden thought his good deeds would speak for themselves

when he gave red states the bulk of the infrastructure improvement money. Nope. They still called Biden a pedo commie traitor while kneeling before and praying to their messiah Donald Trump.