1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,235 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Hey 2 00:00:21,355 --> 00:00:28,715 Speaker 1: guess what good news everyone? Democracy just kicked Maga's ass. 3 00:00:29,475 --> 00:00:35,195 Speaker 1: See now these polls matter and count Democracy wins in Ohio, 4 00:00:35,475 --> 00:00:40,235 Speaker 1: in Virginia, Senate and House, in Kentucky, in New Jersey, 5 00:00:40,235 --> 00:00:46,035 Speaker 1: in Pennsylvania, Andy Basher for president, Skyler van Valkenberg for president. 6 00:00:46,915 --> 00:00:50,755 Speaker 1: Actually Joe Biden for president. There is extraordinarily good polling 7 00:00:50,835 --> 00:00:53,795 Speaker 1: for him, just in that you have not heard about anywhere, 8 00:00:54,395 --> 00:00:57,155 Speaker 1: and a way to sell his accomplishments and kick Trump's 9 00:00:57,155 --> 00:01:00,035 Speaker 1: ass in the same ads, because what, after all, is 10 00:01:00,115 --> 00:01:05,835 Speaker 1: Biden's greatest accomplishment? But first on the scoreboard clean sweep, 11 00:01:06,435 --> 00:01:13,715 Speaker 1: down goes Mega, down goes Mega, and Virginia Democrats just 12 00:01:13,835 --> 00:01:18,635 Speaker 1: knocked the down out of Glen Youngkin the human red 13 00:01:18,755 --> 00:01:23,475 Speaker 1: vest start there. The Republicans actually expected they would retain 14 00:01:23,555 --> 00:01:27,075 Speaker 1: the House and flip the Senate, and they got nothing. 15 00:01:27,555 --> 00:01:30,795 Speaker 1: The Democrats retained the Virginia State Senate with a margin 16 00:01:30,875 --> 00:01:33,715 Speaker 1: of at least two votes, maybe three and at eleven 17 00:01:33,755 --> 00:01:39,035 Speaker 1: oh four eastern prevailing local time. Michael Feggins was projected 18 00:01:39,075 --> 00:01:42,155 Speaker 1: as the winner in District ninety seven, and thus the 19 00:01:42,155 --> 00:01:44,275 Speaker 1: worst they could do would be a fifty one to 20 00:01:44,475 --> 00:01:48,875 Speaker 1: forty nine Democratic majority in the Virginia House of Delegates, 21 00:01:49,235 --> 00:01:56,435 Speaker 1: with several seats still undecided. An hour earlier, Schuyler van Valkenberg, 22 00:01:57,555 --> 00:02:00,395 Speaker 1: he two owns a vest, He's just a teacher, won 23 00:02:00,435 --> 00:02:04,875 Speaker 1: the sixteenth District, clinching the tie and absolutely eviscerating the 24 00:02:04,915 --> 00:02:09,195 Speaker 1: Republican Party of Virginia. As the Dems now control both houses. 25 00:02:09,235 --> 00:02:14,235 Speaker 1: There now this brief promotional message available at deep discounts. 26 00:02:14,315 --> 00:02:18,515 Speaker 1: Carload lots of Youngkin twenty twenty four baseball caps any 27 00:02:18,755 --> 00:02:22,835 Speaker 1: offer accepted. In Ohio last night, it may have finally 28 00:02:22,915 --> 00:02:26,395 Speaker 1: dawned on Republicans that their success in stealing the Supreme 29 00:02:26,475 --> 00:02:30,715 Speaker 1: Court and overturning Roe v. Wade has transformed them into 30 00:02:30,755 --> 00:02:34,195 Speaker 1: a version of the myth of Sisiphus, forever pushing the 31 00:02:34,235 --> 00:02:37,315 Speaker 1: same rock up the same hill to reach the top, 32 00:02:37,835 --> 00:02:41,835 Speaker 1: only to see the rock roll right back down, rolling 33 00:02:41,915 --> 00:02:45,595 Speaker 1: over them and crushing them in the process. The issue 34 00:02:45,635 --> 00:02:48,755 Speaker 1: is obviously far more than the politics. It is human 35 00:02:48,835 --> 00:02:52,155 Speaker 1: rights and forced birthing and the cutting edge of the 36 00:02:52,195 --> 00:02:56,315 Speaker 1: repression of women back towards eighteenth and nineteenth century standards, 37 00:02:56,515 --> 00:03:01,315 Speaker 1: and maybe even a future handmaid's tail society. But politically, 38 00:03:02,515 --> 00:03:06,635 Speaker 1: abortion rights are a goddamn that will continue to roll 39 00:03:06,715 --> 00:03:10,995 Speaker 1: over the Republicans for the foreseeable future. Insisting you are 40 00:03:11,235 --> 00:03:16,115 Speaker 1: going to ban abortion is a winner for energizing your base. 41 00:03:16,915 --> 00:03:21,595 Speaker 1: Actually banning abortion is a winner for energizing your opponent 42 00:03:22,235 --> 00:03:29,955 Speaker 1: and converting a surprisingly large part of your base. Ohio 43 00:03:30,195 --> 00:03:35,275 Speaker 1: Issue one, putting abortion rights into the state constitution not 44 00:03:35,395 --> 00:03:38,835 Speaker 1: only one, but it won by at least fifty seven 45 00:03:38,955 --> 00:03:44,155 Speaker 1: to forty three. And by the way, Democratic Senatorial Campaign 46 00:03:44,235 --> 00:03:48,235 Speaker 1: Committee and Act Blue and the Biden reelection campaign and 47 00:03:48,315 --> 00:03:52,315 Speaker 1: everybody else shared Brown is up for reelection next year. 48 00:03:52,595 --> 00:03:55,515 Speaker 1: Maybe you want to put some money into his campaign now. 49 00:03:56,035 --> 00:03:58,315 Speaker 1: Maybe you want to put more money for the Biden 50 00:03:58,395 --> 00:04:01,915 Speaker 1: Ohio campaign now, because that rock is ready to roll 51 00:04:01,955 --> 00:04:05,595 Speaker 1: back down over sisyphus the goddamn Republican again, isn't it. 52 00:04:06,515 --> 00:04:11,475 Speaker 1: In Kentucky meantime, Daniel Cameron started the night as the prospective, 53 00:04:11,635 --> 00:04:15,835 Speaker 1: less crazy African American face of the Republican Party. By 54 00:04:16,115 --> 00:04:20,635 Speaker 1: nine thirty, he had conceded with no obvious political future. 55 00:04:20,715 --> 00:04:25,555 Speaker 1: In line, Democratic Governor Andy Basher kicked his ass by 56 00:04:25,595 --> 00:04:28,755 Speaker 1: at least fifty two to forty seven, four years ago, 57 00:04:28,835 --> 00:04:32,515 Speaker 1: Basher had won election over the incumbent Republican by just 58 00:04:32,795 --> 00:04:36,955 Speaker 1: four thousand votes, by just zero point two percent. What 59 00:04:37,075 --> 00:04:40,355 Speaker 1: was that incumbent's name? Again? I can't remember what was 60 00:04:40,355 --> 00:04:42,955 Speaker 1: the name of the guy Bashir beat last night? I 61 00:04:42,995 --> 00:04:46,115 Speaker 1: can't remember him either, And just rub it in a 62 00:04:46,115 --> 00:04:50,035 Speaker 1: little bit more. Republicans in Pennsylvania lost a seat on 63 00:04:50,075 --> 00:04:53,075 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court they thought they might get. It was 64 00:04:53,275 --> 00:04:55,355 Speaker 1: four to two Democrats, and there was the death of 65 00:04:55,395 --> 00:04:58,355 Speaker 1: a Democratic member, and the Democrats regained it last night, 66 00:04:58,515 --> 00:05:01,595 Speaker 1: and again that Supreme Court is five to two Democrat. 67 00:05:02,195 --> 00:05:05,595 Speaker 1: New Jersey may have been slightly high on wompgas when 68 00:05:05,595 --> 00:05:09,195 Speaker 1: Republicans murmured this, but they really thought they might flip 69 00:05:09,195 --> 00:05:12,115 Speaker 1: the State Assembly there. Instead, they will lose seats in 70 00:05:12,115 --> 00:05:15,955 Speaker 1: New Jersey, including the safest reddest district in the state, 71 00:05:16,195 --> 00:05:20,195 Speaker 1: where assemblyman ned, could I have a more whitebread name? 72 00:05:20,475 --> 00:05:27,195 Speaker 1: Thompson lost to Abby Schnall by like six percent. A 73 00:05:27,315 --> 00:05:34,315 Speaker 1: Republican disaster one hundred percent Democratic victories. That was what 74 00:05:34,395 --> 00:05:37,835 Speaker 1: the night was in whole. An absolute disaster and an 75 00:05:37,915 --> 00:05:42,835 Speaker 1: absolute reminder of many things one. Polls are guidance and 76 00:05:42,955 --> 00:05:48,195 Speaker 1: often useful guidance, but only elections count. Two Republicans continued 77 00:05:48,235 --> 00:05:52,435 Speaker 1: to lose virtually all toss up elections and are now 78 00:05:52,515 --> 00:05:56,115 Speaker 1: beginning to lose some of the safe ones as well. Three. 79 00:05:56,595 --> 00:06:00,195 Speaker 1: Under Trump, the state level GOP has gone backwards, and 80 00:06:00,235 --> 00:06:02,675 Speaker 1: it's not just the nut jobs who are being wiped 81 00:06:02,715 --> 00:06:09,075 Speaker 1: out by his diseased mind. And four, our broken, embittered 82 00:06:09,195 --> 00:06:15,715 Speaker 1: traditional news media may not be salvageable. David Shalien is 83 00:06:15,795 --> 00:06:19,995 Speaker 1: the CNN political director who bought into hyped and then 84 00:06:20,075 --> 00:06:25,755 Speaker 1: defended the indefensible live felating of Trump on CNN last spring. 85 00:06:26,475 --> 00:06:29,675 Speaker 1: David Shaleen was one of those political reporters who then 86 00:06:29,795 --> 00:06:33,715 Speaker 1: violated all precepts of independence and of maintaining the appearance 87 00:06:33,715 --> 00:06:37,395 Speaker 1: that you cannot be compromised by having dinner with three 88 00:06:37,555 --> 00:06:41,755 Speaker 1: Trump campaigners, including Jason Miller, the night before the first 89 00:06:41,755 --> 00:06:46,435 Speaker 1: Republican debate in Milwaukee, and as the Democrats as Democracy 90 00:06:46,675 --> 00:06:52,515 Speaker 1: kicked Republican ass last night, David Shalien, CNN political director, 91 00:06:52,955 --> 00:06:56,595 Speaker 1: got on his network and announced, quote, what we're seeing 92 00:06:56,595 --> 00:07:01,315 Speaker 1: tonight is the Democratic brand isn't in trouble here. Joe 93 00:07:01,315 --> 00:07:06,435 Speaker 1: Biden is in trouble here, and then segued off the 94 00:07:06,475 --> 00:07:11,195 Speaker 1: astonishing Democratic sweep to stop covering it and instead to 95 00:07:11,235 --> 00:07:14,315 Speaker 1: go back to hyping their own polling released earlier in 96 00:07:14,395 --> 00:07:17,435 Speaker 1: the day, which I'll go into detail on later, with 97 00:07:17,555 --> 00:07:21,995 Speaker 1: this clown Shalien then emphasizing only those numbers that were 98 00:07:22,035 --> 00:07:27,235 Speaker 1: not positive for President Biden. David Shaleen is a whore, 99 00:07:27,755 --> 00:07:31,915 Speaker 1: the worst of the both sidest access reporters who understand 100 00:07:31,955 --> 00:07:37,115 Speaker 1: only the sounds of words and not their meanings. If 101 00:07:37,235 --> 00:07:40,395 Speaker 1: CNN wants to come back from its deathbed, it needs 102 00:07:40,435 --> 00:07:45,115 Speaker 1: to fire David Shaleen and start reporting reality again. See 103 00:07:45,155 --> 00:07:49,475 Speaker 1: what is before you and just say it on. By 104 00:07:49,515 --> 00:07:52,475 Speaker 1: the way, the poll from yesterday to watch was not 105 00:07:52,675 --> 00:07:56,395 Speaker 1: David Shaleen's at CNN. It was from a company called Signal. 106 00:07:57,035 --> 00:08:00,795 Speaker 1: Because what we saw last night was the Democratic brand 107 00:08:00,955 --> 00:08:06,395 Speaker 1: isn't in trouble here. Mainstream political reporting and especially CNN 108 00:08:06,955 --> 00:08:14,515 Speaker 1: is in trouble here. Meanwhile, Dementia Jay Trump has managed 109 00:08:14,555 --> 00:08:18,355 Speaker 1: to go both crazy and stochastic in the same online post. 110 00:08:19,035 --> 00:08:22,675 Speaker 1: It's the Elmer J. Fudd stuff again about the New 111 00:08:22,755 --> 00:08:25,835 Speaker 1: York fraud trial that resumes today with Girl Junior testifying. 112 00:08:26,195 --> 00:08:29,115 Speaker 1: He begins with quote, I am worth billions of dollars 113 00:08:29,115 --> 00:08:32,155 Speaker 1: more than what is on my financial statements, and then 114 00:08:32,315 --> 00:08:36,595 Speaker 1: ends with Lord only knows what number rhetorical question about 115 00:08:36,835 --> 00:08:39,715 Speaker 1: ridding him of the turbulent priests. It is a mockery 116 00:08:39,755 --> 00:08:42,755 Speaker 1: of our judicial and legal system. Something must be done 117 00:08:42,835 --> 00:08:47,835 Speaker 1: to stop the fascists. Parts of the Capitol briefly went 118 00:08:47,875 --> 00:08:50,195 Speaker 1: into many lockdowns yesterday as a twenty one year old 119 00:08:50,235 --> 00:08:53,875 Speaker 1: Atlantaman carrying a weapon variously described as a long gun, 120 00:08:53,915 --> 00:08:57,395 Speaker 1: a rifle, and an AR fifteen was subdued by DC 121 00:08:57,635 --> 00:09:02,275 Speaker 1: Capitol police constant Trump drum beat up, something must be 122 00:09:02,355 --> 00:09:05,755 Speaker 1: done and a guy walks around the Capitol with a rifle. Coincidence, 123 00:09:05,875 --> 00:09:09,915 Speaker 1: no doubt. Back to the New York case, in America's 124 00:09:09,995 --> 00:09:13,275 Speaker 1: leading parking lot legal scholar says that they will be 125 00:09:13,275 --> 00:09:15,955 Speaker 1: making a series of post trial motions based in large 126 00:09:15,955 --> 00:09:19,755 Speaker 1: part on her claim that Judge Ngern wouldn't let Trump 127 00:09:19,955 --> 00:09:24,035 Speaker 1: talk enough in court. Oh, they let him talk enough. 128 00:09:24,515 --> 00:09:28,835 Speaker 1: That's how he confessed. Quoting Alena Habba, there should be 129 00:09:28,875 --> 00:09:31,715 Speaker 1: a mistrial and she will be filing for one because 130 00:09:31,755 --> 00:09:35,475 Speaker 1: of all the ethical issues she and Trump have been 131 00:09:35,555 --> 00:09:39,875 Speaker 1: gagged over, which implies she means there should be a 132 00:09:39,875 --> 00:09:44,435 Speaker 1: mistrial because of Judge Engern's clerk, who they have decided 133 00:09:44,475 --> 00:09:46,835 Speaker 1: to scapegoat and slander because she once took a selfie 134 00:09:46,875 --> 00:09:51,195 Speaker 1: with Chuck Schumer. There is a judicial code of ethics. 135 00:09:51,435 --> 00:09:56,515 Speaker 1: Elena Habbas says, those ethics extended the entire courtroom. She 136 00:09:56,635 --> 00:09:59,875 Speaker 1: then threatened to go after the judge's bar license and 137 00:09:59,995 --> 00:10:03,595 Speaker 1: kept repeating the word ethics. And her lesson on ethics 138 00:10:03,995 --> 00:10:08,635 Speaker 1: came in a with Larry Cudlow, who was Trump's director 139 00:10:08,675 --> 00:10:11,195 Speaker 1: of the National Economic Council. But it's perfectly ethical for 140 00:10:11,275 --> 00:10:14,795 Speaker 1: him to be on television interviewing Trump's ambulance chaser about 141 00:10:14,795 --> 00:10:19,235 Speaker 1: how wronged Trump has been in court. There was a 142 00:10:19,275 --> 00:10:21,795 Speaker 1: minor but important note out of the election subversion case 143 00:10:21,835 --> 00:10:24,315 Speaker 1: in DC. One of the endless Trump motions to delay, 144 00:10:24,995 --> 00:10:29,835 Speaker 1: to delay, what you got anything. It would have pushed 145 00:10:29,875 --> 00:10:33,395 Speaker 1: a series of free trial motions back from tomorrow to 146 00:10:33,595 --> 00:10:38,035 Speaker 1: February ninth, three months, and that would have almost certainly 147 00:10:38,075 --> 00:10:40,955 Speaker 1: delayed the trial start by weeks, if not by a 148 00:10:40,995 --> 00:10:44,195 Speaker 1: month or more. She says, three months. Bite it, You'll 149 00:10:44,235 --> 00:10:47,075 Speaker 1: get two weeks and you'll like it. Trial still starts 150 00:10:47,075 --> 00:10:52,035 Speaker 1: March fourth. Be there aloha. Back in New York. Haba's 151 00:10:52,075 --> 00:10:55,155 Speaker 1: mention of a movement to disbarred Judge Engern is ironic 152 00:10:55,195 --> 00:10:58,795 Speaker 1: in a way because the bland, banal, mediocre face of 153 00:10:58,835 --> 00:11:02,555 Speaker 1: Trump's dream of military dictatorship. Jeffrey, that's why we have 154 00:11:02,635 --> 00:11:06,195 Speaker 1: an insurrection Act. Clark is finally going to face a 155 00:11:06,195 --> 00:11:09,515 Speaker 1: disciplinary hearing from the District of Columbia bar and it 156 00:11:09,555 --> 00:11:13,115 Speaker 1: will start January ninth. He's managed to delay the thing 157 00:11:13,195 --> 00:11:16,395 Speaker 1: by just under a year, but that changed yesterday. Of course. 158 00:11:16,435 --> 00:11:18,995 Speaker 1: Nowhere is it written that you have to have a 159 00:11:19,155 --> 00:11:24,395 Speaker 1: legal license to be the attorney general in an avowedly militaristic, 160 00:11:24,515 --> 00:11:27,275 Speaker 1: vengeful Department of Justice, and Clark could very well be 161 00:11:27,395 --> 00:11:31,955 Speaker 1: that if Trump against his power. The two biggest pivot 162 00:11:31,995 --> 00:11:37,475 Speaker 1: points from representative government to authoritarianism were underscored Sunday in 163 00:11:37,555 --> 00:11:41,355 Speaker 1: that Washington Post piece I keep telling you to take 164 00:11:41,475 --> 00:11:44,355 Speaker 1: door to door, which I would like to make every 165 00:11:44,355 --> 00:11:49,315 Speaker 1: American read. Just call me Johnny Apple Post. Those two 166 00:11:49,395 --> 00:11:52,555 Speaker 1: points would be firstly, the more or less permanent invoking 167 00:11:52,635 --> 00:11:55,715 Speaker 1: of the Insurrection Act so that the military could be 168 00:11:55,835 --> 00:12:00,275 Speaker 1: used to shoot civilians at basically any public political assembly. 169 00:12:00,915 --> 00:12:06,275 Speaker 1: And remember that military would remain under then of the 170 00:12:06,315 --> 00:12:12,275 Speaker 1: president as commander in chief. And Secondly, the unapologetic politicizing 171 00:12:12,395 --> 00:12:15,155 Speaker 1: of the Department of Justice, which Jeff Clark, of course 172 00:12:15,235 --> 00:12:19,035 Speaker 1: tried to make happen after Trump lost, and even after 173 00:12:19,115 --> 00:12:23,035 Speaker 1: the January sixth coup failed. There would be no failure 174 00:12:23,075 --> 00:12:26,995 Speaker 1: this time, and it would be the trivial men, the boring, little, 175 00:12:27,195 --> 00:12:31,075 Speaker 1: unkempt mediocrites like Jeff Clark, who would happily erase the 176 00:12:31,155 --> 00:12:36,435 Speaker 1: freedoms and count the dead bodies and convince themselves it 177 00:12:36,515 --> 00:12:42,835 Speaker 1: was patriotic constitutionalism. If your nightmares on this front are 178 00:12:42,875 --> 00:12:45,475 Speaker 1: not fedid enough. The Posts followed up last night with 179 00:12:45,555 --> 00:12:47,835 Speaker 1: an analysis of some of the stuff they left out 180 00:12:48,635 --> 00:12:52,315 Speaker 1: on Sunday, which others have reported. They put a really 181 00:12:52,315 --> 00:12:54,475 Speaker 1: stupid headline on it. I'll get back to that in 182 00:12:54,555 --> 00:12:57,035 Speaker 1: worse Persons. But they added to the list of the 183 00:12:57,075 --> 00:13:00,555 Speaker 1: aspects of a Trump dictatorship the way that he could 184 00:13:00,555 --> 00:13:04,595 Speaker 1: wipe out entire autonomous federal agencies and even newter Kung 185 00:13:05,475 --> 00:13:09,355 Speaker 1: by simply declaring that entities like the Federal Trade Commission 186 00:13:09,755 --> 00:13:13,595 Speaker 1: or the FCC or even the Federal Reserve were now 187 00:13:13,835 --> 00:13:16,955 Speaker 1: under the direct control of the president. And what are 188 00:13:16,955 --> 00:13:19,475 Speaker 1: you going to do about it? If he wants to 189 00:13:19,515 --> 00:13:21,635 Speaker 1: try a little harder. To not make it look like 190 00:13:21,675 --> 00:13:24,435 Speaker 1: a monarchy, he could simply invoke the plan to fire 191 00:13:24,475 --> 00:13:28,635 Speaker 1: anybody deemed disloyal at any agency and replace them with 192 00:13:28,675 --> 00:13:31,715 Speaker 1: a member of the Trump Nazi Party, then insist by 193 00:13:31,715 --> 00:13:35,595 Speaker 1: executive order that all agencies submit any planned actions to 194 00:13:35,635 --> 00:13:39,755 Speaker 1: the White House for review and approval first, and just 195 00:13:39,795 --> 00:13:43,235 Speaker 1: to wind it all up, the Post happily notes he 196 00:13:43,355 --> 00:13:47,635 Speaker 1: quote could refuse to spend money on programs Congress funds, 197 00:13:48,075 --> 00:13:52,435 Speaker 1: but he doesn't favor even the Post has not stated 198 00:13:52,475 --> 00:13:56,275 Speaker 1: it yet. I don't think anybody will. But while they 199 00:13:56,355 --> 00:14:00,235 Speaker 1: are doing such a good job depicting doomsday, we might 200 00:14:00,275 --> 00:14:03,475 Speaker 1: as well address the elephant in the room, well, one 201 00:14:03,475 --> 00:14:06,515 Speaker 1: of the eight hundred or so elephants. There is no 202 00:14:06,555 --> 00:14:09,315 Speaker 1: doubt at all that if Trump regains power, he will 203 00:14:09,315 --> 00:14:13,635 Speaker 1: not give it up voluntarily. And the point of the 204 00:14:13,675 --> 00:14:16,675 Speaker 1: Jeffrey Clarks and the John Eastmans and the Kenneth Chesbros. 205 00:14:16,795 --> 00:14:20,755 Speaker 1: And the other night crawlers and anti democracy vampires is 206 00:14:20,795 --> 00:14:24,555 Speaker 1: to polish the third that is Trump and make it 207 00:14:24,635 --> 00:14:28,915 Speaker 1: look legal. And thus the first dictatorial move by a 208 00:14:29,035 --> 00:14:31,635 Speaker 1: restored Trump would be an excuse for him to violate 209 00:14:31,955 --> 00:14:36,275 Speaker 1: the twenty second Amendment and run for a third term, 210 00:14:36,795 --> 00:14:39,155 Speaker 1: or hearkening back to his complaints of four and five 211 00:14:39,235 --> 00:14:42,315 Speaker 1: years ago, to simply be given a third term because 212 00:14:42,315 --> 00:14:45,595 Speaker 1: he was so falsely accused of all those crimes that 213 00:14:45,675 --> 00:14:49,795 Speaker 1: he actually committed and his conspiracy with Russia that didn't happen, 214 00:14:49,835 --> 00:14:55,475 Speaker 1: ohyah did, or even more simply really simplify this by 215 00:14:55,475 --> 00:14:59,555 Speaker 1: simply canceling that pesky twenty twenty eight election or the 216 00:14:59,595 --> 00:15:04,275 Speaker 1: ones after it, based on let's see, they already made 217 00:15:04,355 --> 00:15:13,755 Speaker 1: up some they call presidential immunity. What about presidential do overs? Then, 218 00:15:13,835 --> 00:15:19,995 Speaker 1: on that unhappy note, here's something unexpectedly happy. There is 219 00:15:20,115 --> 00:15:27,075 Speaker 1: new polling showing unexpected growth for President Biden. Not the 220 00:15:27,075 --> 00:15:30,195 Speaker 1: poll from CNN last night, but the one from Signal 221 00:15:31,675 --> 00:15:37,795 Speaker 1: Signal Cygnal. Who let me do the CNN one first, 222 00:15:38,235 --> 00:15:41,515 Speaker 1: because it makes the Signal poll all the sweeter, especially 223 00:15:41,515 --> 00:15:44,995 Speaker 1: when it turns out that Signal lands center right on 224 00:15:45,035 --> 00:15:47,995 Speaker 1: the political spectrum and they have the good news for 225 00:15:48,075 --> 00:15:52,075 Speaker 1: President Biden. The CNN poll again centers on the useless 226 00:15:52,195 --> 00:15:55,235 Speaker 1: general national voter poll that it's forty nine to forty 227 00:15:55,275 --> 00:15:57,275 Speaker 1: five Trump, And as I have been saying since I 228 00:15:57,315 --> 00:16:00,475 Speaker 1: started in this in nineteen ninety seven, this particular number 229 00:16:00,595 --> 00:16:03,875 Speaker 1: is useless, and I do not know why we produce 230 00:16:03,995 --> 00:16:08,035 Speaker 1: this number or do polling on it, because Americans collectively 231 00:16:08,115 --> 00:16:12,395 Speaker 1: do not elect the president. Americans in the individual states do, 232 00:16:13,915 --> 00:16:17,915 Speaker 1: and not even them sometimes, if you believe Eastman, so, 233 00:16:18,155 --> 00:16:21,395 Speaker 1: only state by state opinion polling is of any real value. 234 00:16:21,395 --> 00:16:25,995 Speaker 1: And even then they are polls, as the one in 235 00:16:26,035 --> 00:16:29,195 Speaker 1: the time Sunday, and they are polls from a year out, 236 00:16:29,555 --> 00:16:32,715 Speaker 1: and virtually every incumbent president a year out has looked 237 00:16:32,955 --> 00:16:39,195 Speaker 1: like absolute flaming crap. There are two interesting and useful 238 00:16:39,315 --> 00:16:43,235 Speaker 1: interior numbers in the CNN poll. Latino voters are only 239 00:16:43,315 --> 00:16:46,955 Speaker 1: fifty to forty six Biden, and that confirms a lot 240 00:16:46,955 --> 00:16:49,595 Speaker 1: of other polling. And I do think a little money 241 00:16:49,715 --> 00:16:56,515 Speaker 1: spent on Trump's glittering history of hating all Latinos, particularly Mexicans, 242 00:16:56,795 --> 00:16:59,675 Speaker 1: would push that much closer to the thirty three points 243 00:16:59,675 --> 00:17:04,395 Speaker 1: by which Biden won that demo in twenty twenty. Apart 244 00:17:04,395 --> 00:17:08,995 Speaker 1: from that, there is also the Adamantine number. CNN's poll 245 00:17:09,075 --> 00:17:11,435 Speaker 1: finds fifty one percent of voters saying there is no 246 00:17:11,555 --> 00:17:14,355 Speaker 1: chance at all that they would vote for Joe Biden. 247 00:17:15,075 --> 00:17:17,155 Speaker 1: Forty eight percent say there is no chance at all 248 00:17:17,195 --> 00:17:20,715 Speaker 1: that they would vote for dementia j Trump ominous, to 249 00:17:20,755 --> 00:17:24,915 Speaker 1: be sure, except that the mirror image number is reversed. 250 00:17:25,435 --> 00:17:28,755 Speaker 1: Only two percent who do not currently support Trump say 251 00:17:28,795 --> 00:17:33,035 Speaker 1: they would consider supporting Trump. Double that, four percent who 252 00:17:33,115 --> 00:17:36,035 Speaker 1: don't currently support Biden say they would consider supporting Biden. 253 00:17:36,475 --> 00:17:40,475 Speaker 1: In a field in which one patch of tiny crocuses 254 00:17:41,195 --> 00:17:46,955 Speaker 1: sprouting valiantly upwards constitutes a bumper crop, this is the 255 00:17:46,995 --> 00:17:51,435 Speaker 1: only sign of any opportunity for growth for anybody, and 256 00:17:51,515 --> 00:17:56,915 Speaker 1: it's Biden's and it's a year out. And as if 257 00:17:56,915 --> 00:18:00,355 Speaker 1: to underscore this, there was this other poll yesterday that 258 00:18:00,475 --> 00:18:04,955 Speaker 1: shows unexpected improvements for Joe Biden. This is from the 259 00:18:04,995 --> 00:18:08,395 Speaker 1: polster called Signal, which I had never heard of and 260 00:18:08,475 --> 00:18:12,275 Speaker 1: has largely done state polls and is largely considered right wing, 261 00:18:12,355 --> 00:18:15,555 Speaker 1: but not crazy right wing, more centrists, one that the 262 00:18:15,595 --> 00:18:18,555 Speaker 1: Republican campaigns actually turned to when they want to know 263 00:18:18,755 --> 00:18:21,835 Speaker 1: the real numbers, not the ones they're telling everybody else. 264 00:18:22,835 --> 00:18:25,355 Speaker 1: You can usually find out a lot about these companies 265 00:18:25,355 --> 00:18:29,395 Speaker 1: and where their prejudices might lie with minimal research, and 266 00:18:29,435 --> 00:18:34,195 Speaker 1: now there are scorecards everywhere, and most impressively to me, 267 00:18:34,435 --> 00:18:39,355 Speaker 1: Signal pretty much nailed the Republican's underperformance in the congressional 268 00:18:39,435 --> 00:18:43,275 Speaker 1: races last year in two late polls before election day, 269 00:18:44,795 --> 00:18:48,115 Speaker 1: even though it is a right leaning service and it 270 00:18:48,155 --> 00:18:51,715 Speaker 1: gets an A rating at a ninety four percent correct 271 00:18:51,755 --> 00:18:53,675 Speaker 1: score from five point thirty eight. Before you go, oh, 272 00:18:53,795 --> 00:18:56,635 Speaker 1: christ Nate Silver again, A, you don't have to tell 273 00:18:56,635 --> 00:18:59,235 Speaker 1: me about Nate Silver. It's my fault. I was the 274 00:18:59,275 --> 00:19:01,195 Speaker 1: first guy to put them on TV to talk about 275 00:19:01,235 --> 00:19:07,435 Speaker 1: anything more complicated than baseball stats. Be anyway, ABC gutted 276 00:19:07,515 --> 00:19:11,275 Speaker 1: five thirty eight last spring. But see whatever it has 277 00:19:11,395 --> 00:19:14,715 Speaker 1: lacked in common sense, five thirty eight has been really 278 00:19:14,755 --> 00:19:20,995 Speaker 1: good at evaluating other polsters. All right, anyway, Signal is 279 00:19:21,035 --> 00:19:25,595 Speaker 1: showing Biden growth. Not only does Signal have the meaningless 280 00:19:25,675 --> 00:19:28,475 Speaker 1: national number, but it has it at forty seven forty 281 00:19:28,475 --> 00:19:32,355 Speaker 1: five Biden as of November first. But it concludes Joe 282 00:19:32,395 --> 00:19:38,395 Speaker 1: Biden's image noticeably improved since last month. It says he 283 00:19:38,595 --> 00:19:42,555 Speaker 1: was at forty five favorable fifty three unfavorable in October, 284 00:19:43,155 --> 00:19:48,875 Speaker 1: but is now forty seven favorable fifty unfavorable. That's a 285 00:19:48,955 --> 00:19:54,275 Speaker 1: five point improvement in one month. The polster concludes, somewhat 286 00:19:54,275 --> 00:19:57,635 Speaker 1: against the conventional wisdom, that this growth for Joe Biden 287 00:19:57,795 --> 00:20:03,915 Speaker 1: likely owes to the Israel Gaza war. There's also something 288 00:20:03,955 --> 00:20:06,875 Speaker 1: else funky in this Signal poll. A month ago, those 289 00:20:06,955 --> 00:20:09,235 Speaker 1: voters who said that one of their top priorities was 290 00:20:09,315 --> 00:20:14,115 Speaker 1: national security were breaking for Trump fifty nine to thirty five. 291 00:20:15,435 --> 00:20:19,235 Speaker 1: Now it's fifty three to thirty eight Trump, and that 292 00:20:19,675 --> 00:20:24,435 Speaker 1: is a nine point bump for Biden in one month plus. 293 00:20:25,035 --> 00:20:26,755 Speaker 1: It's more than that the number of those who put 294 00:20:26,875 --> 00:20:30,635 Speaker 1: national security among their top priorities doubled to ten percent. 295 00:20:31,595 --> 00:20:36,475 Speaker 1: And one more flashback to math class, which I would 296 00:20:36,515 --> 00:20:40,275 Speaker 1: still be in or like the forty third consecutive year 297 00:20:40,315 --> 00:20:42,115 Speaker 1: if it hadn't been for mister Murphy giving me a 298 00:20:42,155 --> 00:20:47,155 Speaker 1: pass when we got to trigonometry. For two years per 299 00:20:47,235 --> 00:20:51,515 Speaker 1: this Signal poll, one topic has dominated that list of 300 00:20:51,595 --> 00:20:56,875 Speaker 1: voter priorities. It was more than double any other concern 301 00:20:57,115 --> 00:21:01,115 Speaker 1: all that time. As recently as last December, it was 302 00:21:01,155 --> 00:21:03,875 Speaker 1: at forty two percent, when nothing else was at more 303 00:21:03,915 --> 00:21:08,555 Speaker 1: than twelve percent. All summer, this one subject was at 304 00:21:08,555 --> 00:21:12,035 Speaker 1: the thirty five to thirty six percent range, and then 305 00:21:12,195 --> 00:21:16,395 Speaker 1: it hit its peak and began to drop, and it 306 00:21:16,435 --> 00:21:19,035 Speaker 1: is as of the first of this month, down to 307 00:21:19,275 --> 00:21:25,315 Speaker 1: thirty point nine percent was forty two percent, is under 308 00:21:25,395 --> 00:21:28,555 Speaker 1: thirty one percent in a couple of months. And the 309 00:21:28,595 --> 00:21:36,595 Speaker 1: topic is inflation, and bluntly, if inflation continues to drop 310 00:21:36,955 --> 00:21:41,315 Speaker 1: or it doesn't, and just voters concerns about inflation continues 311 00:21:41,395 --> 00:21:45,035 Speaker 1: to drop, everything else, from Biden's age to the intractability 312 00:21:45,035 --> 00:21:50,275 Speaker 1: of the Trump cult will also drop in importance. All 313 00:21:50,275 --> 00:21:53,955 Speaker 1: of which makes for an interesting backdrop to another story. 314 00:21:54,155 --> 00:21:57,995 Speaker 1: A Politico report yesterday that the Biden team now has 315 00:21:58,195 --> 00:22:01,915 Speaker 1: enough data to assess its first advertising campaign, the one 316 00:22:01,915 --> 00:22:06,715 Speaker 1: that began in August, the one positively emphasizing his success 317 00:22:07,675 --> 00:22:12,035 Speaker 1: and the serious issues seven million dollars worth of those ads, 318 00:22:12,675 --> 00:22:17,475 Speaker 1: and deemphasizing Trump one hundred thousand dollars worth of those ads. 319 00:22:18,035 --> 00:22:25,635 Speaker 1: And it hasn't worked. They were counting on Trump's rivals 320 00:22:26,555 --> 00:22:29,995 Speaker 1: to attack Trump for them, they could stay above the 321 00:22:30,035 --> 00:22:36,235 Speaker 1: frame and guess what. Trump's rivals largely have not attacked Trump, 322 00:22:36,915 --> 00:22:41,235 Speaker 1: although with tonight's latest Republican debate officially signaling the start 323 00:22:41,235 --> 00:22:48,395 Speaker 1: of desperation season, they might yet. Still, there is a 324 00:22:48,475 --> 00:22:50,835 Speaker 1: lesson in here, and there is plenty of time to 325 00:22:50,955 --> 00:22:54,115 Speaker 1: learn it and use it. Politico reports it, while lots 326 00:22:54,155 --> 00:22:58,075 Speaker 1: of Biden adjacent strategists and advocates, and you know, just 327 00:22:58,155 --> 00:23:01,715 Speaker 1: anybody who likes not living in a fascist state. While 328 00:23:01,755 --> 00:23:04,275 Speaker 1: they have been telling the campaign to go full dark 329 00:23:04,355 --> 00:23:07,675 Speaker 1: brand and spend a lot of money on tearing Trump 330 00:23:07,715 --> 00:23:11,995 Speaker 1: to shreds, the campaign is still quoted as saying there 331 00:23:11,995 --> 00:23:13,995 Speaker 1: have been no changes to the strategy and there will 332 00:23:14,035 --> 00:23:19,955 Speaker 1: not be and just read our memo. And yet, in 333 00:23:19,995 --> 00:23:25,795 Speaker 1: the entirety of his presidency, when has Joe Biden seemed 334 00:23:26,435 --> 00:23:31,395 Speaker 1: the most vivid to you? When has he seemed the 335 00:23:31,435 --> 00:23:36,435 Speaker 1: most presidential? When has he seemed the youngest? When has 336 00:23:36,475 --> 00:23:41,915 Speaker 1: he seemed the realist? To me? I have no doubt. 337 00:23:42,995 --> 00:23:46,755 Speaker 1: It was last year September one, twenty twenty two, the 338 00:23:46,835 --> 00:23:50,955 Speaker 1: Defense of Democracy speech, the Battle for the Soul of 339 00:23:50,995 --> 00:23:57,715 Speaker 1: the Nation speech in Philadelphia. Joe Biden's greatest accomplishment, after all, 340 00:23:57,915 --> 00:24:01,355 Speaker 1: is and would remain even if he knocked inflation down 341 00:24:01,395 --> 00:24:04,435 Speaker 1: to zero point one percent and solved Gaza by giving 342 00:24:04,435 --> 00:24:07,475 Speaker 1: every everybody exactly what they wanted and distributed a free 343 00:24:07,555 --> 00:24:11,195 Speaker 1: iPhone to everybody over the age of twelve. His greatest accomplishment, 344 00:24:12,035 --> 00:24:16,355 Speaker 1: his true brand, the thing that should be the centerpiece 345 00:24:16,435 --> 00:24:20,235 Speaker 1: of his success. In the advertising about his success. His 346 00:24:20,435 --> 00:24:28,675 Speaker 1: legacy is beating Trump. Run with it. I have said 347 00:24:28,675 --> 00:24:33,675 Speaker 1: it here before. I will always love Joe Biden. Of 348 00:24:33,755 --> 00:24:36,915 Speaker 1: all the politicians I have ever met, he is the 349 00:24:37,035 --> 00:24:43,355 Speaker 1: closest to an ordinary American human being. And if beating 350 00:24:43,475 --> 00:24:49,675 Speaker 1: Trump means he's the candidate, he's the candidate. If beating 351 00:24:49,715 --> 00:24:54,515 Speaker 1: Trump means Rachel Maddow is the candidate, she's the candidate. 352 00:24:55,155 --> 00:25:01,315 Speaker 1: I don't care. I didn't care if it was Obama 353 00:25:01,435 --> 00:25:04,195 Speaker 1: or Hillary in two thousand and eight, when the nation 354 00:25:04,315 --> 00:25:07,115 Speaker 1: had to be the Republicans, I didn't pick a side. 355 00:25:07,195 --> 00:25:12,475 Speaker 1: Until Hillary started running those Republican like ads. I did 356 00:25:12,595 --> 00:25:19,755 Speaker 1: not care. I don't care now. But there should be 357 00:25:19,915 --> 00:25:22,915 Speaker 1: in the heart of all of us who want to 358 00:25:22,995 --> 00:25:27,915 Speaker 1: defeat Trump and the Trump cult and in fact understand 359 00:25:28,755 --> 00:25:33,155 Speaker 1: the existential necessity of beating them, there should be the 360 00:25:33,235 --> 00:25:37,875 Speaker 1: consideration that the Soggi Biden poll numbers and the concerns 361 00:25:37,915 --> 00:25:42,475 Speaker 1: about his age may not in fact reflect support for Trump. 362 00:25:43,555 --> 00:25:48,995 Speaker 1: They may reflect disappointment that the thing we will always 363 00:25:49,195 --> 00:25:54,755 Speaker 1: cherish about Joe Biden, that hopefully they will build statues 364 00:25:55,115 --> 00:26:01,675 Speaker 1: of Biden for that thing he's not running on he 365 00:26:02,995 --> 00:26:10,195 Speaker 1: beat Trump? Did you beat Trump? Did I beat Trump. Hell, no, 366 00:26:11,555 --> 00:26:18,195 Speaker 1: Joe Biden beat Trump. The lack of excitement now, the 367 00:26:18,275 --> 00:26:20,715 Speaker 1: lack of enthusiasm the middle of the night doubts. They 368 00:26:20,755 --> 00:26:24,115 Speaker 1: may not, as so many of my friends fear, and 369 00:26:24,275 --> 00:26:27,475 Speaker 1: sometimes I fear. They may not be an expression of 370 00:26:27,515 --> 00:26:31,915 Speaker 1: America morally broken and unfixable. They may not show actual 371 00:26:31,955 --> 00:26:34,875 Speaker 1: support for Trump. They may simply be recognitions of what 372 00:26:34,995 --> 00:26:38,635 Speaker 1: is demonstrably true. Trump is a master at filling up 373 00:26:38,715 --> 00:26:42,915 Speaker 1: all the space in the room of exciting both those 374 00:26:42,915 --> 00:26:49,475 Speaker 1: who obey him and those who hate him. Joe, you 375 00:26:49,555 --> 00:26:53,995 Speaker 1: beat him. You're the only one who has. We need 376 00:26:53,995 --> 00:26:57,235 Speaker 1: you to do it again, and we need you to 377 00:26:57,515 --> 00:27:02,995 Speaker 1: tell everybody that not only why he and the evil 378 00:27:03,035 --> 00:27:09,435 Speaker 1: he personifies and spreads must be defeated, but bluntly, Joe, 379 00:27:09,795 --> 00:27:12,835 Speaker 1: you have to tell everybody again that you did it 380 00:27:12,875 --> 00:27:17,075 Speaker 1: before and you will do it again, that you are 381 00:27:17,155 --> 00:27:22,915 Speaker 1: the man to beat the ever loving shit out of 382 00:27:22,995 --> 00:27:31,195 Speaker 1: Donald Trump. Also of interest here, one of the leaders 383 00:27:31,235 --> 00:27:34,155 Speaker 1: of the move to censure congresswoman to leave for hateful 384 00:27:34,195 --> 00:27:38,195 Speaker 1: speech is an Ohio congressman and former Trump administration flying monkey, 385 00:27:38,715 --> 00:27:41,835 Speaker 1: who a month ago said that quote we were going 386 00:27:41,835 --> 00:27:45,635 Speaker 1: to turn Gaza into a quote parking lot. Because, of course, 387 00:27:45,995 --> 00:27:50,395 Speaker 1: hate by non trumpists should be censured and punished, but 388 00:27:50,555 --> 00:27:55,555 Speaker 1: hate by trumpists is a Okay, that's next. This is 389 00:27:55,595 --> 00:27:57,395 Speaker 1: an all new edition of Countdown. 390 00:27:59,155 --> 00:28:17,715 Speaker 2: This is Countdown with Keith Olberman. This is Sports Center. Wait, 391 00:28:17,875 --> 00:28:25,035 Speaker 2: check that not anymore. This is Countdown with Keith. 392 00:28:24,955 --> 00:28:34,635 Speaker 1: Ulberman in sports Dateline, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hello sold you. Yesterday, 393 00:28:34,795 --> 00:28:38,155 Speaker 1: Craig Council had jumped from manager of the Milwaukee Brewers 394 00:28:38,515 --> 00:28:41,715 Speaker 1: to manager of the Chicago Cubs, more than doubling his 395 00:28:41,795 --> 00:28:44,755 Speaker 1: salary in the process and basically doubling the all time 396 00:28:44,795 --> 00:28:47,955 Speaker 1: record for highest paid baseball manager ever. And in nine 397 00:28:47,995 --> 00:28:50,595 Speaker 1: years as a baseball manager, he has lost five of 398 00:28:50,635 --> 00:28:53,155 Speaker 1: the six playoff series he's gone to. So who knows 399 00:28:53,875 --> 00:28:58,475 Speaker 1: now comes the blowback? At Craig Council Park, home of 400 00:28:58,515 --> 00:29:02,715 Speaker 1: the Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin Little League, somebody has defaced the sign, 401 00:29:03,395 --> 00:29:07,595 Speaker 1: spray painting the word ass over the name Craig Council 402 00:29:08,115 --> 00:29:11,915 Speaker 1: any suspects Well. Brewer His owner, Mark Attanasio had a 403 00:29:11,955 --> 00:29:16,115 Speaker 1: surprisingly harsh response to Council's departure, saying at his news 404 00:29:16,115 --> 00:29:20,475 Speaker 1: conference yesterday, quote, we're all here today because we lost Craig, 405 00:29:20,955 --> 00:29:25,755 Speaker 1: but I've reflected on this. Craig has lost us and 406 00:29:25,875 --> 00:29:35,475 Speaker 1: he's lost our community also in Wisconsin. Those are swear words. Dateline, 407 00:29:35,515 --> 00:29:38,795 Speaker 1: Mexico City. You think baseball managers don't matter? The President 408 00:29:38,915 --> 00:29:43,795 Speaker 1: of Mexico Andres, Manuel Lopez Obrador, at a news conference 409 00:29:44,075 --> 00:29:47,875 Speaker 1: rough translation, the San Diego Padres owners are looking for 410 00:29:47,915 --> 00:29:51,115 Speaker 1: a new manager, he said. Benji Gill led us to 411 00:29:51,155 --> 00:29:54,835 Speaker 1: third place in the World Baseball Classic. He's top class 412 00:29:58,035 --> 00:30:02,075 Speaker 1: and Dateline Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters of Diamonds Sports Group. The 413 00:30:02,115 --> 00:30:06,075 Speaker 1: outfit that took over is Bally's TV sports operation went bankrupt. 414 00:30:06,555 --> 00:30:10,715 Speaker 1: I mentioned that the infrastructure supporting American sports leagues ever 415 00:30:10,955 --> 00:30:15,835 Speaker 1: increasing revenues from TV. That infrastructure is disintegrating before our 416 00:30:15,955 --> 00:30:19,755 Speaker 1: eyes with immediate impact. The network carrying those San Diego 417 00:30:19,875 --> 00:30:23,995 Speaker 1: Padres that the President of Mexico mentioned went under last spring. 418 00:30:24,355 --> 00:30:28,195 Speaker 1: The Padres basically made no money off their TV broadcasts 419 00:30:28,275 --> 00:30:31,075 Speaker 1: this year. By September, they needed to take a fifty 420 00:30:31,155 --> 00:30:34,755 Speaker 1: million dollar loan just to make payroll. In October, they 421 00:30:34,875 --> 00:30:37,275 Speaker 1: let their high priced manager leave for another job in 422 00:30:37,355 --> 00:30:40,835 Speaker 1: San Francisco. Now the Padres are shopping some of their 423 00:30:40,915 --> 00:30:43,875 Speaker 1: high priced players. You will not convince me this is 424 00:30:43,955 --> 00:30:48,995 Speaker 1: not all because of the TV revenue loss. Next, the 425 00:30:49,115 --> 00:30:53,515 Speaker 1: National Basketball Association. Diamond Sports yesterday announced an agreement with 426 00:30:53,635 --> 00:30:56,875 Speaker 1: the NBA by which it will continue to televise the 427 00:30:56,915 --> 00:31:01,035 Speaker 1: games of fifteen different basketball teams through this season, and 428 00:31:01,075 --> 00:31:04,515 Speaker 1: then the rights will revert to the league and the team. 429 00:31:05,315 --> 00:31:07,715 Speaker 1: Diamond Sports also says it intends to make a similar 430 00:31:07,755 --> 00:31:11,155 Speaker 1: deal with the National Hockey League. It'll broadcast those eleven 431 00:31:11,235 --> 00:31:16,035 Speaker 1: teams games this season and then audios. Sounds all like 432 00:31:16,075 --> 00:31:20,435 Speaker 1: a business deal. In fact, it's bad news. I mean, 433 00:31:20,435 --> 00:31:23,715 Speaker 1: we're talking about the LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks. 434 00:31:23,915 --> 00:31:27,795 Speaker 1: And the last word was Diamond was interested in continuing 435 00:31:28,235 --> 00:31:31,915 Speaker 1: with some teams on a team by team basis if 436 00:31:31,955 --> 00:31:36,595 Speaker 1: they were willing to take twenty percent less since sports 437 00:31:36,595 --> 00:31:40,275 Speaker 1: salaries don't go down. They have not gone down in 438 00:31:40,315 --> 00:31:43,115 Speaker 1: baseball since the Federal League folded, and that was in 439 00:31:43,195 --> 00:31:48,035 Speaker 1: nineteen sixteen, and owners never accept a lack of profit. 440 00:31:48,755 --> 00:31:53,595 Speaker 1: Guests from whom the owners and the players intend to 441 00:31:53,755 --> 00:31:56,835 Speaker 1: find that twenty percent the television isn't going to give 442 00:31:56,835 --> 00:32:01,155 Speaker 1: them anymore. Hmmm. I wonder who they have in mind 443 00:32:22,595 --> 00:32:25,075 Speaker 1: still ahead on this all new edition of countdown. I 444 00:32:25,115 --> 00:32:28,035 Speaker 1: swear this is true. I swear it's true. The New 445 00:32:28,115 --> 00:32:34,915 Speaker 1: York Marathon, the road race was Sunday. Today is Wednesday, yes, 446 00:32:35,395 --> 00:32:38,835 Speaker 1: and still on the streets of New York, I am 447 00:32:38,915 --> 00:32:42,035 Speaker 1: walking past people who ran the marathon and are still 448 00:32:42,435 --> 00:32:46,035 Speaker 1: wearing their gold medals around their necks, indicating that they 449 00:32:46,115 --> 00:32:49,555 Speaker 1: ran the marathon. Once the New York City Marathon was 450 00:32:49,635 --> 00:32:52,115 Speaker 1: so trivial that the head of the race called me 451 00:32:52,195 --> 00:32:54,275 Speaker 1: up and begged me to do a preview of it 452 00:32:54,355 --> 00:32:57,715 Speaker 1: on CNN, And frankly, there were more people running in 453 00:32:57,715 --> 00:33:01,315 Speaker 1: the marathon than watching CNN at that point, which I 454 00:33:01,355 --> 00:33:05,115 Speaker 1: guess is the situation now too. Anyway, things promised not 455 00:33:05,155 --> 00:33:07,435 Speaker 1: to tell a brand new edition coming up first time 456 00:33:07,435 --> 00:33:09,315 Speaker 1: for the daily roundup of the miss Grants, morons and 457 00:33:09,355 --> 00:33:13,715 Speaker 1: Dunning Kruger effects specimens who constitute today's worse persons in 458 00:33:13,755 --> 00:33:18,755 Speaker 1: the world worse the Washington Post on Sunday. The Post did, 459 00:33:18,955 --> 00:33:21,955 Speaker 1: and I repeated the highlights here yesterday, an excellent and 460 00:33:22,075 --> 00:33:25,595 Speaker 1: chilling piece on Trump's plan for dictatorship. If this nation 461 00:33:25,795 --> 00:33:28,035 Speaker 1: is insane enough to put him back in the White House, 462 00:33:28,275 --> 00:33:32,035 Speaker 1: you know, politicizing the Department of Justice and calling out 463 00:33:32,035 --> 00:33:36,955 Speaker 1: the troops to shoot peaceful protesters on the streets. Yesterday, 464 00:33:37,275 --> 00:33:39,755 Speaker 1: The Post followed this up with an analysis of its 465 00:33:39,795 --> 00:33:42,875 Speaker 1: own piece. It was a good analysis by Aaron Blake, 466 00:33:43,275 --> 00:33:46,315 Speaker 1: but the headline that some idiots slapped atop the Blake 467 00:33:46,355 --> 00:33:49,875 Speaker 1: analysis is everything that is wrong with American journalism and 468 00:33:49,995 --> 00:33:53,715 Speaker 1: indeed with America. It is the both sidesest weasel wording 469 00:33:53,995 --> 00:33:57,115 Speaker 1: that may yet put Trump back in power because it 470 00:33:57,155 --> 00:34:00,075 Speaker 1: does not recognize that this is not the way it 471 00:34:00,115 --> 00:34:03,595 Speaker 1: is supposed to be in this country. The headline on 472 00:34:03,755 --> 00:34:08,395 Speaker 1: this post and analysis of an imminent dystopian trumpe in America. 473 00:34:09,475 --> 00:34:13,115 Speaker 1: Five ways Trump and allies plan for a more authoritarian 474 00:34:13,235 --> 00:34:17,995 Speaker 1: second term, which is the exact template, the exact structural 475 00:34:17,995 --> 00:34:23,795 Speaker 1: phrasing of every Washington Post travel piece. Five places to 476 00:34:23,835 --> 00:34:27,635 Speaker 1: see on your way to Colonial Williamsburg, or even five 477 00:34:27,835 --> 00:34:31,555 Speaker 1: recipes for pumpkins spice you can prepare at home, or 478 00:34:31,835 --> 00:34:35,075 Speaker 1: five ways Trump plans to destroy the country and the world. 479 00:34:35,755 --> 00:34:40,795 Speaker 1: You can't sugarcoat these stories anymore. Posts. Democracy does not 480 00:34:40,955 --> 00:34:47,035 Speaker 1: die in darkness, It dies in a Trump victory. Say it. 481 00:34:47,035 --> 00:34:51,755 Speaker 1: It'll be your last chance to worser. Speaker of the House, 482 00:34:51,835 --> 00:34:54,835 Speaker 1: Mike Johnson speaking of the guys are going to destroy 483 00:34:54,875 --> 00:34:58,435 Speaker 1: the country again with Mike Johnson. This is the shady 484 00:34:58,555 --> 00:35:02,395 Speaker 1: finances part of the scandals. The new claim is, oh, 485 00:35:02,395 --> 00:35:05,195 Speaker 1: he does too have a checking account. It's not in 486 00:35:05,275 --> 00:35:09,715 Speaker 1: his financial accountability report because it isn't paying him any interest, 487 00:35:09,795 --> 00:35:13,315 Speaker 1: so he doesn't have to report it. But now Citizens 488 00:35:13,355 --> 00:35:17,235 Speaker 1: for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington CREWE reports Johnson also 489 00:35:17,275 --> 00:35:20,395 Speaker 1: has a mortgage and a person alone and a home 490 00:35:20,435 --> 00:35:23,995 Speaker 1: equity line of credit, and quoting Jason Libowitz of CREWE, 491 00:35:24,435 --> 00:35:27,915 Speaker 1: where did that money go? Well, I'm thinking the answer 492 00:35:27,995 --> 00:35:31,635 Speaker 1: to that is obvious. Johnson is a creationist, believes the 493 00:35:31,675 --> 00:35:34,555 Speaker 1: earth was formed in one moment six thousand years ago. 494 00:35:34,835 --> 00:35:38,155 Speaker 1: He represented a museum that had its own Noah's Arc 495 00:35:39,075 --> 00:35:43,035 Speaker 1: again that was damaged by flooding. Where did all his 496 00:35:43,115 --> 00:35:46,955 Speaker 1: money go? This guy must have pet dinosaurs to feed. 497 00:35:48,115 --> 00:35:52,395 Speaker 1: But our worst Republican congresson Max Miller of Ohio, I 498 00:35:52,515 --> 00:35:54,875 Speaker 1: do not have much use for what Congresswoman to Leave 499 00:35:54,995 --> 00:35:57,475 Speaker 1: is saying about the guys of war. But to hear 500 00:35:57,595 --> 00:36:00,115 Speaker 1: Miller get on the House floor yesterday and tell everybody 501 00:36:00,115 --> 00:36:04,075 Speaker 1: about how wrong and damaging hate is and how guilty 502 00:36:04,115 --> 00:36:07,995 Speaker 1: she is of it when after the attacks, he went 503 00:36:08,035 --> 00:36:11,155 Speaker 1: on Fox and announced that the future of the Gaza 504 00:36:11,235 --> 00:36:14,275 Speaker 1: strip was quote, We're going to turn that into a 505 00:36:14,315 --> 00:36:18,115 Speaker 1: parking lot on quote. This is the essence of being 506 00:36:18,235 --> 00:36:24,835 Speaker 1: a twenty first century maga asshole. Congressman, Max, your racist 507 00:36:24,915 --> 00:36:29,075 Speaker 1: fantasies of mass murder should get you expelled. My racist 508 00:36:29,115 --> 00:36:33,035 Speaker 1: fantasies of mass murder should get me reelected. Miller two 509 00:36:33,195 --> 00:36:51,995 Speaker 1: days worst person and to the number one story on 510 00:36:52,035 --> 00:36:55,035 Speaker 1: the countdown and things I promised not to tell, obviously 511 00:36:55,075 --> 00:36:58,955 Speaker 1: focused on my favorite topic me and I swear this 512 00:36:59,115 --> 00:37:03,075 Speaker 1: is true. New York's marathon was Sunday. The joke goes that, 513 00:37:03,315 --> 00:37:07,115 Speaker 1: you know the marathon, it's your worst neighbor. It occupies 514 00:37:07,435 --> 00:37:10,115 Speaker 1: all the streets all day. You can't get in, you 515 00:37:10,155 --> 00:37:12,675 Speaker 1: can't get out. Sometimes you can't even get in anywhere 516 00:37:12,675 --> 00:37:16,115 Speaker 1: by foot. But that's apart from the main issue here. 517 00:37:16,995 --> 00:37:20,475 Speaker 1: It's now several days later, after the marathon was concluded, 518 00:37:20,595 --> 00:37:23,915 Speaker 1: and on the streets of New York once again, yesterday 519 00:37:24,595 --> 00:37:27,795 Speaker 1: I saw people walking around still wearing their medals from 520 00:37:27,875 --> 00:37:33,315 Speaker 1: having run the marathon, the New York City Marathon. I 521 00:37:33,355 --> 00:37:36,035 Speaker 1: have nothing against the New York City Marathon, but I 522 00:37:36,075 --> 00:37:40,635 Speaker 1: will say this, it's extraordinary to have seen the thing 523 00:37:40,835 --> 00:37:44,355 Speaker 1: grow as it has since my earliest days as a reporter. 524 00:37:44,475 --> 00:37:47,635 Speaker 1: In the late seventies and early eighties, when I was 525 00:37:47,715 --> 00:37:50,675 Speaker 1: at CNN, I got a phone call one day from 526 00:37:50,755 --> 00:37:53,955 Speaker 1: a guy claiming to be the publicist for the New 527 00:37:54,035 --> 00:37:58,235 Speaker 1: York Marathon, which was a big thing. Ten or fifteen 528 00:37:58,275 --> 00:38:00,715 Speaker 1: thousand people would run it every year, but in some 529 00:38:00,875 --> 00:38:03,675 Speaker 1: places they had to dodge traffic because police would not 530 00:38:03,715 --> 00:38:06,635 Speaker 1: shut down all the streets for the early years of 531 00:38:06,675 --> 00:38:09,675 Speaker 1: the New York City Marathon. And the publicist said, look, 532 00:38:09,675 --> 00:38:12,155 Speaker 1: if you'd like to talk to our founder, Fred Libo, 533 00:38:12,435 --> 00:38:14,635 Speaker 1: who invented this and got it off the ground as 534 00:38:14,675 --> 00:38:16,875 Speaker 1: a rival to the Boston Marathon, or if you'd like 535 00:38:16,915 --> 00:38:19,315 Speaker 1: to talk to Bill Rogers, who's running in it and 536 00:38:19,435 --> 00:38:22,795 Speaker 1: is internationally famous as a runner, or several other internationally 537 00:38:22,795 --> 00:38:26,555 Speaker 1: famous American runners. We can arrange this for you. If 538 00:38:26,635 --> 00:38:29,035 Speaker 1: you'd like to just call us in the office when 539 00:38:29,075 --> 00:38:31,635 Speaker 1: you have time to come talk to us. We'll make 540 00:38:31,635 --> 00:38:37,955 Speaker 1: it happen. And I called and I got this answer, Hello, 541 00:38:38,075 --> 00:38:42,515 Speaker 1: New York City Marathon. I said, yes, Hi, Fred Libo's office, please, 542 00:38:43,155 --> 00:38:47,275 Speaker 1: And the man said, speaking the head of the New 543 00:38:47,355 --> 00:38:51,515 Speaker 1: York City Marathon was answering the switchboard, and it soon 544 00:38:51,675 --> 00:38:54,875 Speaker 1: proved that Fred Libo was the same guy who had 545 00:38:54,915 --> 00:38:58,475 Speaker 1: posed as the publicist. He was, in fact the entirety 546 00:38:58,515 --> 00:39:00,915 Speaker 1: of the management structure of the New York City Marathon 547 00:39:01,035 --> 00:39:04,675 Speaker 1: as of nineteen eighty two. I guess the first time 548 00:39:04,915 --> 00:39:07,715 Speaker 1: I would have covered the race. And when I said 549 00:39:07,755 --> 00:39:09,835 Speaker 1: CNN was interested in doing a preview of the New 550 00:39:09,915 --> 00:39:12,555 Speaker 1: York Marathon, Oh, that's great, he said, in a rather 551 00:39:12,635 --> 00:39:16,395 Speaker 1: thick European accent, that's great. When would you like us 552 00:39:16,395 --> 00:39:19,675 Speaker 1: to meet you? And I said, well, don't you have 553 00:39:19,755 --> 00:39:23,075 Speaker 1: a set press time or schedule? No, no, we'll we'll 554 00:39:23,155 --> 00:39:25,435 Speaker 1: arrange it for you. When can you be here? It 555 00:39:25,475 --> 00:39:28,115 Speaker 1: was literally one of those things, what time do you 556 00:39:28,155 --> 00:39:30,755 Speaker 1: want to do this? When can you be here? And 557 00:39:30,795 --> 00:39:32,395 Speaker 1: I said, well, it looks like I can get the 558 00:39:32,435 --> 00:39:36,515 Speaker 1: crew at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Great, and I said okay, 559 00:39:36,915 --> 00:39:39,955 Speaker 1: And then Fred Liebo said where would you like us 560 00:39:39,995 --> 00:39:43,595 Speaker 1: to be? That's where the New York City Marathon was 561 00:39:44,195 --> 00:39:47,275 Speaker 1: forty years ago compared to today, when they shut down 562 00:39:47,315 --> 00:39:49,515 Speaker 1: my block and make it impossible for anybody who does 563 00:39:49,555 --> 00:39:52,955 Speaker 1: not have identification showing that they live there to walk 564 00:39:53,035 --> 00:39:58,035 Speaker 1: through without a special pass. Congratulations on doing that. There's 565 00:39:58,035 --> 00:40:01,755 Speaker 1: another story from CNN days. It actually precedes my story. 566 00:40:01,795 --> 00:40:04,355 Speaker 1: It's one of the first big events that CNN tried 567 00:40:04,395 --> 00:40:08,515 Speaker 1: to cover live and again. Now the rights to carry 568 00:40:08,555 --> 00:40:12,355 Speaker 1: the New York Marathon on television live costs millions of 569 00:40:12,395 --> 00:40:15,955 Speaker 1: dollars and are sold exclusively to whoever. I can't imagine 570 00:40:15,955 --> 00:40:19,835 Speaker 1: anybody actually watching people run as a sporting event, but 571 00:40:19,955 --> 00:40:22,315 Speaker 1: there it is, certainly not in a marathon format. It 572 00:40:22,355 --> 00:40:25,875 Speaker 1: takes a little long. But in those days, if you 573 00:40:25,955 --> 00:40:29,475 Speaker 1: wanted to put the New York City Marathon on television, 574 00:40:30,155 --> 00:40:32,195 Speaker 1: all you had to do was point a camera at it. 575 00:40:32,515 --> 00:40:35,675 Speaker 1: And so the CNN idea was, let's get the start 576 00:40:35,715 --> 00:40:39,315 Speaker 1: of the marathon from the Verizanto Narrows Bridge, Let's put 577 00:40:39,355 --> 00:40:42,915 Speaker 1: it on live, and let's actually try to do something 578 00:40:42,955 --> 00:40:46,915 Speaker 1: that has never been done before. Let's move our truck 579 00:40:47,675 --> 00:40:50,555 Speaker 1: and show not just the start of the marathon, but 580 00:40:50,635 --> 00:40:53,995 Speaker 1: we'll be several hundred yards ahead of the front runners, 581 00:40:54,195 --> 00:40:57,795 Speaker 1: and we'll show that marathon live for forty five seconds 582 00:40:57,835 --> 00:41:00,835 Speaker 1: or a minute until our signal gives way, until we 583 00:41:00,915 --> 00:41:04,275 Speaker 1: are no longer able to be live. That was the thinking. 584 00:41:04,875 --> 00:41:07,595 Speaker 1: So they did this and were surprised, and I'm sure 585 00:41:07,635 --> 00:41:11,475 Speaker 1: this was nineteen eighty, right after CNN signed on, And 586 00:41:11,795 --> 00:41:14,555 Speaker 1: sure enough, they drove the truck and pointed the camera 587 00:41:14,595 --> 00:41:17,155 Speaker 1: outside the back window and they got the start of 588 00:41:17,195 --> 00:41:19,395 Speaker 1: the marathon and the gun going off in this scene 589 00:41:19,435 --> 00:41:22,915 Speaker 1: of people running towards the truck, and then suddenly the 590 00:41:22,955 --> 00:41:29,035 Speaker 1: signal was lost and there was this sound heard before 591 00:41:29,155 --> 00:41:32,515 Speaker 1: the signal was lost. Oh shut, And that was it. 592 00:41:33,115 --> 00:41:35,675 Speaker 1: What had happened was in those days to do a 593 00:41:35,715 --> 00:41:38,515 Speaker 1: live signal from a moving truck, you couldn't just stick 594 00:41:38,595 --> 00:41:41,315 Speaker 1: up a little antenna, which you can do now. You 595 00:41:41,355 --> 00:41:45,395 Speaker 1: had to have a whole essentially arm sticking up a 596 00:41:45,475 --> 00:41:48,915 Speaker 1: six foot tall mast that had to stick up above 597 00:41:48,995 --> 00:41:52,395 Speaker 1: the truck like well, you know when the electricity company 598 00:41:52,435 --> 00:41:55,755 Speaker 1: comes to repair your down power lines one of those things. 599 00:41:57,155 --> 00:41:59,595 Speaker 1: It didn't have a cage at the top of it 600 00:41:59,635 --> 00:42:01,515 Speaker 1: for somebody to stand in, but it would have supported 601 00:42:01,515 --> 00:42:05,115 Speaker 1: somebody easily. A six foot tall, probably one or two 602 00:42:05,115 --> 00:42:08,955 Speaker 1: foot diameter mast, and they were driving along the Verizona 603 00:42:09,075 --> 00:42:12,475 Speaker 1: Narrows Bridge with it and didn't realize that there were 604 00:42:12,595 --> 00:42:17,555 Speaker 1: low lying overpasses on the Verizona Narrows Bridge for maintenance 605 00:42:17,595 --> 00:42:20,955 Speaker 1: and painting and whatnot, and sure enough they drove right 606 00:42:21,035 --> 00:42:24,995 Speaker 1: into one and the damn thing snapped in half. For 607 00:42:25,115 --> 00:42:27,915 Speaker 1: many years thereafter, Mary Alice Williams, who was the main 608 00:42:28,075 --> 00:42:31,715 Speaker 1: CNN anchor in New York and also the vice president 609 00:42:31,755 --> 00:42:34,475 Speaker 1: of the company and also the bureau chief of CNN 610 00:42:34,515 --> 00:42:37,235 Speaker 1: in New York, had framed on her wall what looked 611 00:42:37,275 --> 00:42:41,275 Speaker 1: to be something left over from a drain at somebody's house. 612 00:42:41,715 --> 00:42:46,155 Speaker 1: It was a bent piece of metal with a damage 613 00:42:46,195 --> 00:42:48,795 Speaker 1: mark in the middle. She had it framed on her wall, 614 00:42:49,435 --> 00:42:51,195 Speaker 1: and I once asked her what it was, And that's 615 00:42:51,235 --> 00:42:53,875 Speaker 1: how I know this story, because what it was was 616 00:42:53,955 --> 00:42:57,715 Speaker 1: the CNN Live truck mast that got snapped in half 617 00:42:58,115 --> 00:43:01,035 Speaker 1: while they were covering the nineteen eighty New York City 618 00:43:01,075 --> 00:43:04,395 Speaker 1: Marathon live. The New York Marathon, of course, was also 619 00:43:04,435 --> 00:43:07,675 Speaker 1: the home home of Rosie Ruiz, who later claimed to 620 00:43:07,715 --> 00:43:10,275 Speaker 1: have been the winner of the Boston Marathon. She'd gotten 621 00:43:10,315 --> 00:43:13,475 Speaker 1: into the Boston Marathon by claiming she had run in 622 00:43:13,475 --> 00:43:15,515 Speaker 1: the New York City Marathon, and then it turned out 623 00:43:15,515 --> 00:43:18,755 Speaker 1: in both races. The reason she had done so well 624 00:43:18,795 --> 00:43:22,715 Speaker 1: when she was not internationally known nor ranked nor known 625 00:43:22,795 --> 00:43:24,955 Speaker 1: to have run a race in less than three hours. 626 00:43:25,395 --> 00:43:27,755 Speaker 1: Rosie Ruiz, in both the New York City Marathon and 627 00:43:27,755 --> 00:43:31,435 Speaker 1: the Boston Marathon of the eighties, solved the problem that 628 00:43:31,475 --> 00:43:35,835 Speaker 1: faces so many many runners, that was dead spots when 629 00:43:35,875 --> 00:43:38,875 Speaker 1: you hit the so called wall. She got around the 630 00:43:38,915 --> 00:43:42,955 Speaker 1: wall by traveling part of the route by a subway. 631 00:43:43,035 --> 00:43:47,955 Speaker 1: In fact, she met up intentionally, obviously with one of 632 00:43:47,995 --> 00:43:51,195 Speaker 1: the reporters who covered her as she was being given 633 00:43:51,275 --> 00:43:54,395 Speaker 1: the laurels for winning one of the marathons, and one 634 00:43:54,435 --> 00:43:57,115 Speaker 1: of the reporters said, wait a minute, I saw that 635 00:43:57,155 --> 00:43:59,875 Speaker 1: woman on the subway on my way over here. And 636 00:43:59,875 --> 00:44:04,155 Speaker 1: that's how the whole Rosy Ruiz story unraveled. Later efforts 637 00:44:04,155 --> 00:44:07,235 Speaker 1: to promote the New York Marathon introduced me to a 638 00:44:07,275 --> 00:44:10,795 Speaker 1: man I have mentioned here before, Abel Kiviat. Abel Kiviat 639 00:44:10,875 --> 00:44:13,835 Speaker 1: was one of the top milers in American track and 640 00:44:13,875 --> 00:44:17,515 Speaker 1: field in the early years of the twentieth century, I 641 00:44:17,595 --> 00:44:20,035 Speaker 1: mean nineteen ten. He was a guy from Queen's with 642 00:44:20,075 --> 00:44:23,915 Speaker 1: a remarkable accent, and his ninetieth birthday coincided with a 643 00:44:24,035 --> 00:44:26,595 Speaker 1: day they wanted to publicize the New York Marathon, so 644 00:44:27,075 --> 00:44:30,595 Speaker 1: the publicity for this was at the Guggenheim Museum, which 645 00:44:30,715 --> 00:44:33,595 Speaker 1: was only half as old as Abel was. And Abel 646 00:44:33,635 --> 00:44:36,875 Speaker 1: came down and talked with his remarkable queen's accent, and 647 00:44:36,995 --> 00:44:39,875 Speaker 1: he was telling us stories about how he won a 648 00:44:40,115 --> 00:44:43,395 Speaker 1: race in Waltham, Massachusetts in nineteen ten, and he still 649 00:44:43,395 --> 00:44:45,595 Speaker 1: had the clock that they gave him, the watch they 650 00:44:45,635 --> 00:44:48,315 Speaker 1: gave him for winning the race, and he said, run 651 00:44:48,395 --> 00:44:50,715 Speaker 1: to damn sight better than I do. And then we 652 00:44:50,755 --> 00:44:53,355 Speaker 1: went outside and my producer had this great idea that 653 00:44:53,395 --> 00:44:56,195 Speaker 1: we get able to run a couple of steps down 654 00:44:56,235 --> 00:44:58,635 Speaker 1: Fifth Avenue, and we put that in the piece, and 655 00:44:58,675 --> 00:45:02,675 Speaker 1: of course Abel, who was still running for health reasons, 656 00:45:02,915 --> 00:45:05,755 Speaker 1: Abel decided that he would show us exactly what a 657 00:45:05,835 --> 00:45:08,075 Speaker 1: ninety year old man could do while running. And he 658 00:45:08,155 --> 00:45:10,875 Speaker 1: shot past the cameraman and we had to ask him 659 00:45:10,875 --> 00:45:13,515 Speaker 1: to do it again because he was about fifty four 660 00:45:13,515 --> 00:45:16,355 Speaker 1: times faster than the cameraman mentioned or thought was going 661 00:45:16,435 --> 00:45:20,155 Speaker 1: to happen. And Able Kiviat the most interesting part of this, 662 00:45:20,235 --> 00:45:22,235 Speaker 1: and I wish I had gone even into more detail 663 00:45:22,275 --> 00:45:24,195 Speaker 1: with him than I did back in those days. In 664 00:45:24,275 --> 00:45:27,235 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty two, when I got to interview him, Abel 665 00:45:27,275 --> 00:45:30,515 Speaker 1: Kiviat revealed he had been Jim Thorpe's roommate at the 666 00:45:30,635 --> 00:45:33,875 Speaker 1: nineteen twelve Olympics. I've told the story in great depth, 667 00:45:33,915 --> 00:45:36,555 Speaker 1: and I won't do so here. But he said, basically 668 00:45:36,875 --> 00:45:40,875 Speaker 1: that Jim Thorpe could do anything you could do better 669 00:45:40,915 --> 00:45:42,995 Speaker 1: than you could do it, and all he needed was 670 00:45:43,035 --> 00:45:45,995 Speaker 1: to watch you do it two or three times. He said, literally, 671 00:45:46,195 --> 00:45:48,435 Speaker 1: he could take that microphone out of your hands, and 672 00:45:48,555 --> 00:45:50,715 Speaker 1: a couple of days from now he'd be better at 673 00:45:50,715 --> 00:45:52,555 Speaker 1: it than you would be. And I said, well, I 674 00:45:52,555 --> 00:45:54,675 Speaker 1: don't doubt that, but give me a better example of it. 675 00:45:54,715 --> 00:45:56,675 Speaker 1: And he told the story of how one night all 676 00:45:56,795 --> 00:45:59,715 Speaker 1: the English and the American athletes were trying to jump 677 00:45:59,835 --> 00:46:03,835 Speaker 1: up and touch the bottom prong of a chandelier, or, 678 00:46:03,875 --> 00:46:06,555 Speaker 1: as he said it very endearingly, just like both of 679 00:46:06,555 --> 00:46:11,155 Speaker 1: my Bronx New York grandparents, the chandalier, the bottom of 680 00:46:11,155 --> 00:46:14,875 Speaker 1: the chandelier. He said. They were all having a nice 681 00:46:14,915 --> 00:46:17,235 Speaker 1: time on board the ship in which they lived at 682 00:46:17,235 --> 00:46:20,155 Speaker 1: the nineteen twelve Olympics, and Thorpe was out drinking on 683 00:46:20,275 --> 00:46:22,915 Speaker 1: the town somewhere back on the mainland, and he came 684 00:46:22,955 --> 00:46:25,635 Speaker 1: out on a boat and back to their boat that 685 00:46:25,675 --> 00:46:27,995 Speaker 1: they were occupying the ship they were all living on 686 00:46:28,675 --> 00:46:31,515 Speaker 1: and all night, all of the great athletes of the world, 687 00:46:31,515 --> 00:46:33,715 Speaker 1: including all the high jumpers, tried to reach up and 688 00:46:33,795 --> 00:46:37,075 Speaker 1: grab the bottom of this chandelier, just touch it. And 689 00:46:37,115 --> 00:46:40,635 Speaker 1: now there was a pool of perhaps several hundred dollars 690 00:46:40,715 --> 00:46:43,315 Speaker 1: sitting in a hat on the floor. Thorpe, he says, 691 00:46:43,675 --> 00:46:46,355 Speaker 1: staggers in, looks up at the scene and goes, what's 692 00:46:46,395 --> 00:46:49,875 Speaker 1: going on? Fellas they explain it to him, and he goes, oh, okay. 693 00:46:50,515 --> 00:46:53,715 Speaker 1: He takes off his jacket. He does not take off 694 00:46:53,715 --> 00:46:58,275 Speaker 1: his vest. He unbuttons it and simply steps back three steps. 695 00:46:58,355 --> 00:47:01,355 Speaker 1: And as Abel described it, he doesn't even do a 696 00:47:01,435 --> 00:47:05,275 Speaker 1: run and start. He just reaches up and grabs the 697 00:47:05,315 --> 00:47:08,835 Speaker 1: bottom piece of the chandelier and hangs on to it, 698 00:47:08,875 --> 00:47:10,955 Speaker 1: and we think the whole damn thing's coming down on 699 00:47:11,035 --> 00:47:13,675 Speaker 1: top of us. He lets go after a few seconds, 700 00:47:13,795 --> 00:47:18,075 Speaker 1: and in one sweeping gesture, he reaches down, takes the hat, 701 00:47:18,275 --> 00:47:20,715 Speaker 1: turns it over, grabs all the bills as they fall, 702 00:47:20,755 --> 00:47:23,235 Speaker 1: stuffs them in his pocket, puts his own hat back 703 00:47:23,275 --> 00:47:25,835 Speaker 1: on his head, and says, have a good night, gentlemen. 704 00:47:26,195 --> 00:47:28,955 Speaker 1: That was who Jim Taupe was, all right, So that's 705 00:47:28,995 --> 00:47:30,675 Speaker 1: the new York Marathon. And if I think of the 706 00:47:30,675 --> 00:47:34,435 Speaker 1: New York Marathon, I necessarily think of the Los Angeles Marathon, 707 00:47:34,795 --> 00:47:38,275 Speaker 1: which started when I was a sportscaster in LA and 708 00:47:38,475 --> 00:47:41,235 Speaker 1: I was working for the radio station that somehow got 709 00:47:41,235 --> 00:47:44,115 Speaker 1: the rights. I suspect we were paid to do this, 710 00:47:44,955 --> 00:47:48,075 Speaker 1: got the rights to do radio play by play of 711 00:47:48,115 --> 00:47:51,955 Speaker 1: a marathon. Now, think about this. Once in high school, 712 00:47:51,995 --> 00:47:54,635 Speaker 1: I once tried to do radio play by play of 713 00:47:54,675 --> 00:47:58,395 Speaker 1: a swim meet, which is really problematic if you lose 714 00:47:58,635 --> 00:48:02,435 Speaker 1: your indications of who is in which lane because the 715 00:48:02,515 --> 00:48:06,715 Speaker 1: swimmers go underwater. Try to do eight or ten hours 716 00:48:06,755 --> 00:48:10,355 Speaker 1: of live coverage of a marathon on a news radio station. 717 00:48:10,995 --> 00:48:13,435 Speaker 1: That's what we did, and since I was the sportscaster, 718 00:48:13,635 --> 00:48:17,435 Speaker 1: they made me co anchor with the lead newscaster, and 719 00:48:17,515 --> 00:48:23,915 Speaker 1: we set up in front of a gas station. That's 720 00:48:23,955 --> 00:48:26,995 Speaker 1: what it was, a gas station near the start line 721 00:48:27,355 --> 00:48:30,355 Speaker 1: of the Los Angeles Marathon, right next to the coliseum 722 00:48:30,395 --> 00:48:35,515 Speaker 1: in downtown LA. And at just the beginning of the race, 723 00:48:35,595 --> 00:48:38,395 Speaker 1: two minutes beforehand, they said, by the way, we want you, Keith, 724 00:48:38,435 --> 00:48:40,435 Speaker 1: We want you to do the play by play of 725 00:48:40,475 --> 00:48:45,235 Speaker 1: the race starting. And I said from where They said, 726 00:48:45,235 --> 00:48:49,195 Speaker 1: from right here, and I said, I can't even see 727 00:48:49,195 --> 00:48:51,795 Speaker 1: the starting line from here. We're going to see them 728 00:48:51,835 --> 00:48:54,275 Speaker 1: all run past us. But we're I don't know, a 729 00:48:54,355 --> 00:48:56,555 Speaker 1: thousand yards from the start of the race. I mean, 730 00:48:56,595 --> 00:48:57,995 Speaker 1: I can see them all down there. What do you 731 00:48:58,035 --> 00:49:00,355 Speaker 1: want me to say? They said, okay, no, we thought 732 00:49:00,355 --> 00:49:02,315 Speaker 1: of that. We have a solution to it. And one 733 00:49:02,315 --> 00:49:05,075 Speaker 1: of the engineers produced for me to stay and on 734 00:49:06,595 --> 00:49:12,635 Speaker 1: a folding metal chair that lifted me oh two and 735 00:49:12,635 --> 00:49:14,795 Speaker 1: a half feet off the ground, and by the way, 736 00:49:14,835 --> 00:49:17,315 Speaker 1: it wasn't even steady. And they said, call it from there. 737 00:49:18,115 --> 00:49:19,675 Speaker 1: And I did not have the heart to tell my 738 00:49:19,755 --> 00:49:22,355 Speaker 1: producers at CANX radio in Los Angeles that I couldn't 739 00:49:22,395 --> 00:49:24,395 Speaker 1: see a damn thing. I just made it up as 740 00:49:24,435 --> 00:49:28,355 Speaker 1: we went along. But for the next year's race, they 741 00:49:28,395 --> 00:49:31,475 Speaker 1: had thought about this and remembered the problem that it represented. 742 00:49:31,555 --> 00:49:36,035 Speaker 1: So they got a wireless mic and they gave it 743 00:49:36,035 --> 00:49:38,955 Speaker 1: to me, and they said, about ten minutes before the 744 00:49:39,035 --> 00:49:41,955 Speaker 1: race is supposed to start, we want you to go 745 00:49:42,035 --> 00:49:46,955 Speaker 1: out onto that island that is on the other side 746 00:49:46,995 --> 00:49:50,075 Speaker 1: of the intersection where the marathon starts, so you'll be 747 00:49:51,075 --> 00:49:54,115 Speaker 1: thirty yards away from the marathon start line. You'll be 748 00:49:54,155 --> 00:49:56,555 Speaker 1: facing it, and then we will throw it out to 749 00:49:56,595 --> 00:49:59,715 Speaker 1: you in thirty or forty seconds before the gun goes off, 750 00:49:59,755 --> 00:50:03,115 Speaker 1: and you can describe what that looks like. And I 751 00:50:03,155 --> 00:50:06,155 Speaker 1: can describe what it looks like, because because I have 752 00:50:06,275 --> 00:50:09,155 Speaker 1: had this nightmare once a month since the first time 753 00:50:09,195 --> 00:50:12,035 Speaker 1: we did this in I think nineteen eighty seven, with 754 00:50:12,195 --> 00:50:16,515 Speaker 1: me out in the island twenty or thirty yards away 755 00:50:16,595 --> 00:50:20,395 Speaker 1: from the front line of the LA marathon, which was 756 00:50:20,435 --> 00:50:23,635 Speaker 1: at that point maybe eighteen or twenty thousand people. A 757 00:50:23,715 --> 00:50:27,475 Speaker 1: gun goes off, You are standing by yourself, you are 758 00:50:28,035 --> 00:50:31,195 Speaker 1: three inches off the pavement, and suddenly eighteen or twenty 759 00:50:31,235 --> 00:50:38,035 Speaker 1: thousand people start running at high speed directly towards you. 760 00:50:40,515 --> 00:50:42,595 Speaker 1: Think about that one for a while, and you can 761 00:50:42,675 --> 00:50:44,795 Speaker 1: understand some of the problems that I have had in 762 00:50:44,835 --> 00:50:49,675 Speaker 1: my life and my career ever since. Persecution, problems, paranoia, 763 00:50:50,275 --> 00:50:52,875 Speaker 1: if you want them, go stand in front of the 764 00:50:52,915 --> 00:50:56,955 Speaker 1: traffic island twenty thirty yards in front of a marathon 765 00:50:57,035 --> 00:50:59,595 Speaker 1: starting and let eighteen thousand people run at you, even 766 00:50:59,635 --> 00:51:01,995 Speaker 1: if you were normal to begin with. And I'm making 767 00:51:01,995 --> 00:51:06,155 Speaker 1: no claims about that that will change you in a hurry. 768 00:51:06,915 --> 00:51:11,635 Speaker 1: Marathons I have survived by Keith Olberman things I promised 769 00:51:11,875 --> 00:51:30,395 Speaker 1: not to tell, still wearing their medals, four people at 770 00:51:30,515 --> 00:51:34,595 Speaker 1: least on the streets of New York three days after 771 00:51:34,635 --> 00:51:39,635 Speaker 1: the race. We get it. I've done all the damage 772 00:51:39,635 --> 00:51:41,555 Speaker 1: I can do here. Thank you for listening. Countdown has 773 00:51:41,595 --> 00:51:44,195 Speaker 1: come to you from the Vin Scully Studios at the 774 00:51:44,195 --> 00:51:47,235 Speaker 1: Old Women Broadcasting Empire in New York. And think about 775 00:51:47,275 --> 00:51:50,595 Speaker 1: doing eight hours of live coverage of a marathon on radio. 776 00:51:52,035 --> 00:51:56,315 Speaker 1: And here's when they come and there they go. Couwntown 777 00:51:56,395 --> 00:51:59,395 Speaker 1: musical directors Brian Ray and John Phillip Schanel Arrange produced 778 00:51:59,395 --> 00:52:02,795 Speaker 1: and performed most of our music. Mister Chanelle handled orchestration 779 00:52:02,875 --> 00:52:05,835 Speaker 1: and keyboards, Mister Ray was on the guitar based on drums, 780 00:52:06,075 --> 00:52:09,155 Speaker 1: and it was all produced by TKO Brothers. I mean, 781 00:52:09,195 --> 00:52:13,195 Speaker 1: I would always stay up almost all night Saturday night 782 00:52:13,635 --> 00:52:16,835 Speaker 1: for the Sunday morning marathon start worried about what the 783 00:52:16,915 --> 00:52:20,035 Speaker 1: hell I was going to talk about. Other music, including 784 00:52:20,035 --> 00:52:23,115 Speaker 1: other Beethoven tunes, arranged and performed by the group No 785 00:52:23,235 --> 00:52:26,715 Speaker 1: Horns Allowed. The sports music is courtesy of ESPN, Inc. 786 00:52:26,995 --> 00:52:29,195 Speaker 1: And it was written by Mitch Warren Davis. We call 787 00:52:29,235 --> 00:52:32,675 Speaker 1: it the Olderman theme from ESPN two. Our satirical and 788 00:52:32,715 --> 00:52:35,995 Speaker 1: pithy musical comments are by Nancy Faust, the best baseball 789 00:52:36,035 --> 00:52:39,155 Speaker 1: stadium organist ever. Our announcer today was my friend Stevie 790 00:52:39,235 --> 00:52:42,755 Speaker 1: van Zant. Everything else was pretty much my fault. You know. 791 00:52:42,835 --> 00:52:45,155 Speaker 1: One thing I do remember about the LA Marathon, I 792 00:52:45,155 --> 00:52:47,555 Speaker 1: think the third year we did it on radio, was 793 00:52:47,635 --> 00:52:50,675 Speaker 1: I did get a privilege. At one point they brought 794 00:52:50,715 --> 00:52:53,635 Speaker 1: over a guest for me to interview about sports in 795 00:52:53,715 --> 00:52:57,115 Speaker 1: general and Los Angeles in particular, and even running. And 796 00:52:57,195 --> 00:52:59,995 Speaker 1: his name was Muhammad Ali. I'm not sure it was 797 00:53:00,035 --> 00:53:02,355 Speaker 1: the last interview he was able to give, but his 798 00:53:02,435 --> 00:53:06,835 Speaker 1: voice was already so closed down by the injuries to 799 00:53:06,915 --> 00:53:10,195 Speaker 1: his head that I literally had to repeat his answers 800 00:53:10,275 --> 00:53:13,315 Speaker 1: even though he was talking into my microphone face to face. 801 00:53:13,875 --> 00:53:17,235 Speaker 1: A very moving and very sad experience, and yet Ali 802 00:53:17,395 --> 00:53:21,515 Speaker 1: somehow made it special anyway. Enough, that's countdown for this 803 00:53:21,595 --> 00:53:25,435 Speaker 1: the thirty seventh day since dementia Jay Trump's first attempted 804 00:53:25,435 --> 00:53:28,235 Speaker 1: coup against the democratically elected government of the United States. 805 00:53:28,635 --> 00:53:31,715 Speaker 1: Convict him now while we still can. The next scheduled 806 00:53:31,715 --> 00:53:34,635 Speaker 1: countdown is tomorrow. Bulletins as the news warrants till then 807 00:53:34,675 --> 00:53:38,475 Speaker 1: I'm Keith Oldraman. Good morning, good afternoon, good night, and 808 00:53:38,675 --> 00:53:57,435 Speaker 1: good luck. Countdown with Keith Olreman is a production of iHeartRadio. 809 00:53:57,715 --> 00:54:02,875 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 810 00:54:03,115 --> 00:54:05,555 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcast ASTs.