1 00:00:04,835 --> 00:00:22,555 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. I 2 00:00:22,675 --> 00:00:26,955 Speaker 1: suppose it is possible that Trump's brain has liquefied and 3 00:00:27,075 --> 00:00:30,075 Speaker 1: he's canceled half his events in all his interviews, and 4 00:00:30,115 --> 00:00:33,635 Speaker 1: that he is now frantically demanding somebody force Kamala Harris 5 00:00:34,275 --> 00:00:37,955 Speaker 1: off the ballot and Joe Biden back onto the ballot. 6 00:00:37,955 --> 00:00:40,835 Speaker 1: I suppose it is possible Trump is doing this because 7 00:00:40,875 --> 00:00:44,035 Speaker 1: he's just been shown internal polling indicating he's going to 8 00:00:44,155 --> 00:00:47,555 Speaker 1: win two weeks from Tuesday. But I have my doubts. 9 00:00:48,635 --> 00:00:52,395 Speaker 1: It seems far likelier to me that his brain has 10 00:00:52,475 --> 00:00:55,635 Speaker 1: liquefied and he's canceled half his events in all his interviews, 11 00:00:55,755 --> 00:00:58,795 Speaker 1: and that he's now frantically demanding somebody I don't know who, 12 00:00:58,835 --> 00:01:03,395 Speaker 1: maybe Jesus. He's frantically demanding somebody force Kamala Harris off 13 00:01:03,395 --> 00:01:06,715 Speaker 1: the ballot and Joe Biden onto it because he's been 14 00:01:06,715 --> 00:01:10,075 Speaker 1: shown internal pulling indicating he's going to lose two weeks 15 00:01:10,115 --> 00:01:12,875 Speaker 1: from Tuesday, which means that he might avoid one of 16 00:01:12,875 --> 00:01:14,955 Speaker 1: the criminal cases that would send him off to die 17 00:01:14,955 --> 00:01:17,315 Speaker 1: in prison, but he ain't going to avoid both of them. 18 00:01:17,395 --> 00:01:20,635 Speaker 1: And as the experts on cults and cult leaders, like 19 00:01:20,755 --> 00:01:24,195 Speaker 1: Matthew Remsky wrote the other day, Trump has become one 20 00:01:24,235 --> 00:01:28,515 Speaker 1: of those quote cultic leaders who exhausted ill and at 21 00:01:28,515 --> 00:01:31,395 Speaker 1: the end of their cognitive rope, are reduced to a 22 00:01:31,435 --> 00:01:36,915 Speaker 1: shrinking repertoire of melted talking points. Whatever way you pin 23 00:01:37,035 --> 00:01:40,355 Speaker 1: these odds, Trump thinks he's winning and he's gone crazy 24 00:01:40,395 --> 00:01:43,715 Speaker 1: and demanded Kamala Harris be forced off the campaign nineteen 25 00:01:43,795 --> 00:01:49,115 Speaker 1: days before the election by I don't know Batman or 26 00:01:49,155 --> 00:01:51,715 Speaker 1: Trump thinks he's losing and he's gone crazy and demanded 27 00:01:51,755 --> 00:01:54,715 Speaker 1: Kamala Harris be forced off the campaign nineteen days before 28 00:01:54,755 --> 00:02:00,035 Speaker 1: the election by I don't know grew I got a 29 00:02:00,115 --> 00:02:03,675 Speaker 1: ten to one in favor of losing. Either way, we are, 30 00:02:04,395 --> 00:02:08,035 Speaker 1: to paraphrase yet another movie network talking about putting a 31 00:02:08,195 --> 00:02:11,475 Speaker 1: manifestly irresponsible man in the White House, and a lot 32 00:02:11,515 --> 00:02:14,235 Speaker 1: of the nation is nodding along with blank approval, just 33 00:02:14,355 --> 00:02:19,035 Speaker 1: like Faye Dunaway one oh seven pm yesterday, Kamala should 34 00:02:19,035 --> 00:02:23,395 Speaker 1: be investigated and forced off the campaign and Joe Biden 35 00:02:23,555 --> 00:02:26,995 Speaker 1: allowed to take back his rightful place. He got fourteen 36 00:02:27,075 --> 00:02:30,755 Speaker 1: million primary votes, she got none. This whole sordid and 37 00:02:30,915 --> 00:02:35,395 Speaker 1: fraudulent event is a threat to democracy. Now, to be fair, 38 00:02:35,475 --> 00:02:37,715 Speaker 1: I edited this post out of order to read the 39 00:02:37,795 --> 00:02:41,355 Speaker 1: second half first. But this is why he thinks Kamala 40 00:02:41,395 --> 00:02:45,435 Speaker 1: Harris should be forced off the campaign by I don't know, 41 00:02:45,795 --> 00:02:50,275 Speaker 1: by Taylor Swift. This is the first half of that post. 42 00:02:50,635 --> 00:02:53,755 Speaker 1: Sixty Minutes should be immediately taken off the air election interference. 43 00:02:53,915 --> 00:02:56,715 Speaker 1: CBA should lose its license. This is the biggest scandal 44 00:02:56,795 --> 00:03:01,795 Speaker 1: in broadcast history. Look, it wouldn't be the biggest scandal 45 00:03:01,835 --> 00:03:06,555 Speaker 1: in my broadcast history, sir, Mind you that was merely 46 00:03:06,675 --> 00:03:11,075 Speaker 1: Trump's follow up. Seconds earlier, he had posted why won't 47 00:03:11,115 --> 00:03:14,675 Speaker 1: sixty Minutes release the fraudulent tapes of Lion Kamala's interview 48 00:03:14,755 --> 00:03:19,035 Speaker 1: with them? Could it be because Noe couldn't all right, 49 00:03:19,035 --> 00:03:20,475 Speaker 1: I don't read the rest of it anyway. Could it 50 00:03:20,555 --> 00:03:23,195 Speaker 1: be because it was a complete and total disaster, or 51 00:03:23,315 --> 00:03:27,675 Speaker 1: that they quote created unquote many additional new answers for her, 52 00:03:27,995 --> 00:03:30,715 Speaker 1: not just the one where she was so embarrassingly caught. 53 00:03:31,275 --> 00:03:34,835 Speaker 1: In normal times, what happened on sixty Minutes deceptively doctoring 54 00:03:34,915 --> 00:03:39,115 Speaker 1: her answers would be the end of anyone's campaign. Name 55 00:03:39,195 --> 00:03:45,955 Speaker 1: it happening once Now, he couldn't Kamala is slow, incoherent, 56 00:03:46,115 --> 00:03:48,755 Speaker 1: and is in no way qualified to be president of 57 00:03:48,835 --> 00:03:54,355 Speaker 1: the United States. Every Republican accusation is a confession. Release 58 00:03:54,475 --> 00:03:56,875 Speaker 1: the tapes for the good of America. We can do 59 00:03:56,995 --> 00:04:02,515 Speaker 1: it the nice way or the hard way. Unquote, we 60 00:04:02,635 --> 00:04:04,555 Speaker 1: can do it the nice way or the hard way. 61 00:04:05,715 --> 00:04:09,475 Speaker 1: What is this? The Ican TEENA Turner review? You know, 62 00:04:10,435 --> 00:04:12,315 Speaker 1: every now and then I think you might like to 63 00:04:12,355 --> 00:04:15,355 Speaker 1: hear something from us nice and easy. But there's just 64 00:04:15,475 --> 00:04:19,355 Speaker 1: one thing, you see, we never ever do nothing nice 65 00:04:19,555 --> 00:04:24,915 Speaker 1: and easy. We always do it nice and rough, working 66 00:04:25,115 --> 00:04:30,555 Speaker 1: for the man every night and day. So a television 67 00:04:30,755 --> 00:04:35,355 Speaker 1: network news operation idiotically edits a clip, this time with 68 00:04:35,475 --> 00:04:40,115 Speaker 1: a presidential candidate. So the presidential candidate has to drop out. 69 00:04:40,755 --> 00:04:42,715 Speaker 1: So Harris has to drop out. And of course, since 70 00:04:42,835 --> 00:04:45,275 Speaker 1: Fox edited out the part where Trump talks about the 71 00:04:45,435 --> 00:04:49,435 Speaker 1: enemy within during an interview with Harris, Trump also has 72 00:04:49,475 --> 00:04:51,635 Speaker 1: to drop out. So two tuesdays from now, it's the 73 00:04:51,675 --> 00:04:58,075 Speaker 1: presidential election Tim Walls versus JB. Vance. By the way, 74 00:04:58,155 --> 00:05:01,435 Speaker 1: this just jin Harris campaign has not issued a formal 75 00:05:01,555 --> 00:05:06,875 Speaker 1: complaint to the God of Television about a deceptive editing 76 00:05:07,035 --> 00:05:11,435 Speaker 1: in the Brettbear interview of the Vice president because she's 77 00:05:11,675 --> 00:05:17,435 Speaker 1: not nuts. It is possible somebody showed Trump the other 78 00:05:17,555 --> 00:05:19,675 Speaker 1: thing that Fox made news with at six pm on 79 00:05:19,755 --> 00:05:24,075 Speaker 1: Wednesday night. It's bizarre poll showing him ahead in the 80 00:05:24,155 --> 00:05:28,595 Speaker 1: popular vote by two but down in the swing states 81 00:05:28,875 --> 00:05:31,955 Speaker 1: by six, and thus on pace to get more votes 82 00:05:31,955 --> 00:05:36,795 Speaker 1: for a change and still lose the electoral college. That 83 00:05:36,955 --> 00:05:38,955 Speaker 1: kind of melts my mind. And I'm not even running 84 00:05:38,995 --> 00:05:43,435 Speaker 1: for president. What's interesting is that the polling pros reacted 85 00:05:43,475 --> 00:05:48,475 Speaker 1: to that poll plus two Trump nationally minus six Trump 86 00:05:48,715 --> 00:05:52,515 Speaker 1: in the swings with less than spit takes or discussed. 87 00:05:52,715 --> 00:05:56,115 Speaker 1: The Washington Post, Aaron Blake suggests that the electoral college 88 00:05:56,195 --> 00:05:59,275 Speaker 1: bias may not have swung to what it would have 89 00:05:59,435 --> 00:06:02,275 Speaker 1: to be here Harris plus eight, but that it also 90 00:06:02,435 --> 00:06:07,315 Speaker 1: may no longer be anybody plus anything. Blake notes that 91 00:06:07,395 --> 00:06:10,755 Speaker 1: when a Post colleague wrote his piece in early August, 92 00:06:10,835 --> 00:06:13,595 Speaker 1: he noted that Trump was running just one point better 93 00:06:13,675 --> 00:06:16,555 Speaker 1: in what appeared to be the tipping point state, Michigan 94 00:06:16,915 --> 00:06:19,515 Speaker 1: than he was nationally, So that was a one point 95 00:06:19,635 --> 00:06:23,555 Speaker 1: electoral college bias in Trump's favor, or at least at 96 00:06:23,595 --> 00:06:26,355 Speaker 1: that point. The tipping point state is not set in stone. 97 00:06:26,835 --> 00:06:29,675 Speaker 1: When the New York Times ran its own numbers. Last month, 98 00:06:29,715 --> 00:06:33,435 Speaker 1: the pro Trump electoral college bias was just zero point 99 00:06:33,595 --> 00:06:36,915 Speaker 1: seven points. Today, it looks like it might be even 100 00:06:37,035 --> 00:06:39,915 Speaker 1: less of a Trump advantage, if it is one at all. 101 00:06:40,635 --> 00:06:43,155 Speaker 1: It's not at all clear what the tipping point state 102 00:06:43,275 --> 00:06:46,315 Speaker 1: might be, since all the swing states are so close, 103 00:06:46,595 --> 00:06:49,915 Speaker 1: but right now the Washington Post polling average shows it's 104 00:06:49,995 --> 00:06:54,955 Speaker 1: either Michigan, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin. Winning all three would deliver 105 00:06:55,075 --> 00:06:57,835 Speaker 1: the two hundred and seventy electoral votes Harris needs, and 106 00:06:57,995 --> 00:07:00,315 Speaker 1: she leads by about two points in each of them. 107 00:07:00,875 --> 00:07:04,115 Speaker 1: That's virtually the same as her two point edge in 108 00:07:04,235 --> 00:07:08,475 Speaker 1: national polls. So it's looking like electoral college bias could 109 00:07:08,595 --> 00:07:15,595 Speaker 1: be more or less a wash quote well, not having 110 00:07:15,635 --> 00:07:17,795 Speaker 1: a two or three point finger on the good old 111 00:07:17,835 --> 00:07:21,315 Speaker 1: electoral college scale. That could also have freshly added to 112 00:07:21,395 --> 00:07:26,715 Speaker 1: Trump's deranged syndrome, especially since Morning Consult Now reports its 113 00:07:26,835 --> 00:07:29,595 Speaker 1: polling shows neither of them ahead in any of the 114 00:07:29,635 --> 00:07:33,835 Speaker 1: battleground states outside the margin of error. Therefore, Kamala Harris 115 00:07:33,915 --> 00:07:39,235 Speaker 1: must be forced off the campaign by Icontina Turner. It 116 00:07:39,355 --> 00:07:42,515 Speaker 1: occurs to me that I have not circled back yet 117 00:07:42,595 --> 00:07:45,195 Speaker 1: to the other thing. Of note I mentioned earlier, Trump 118 00:07:45,315 --> 00:07:49,315 Speaker 1: keeps bailing out on things. Trump was supposed to speak 119 00:07:49,355 --> 00:07:52,635 Speaker 1: at an NRA Guns Don't Kill people, People with guns 120 00:07:52,715 --> 00:07:56,235 Speaker 1: kill people rally at Savannah, Georgia next Tuesday. Then evidently 121 00:07:56,555 --> 00:08:00,475 Speaker 1: he canceled, claiming a scheduling conflict, and so the NRA 122 00:08:00,755 --> 00:08:05,195 Speaker 1: canceled the entire show. But he's also canceled another interview 123 00:08:05,275 --> 00:08:07,875 Speaker 1: technically postponed. Doesn't look like it's ever going to happen. 124 00:08:08,115 --> 00:08:11,675 Speaker 1: Suddenly dropped out of a CNBC interview, as Joe Kernan's 125 00:08:11,715 --> 00:08:14,035 Speaker 1: two pay revealed live on the air the other day, 126 00:08:14,195 --> 00:08:17,115 Speaker 1: But now Brian Stelter says Trump was to do a 127 00:08:17,235 --> 00:08:21,395 Speaker 1: separate interview next Monday with the former CNN business reporter 128 00:08:21,555 --> 00:08:26,395 Speaker 1: Christine Romans for Adult NBC. This is per Brian Stelter, 129 00:08:26,475 --> 00:08:29,275 Speaker 1: who wrote, I learned of another planned Trump interview that 130 00:08:29,395 --> 00:08:31,715 Speaker 1: was suddenly scrapped. NBC News thought it had secured to 131 00:08:31,795 --> 00:08:35,155 Speaker 1: sit down with Trump to discuss the economy and other matters. 132 00:08:35,475 --> 00:08:38,475 Speaker 1: According to three sources with knowledge of the matter, the 133 00:08:38,555 --> 00:08:41,515 Speaker 1: interview was expected to take place in Philadelphia on Monday, 134 00:08:41,835 --> 00:08:45,435 Speaker 1: and correspondent Christine Romans was set to be the interviewer. 135 00:08:45,515 --> 00:08:48,155 Speaker 1: I'm told, but then it was called off by the 136 00:08:48,235 --> 00:08:51,435 Speaker 1: Trump team. The interview was quote postponed, one of the 137 00:08:51,515 --> 00:08:56,475 Speaker 1: sources said, and NBC is in discussions to reschedule it. Well, 138 00:08:56,555 --> 00:09:02,155 Speaker 1: take a number just TV. That's NBC canceled, CNBC canceled, 139 00:09:02,475 --> 00:09:07,875 Speaker 1: sixty minutes, canceled, an town hall probably canceled, and of 140 00:09:07,955 --> 00:09:11,995 Speaker 1: course the second debate against the vice president, presumably because 141 00:09:12,035 --> 00:09:16,075 Speaker 1: he has to spend that time those days meeting with 142 00:09:16,235 --> 00:09:19,635 Speaker 1: whoever is going to force Harris out of the campaign, 143 00:09:19,995 --> 00:09:25,915 Speaker 1: and I believe that's Liam and Noel Gallagher, by thea 144 00:09:25,915 --> 00:09:28,795 Speaker 1: by On top of everything suggesting something out of public 145 00:09:28,915 --> 00:09:31,715 Speaker 1: sight that has gone desperately wrong inside the Trump campaign, 146 00:09:32,035 --> 00:09:36,155 Speaker 1: his health or its health or both. He has also 147 00:09:36,235 --> 00:09:40,515 Speaker 1: gone into reruns. Here are two reruns. Here is Trump 148 00:09:40,915 --> 00:09:43,875 Speaker 1: back to the She's not allowed to be two different races, 149 00:09:44,235 --> 00:09:47,475 Speaker 1: when I had convinced myself she was only one, followed 150 00:09:47,475 --> 00:09:50,435 Speaker 1: by Trump with an unfortunate slip in which, days after 151 00:09:50,675 --> 00:09:54,795 Speaker 1: Vance insisted the January sixth insurrectionists were knuckleheads who had 152 00:09:54,835 --> 00:09:57,875 Speaker 1: nothing to do with Trump. Trump refers to those January 153 00:09:57,915 --> 00:09:59,715 Speaker 1: sixth insurrectionists as. 154 00:10:00,515 --> 00:10:06,995 Speaker 2: We they have a woman who is black, Leah would 155 00:10:06,995 --> 00:10:10,955 Speaker 2: say she's Indian, but she is black, but she really 156 00:10:11,515 --> 00:10:13,315 Speaker 2: a lot of people didn't know which is true. 157 00:10:14,115 --> 00:10:16,475 Speaker 3: But I learned about it just a couple of months ago. 158 00:10:17,035 --> 00:10:19,595 Speaker 3: You know the fact that she's black, or that she's Indian, 159 00:10:20,115 --> 00:10:22,075 Speaker 3: the fact that she's black. I thought she was Indian 160 00:10:22,155 --> 00:10:23,835 Speaker 3: until a couple of months. The thing's changed. I mean 161 00:10:23,875 --> 00:10:26,195 Speaker 3: a lot of people because if you follow baseball, Sammy 162 00:10:26,275 --> 00:10:29,275 Speaker 3: Sosa kind of you know, you sometimes have to respect 163 00:10:29,315 --> 00:10:31,435 Speaker 3: people they Samish, right, So I thought maybe she was 164 00:10:31,515 --> 00:10:33,915 Speaker 3: doing a Sammy Sosa the other way, Sammy Chase right. 165 00:10:34,715 --> 00:10:36,835 Speaker 2: There were no guns down there. We didn't have guns. 166 00:10:36,875 --> 00:10:38,995 Speaker 2: The others had guns, but we didn't have guns. And 167 00:10:39,555 --> 00:10:41,755 Speaker 2: would I say, we these are people that walk down 168 00:10:42,035 --> 00:10:45,115 Speaker 2: This was a tiny percentage of the overall which nobody 169 00:10:45,155 --> 00:10:46,915 Speaker 2: sees and nobody nobody shows. 170 00:10:47,355 --> 00:10:52,275 Speaker 1: But that was a day of love. We us them 171 00:10:52,515 --> 00:10:56,515 Speaker 1: what ebbs the third rerun that we can do it 172 00:10:56,635 --> 00:11:00,275 Speaker 1: the nice way or the hard way? Threat, that's that's 173 00:11:00,315 --> 00:11:02,395 Speaker 1: a rerun. And I would be more alarmed about that, 174 00:11:02,555 --> 00:11:06,115 Speaker 1: except he just referred to the January sixth ers as US, 175 00:11:06,835 --> 00:11:09,955 Speaker 1: And all I know is that the last time he 176 00:11:10,235 --> 00:11:13,395 Speaker 1: and they the US, to which he refers tried the 177 00:11:13,595 --> 00:11:18,435 Speaker 1: hard way. They all lost anyway. And by the way, 178 00:11:18,595 --> 00:11:23,995 Speaker 1: this time Joe Biden will have the tanks and the aircraft. 179 00:11:24,475 --> 00:11:28,355 Speaker 1: But you have a nice day out there, Donnie Dorko. 180 00:11:37,275 --> 00:11:40,475 Speaker 1: By the way, Judge Tanya Chudkin told Trump, we're doing 181 00:11:40,515 --> 00:11:43,395 Speaker 1: it the hard way. She was to release the Jack 182 00:11:43,475 --> 00:11:47,035 Speaker 1: Smith footnotes yesterday, and his mouthpieces put in a last 183 00:11:47,075 --> 00:11:50,035 Speaker 1: minute appeal asking for it to be delayed, just to 184 00:11:50,115 --> 00:11:58,475 Speaker 1: pick a random date Thursday, November after the election. He 185 00:11:58,555 --> 00:12:01,635 Speaker 1: wanted more discovery. She gave him a fifty page rulely 186 00:12:01,755 --> 00:12:07,195 Speaker 1: basically reading f you discover this, but giving him a 187 00:12:07,235 --> 00:12:10,755 Speaker 1: little bit more information on Mike Pence's handling of classified info. 188 00:12:12,035 --> 00:12:15,155 Speaker 1: When it comes out, we'll see, let's see what else. 189 00:12:15,235 --> 00:12:18,475 Speaker 1: Jim Mattis, Trump's first secretary of Defense, told Bob Woodward 190 00:12:18,555 --> 00:12:21,315 Speaker 1: that Mark Milly was right when Milly said Trump was 191 00:12:21,355 --> 00:12:24,355 Speaker 1: the most dangerous man ever, and that Milly was right 192 00:12:24,435 --> 00:12:26,555 Speaker 1: to call Trump a fascist. And there is a new 193 00:12:26,595 --> 00:12:30,675 Speaker 1: book about Mitch McConnell coming out in a week before 194 00:12:30,715 --> 00:12:33,835 Speaker 1: the election, in which McConnell is quoted after the twenty 195 00:12:33,875 --> 00:12:37,515 Speaker 1: twenty election, but before January sixth as calling Trump stupid, 196 00:12:37,595 --> 00:12:41,675 Speaker 1: as well as being ill tempered, a despicable human being, 197 00:12:41,915 --> 00:12:46,435 Speaker 1: and a narcissist. Yeah. Thanks, boys, If you had said 198 00:12:46,475 --> 00:12:48,955 Speaker 1: any of that while he was still in office, they 199 00:12:48,995 --> 00:12:54,675 Speaker 1: would be building statues of you right now. And then 200 00:12:56,355 --> 00:12:59,835 Speaker 1: the fun of the day there was the burn of 201 00:13:00,035 --> 00:13:07,515 Speaker 1: the campaign Lacrosse, Wisconsin. If Kamala Harris wins, it will 202 00:13:07,595 --> 00:13:10,155 Speaker 1: be because of the events of a twenty four hour 203 00:13:10,275 --> 00:13:13,715 Speaker 1: span in which she went on Fox News and kicked 204 00:13:13,755 --> 00:13:18,275 Speaker 1: Brettbear's ass and kicked Fox's ass and called them out 205 00:13:18,395 --> 00:13:21,115 Speaker 1: and came right up to the line of looking angry 206 00:13:21,235 --> 00:13:29,195 Speaker 1: without actually getting there, and then said this. In Lacrosse, Wisconsin, yesterday, 207 00:13:29,235 --> 00:13:34,795 Speaker 1: Harris's rally was crashed by pro Trump supporters. There were 208 00:13:34,915 --> 00:13:53,555 Speaker 1: no survivors. Oh, you guys are at the wrong rally. No, 209 00:13:53,795 --> 00:13:55,755 Speaker 1: I think you meant to go to the smaller one 210 00:13:55,835 --> 00:14:17,435 Speaker 1: down the street out. Also of interest, here, a Trump 211 00:14:17,475 --> 00:14:20,395 Speaker 1: attorney and spokesmodel insists there's about to be a flood 212 00:14:20,875 --> 00:14:25,755 Speaker 1: of celebrity endorsements of Trump. Because it wasn't really clear 213 00:14:25,835 --> 00:14:28,475 Speaker 1: what she was saying, She's kind of stupid, something about 214 00:14:28,515 --> 00:14:32,635 Speaker 1: democrats are all pedophiles, or celebrities are all pedophiles or 215 00:14:32,875 --> 00:14:38,155 Speaker 1: all Democrats are celebrities. I don't know. Jesus has something 216 00:14:38,195 --> 00:14:40,235 Speaker 1: to do with it again, even though, of course it 217 00:14:40,355 --> 00:14:43,715 Speaker 1: was the Republicans who put the big picture windows between 218 00:14:43,755 --> 00:14:48,035 Speaker 1: the bathrooms and the hallways in the middle school in Pennsylvania. 219 00:14:49,675 --> 00:14:57,315 Speaker 1: That's next. This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Oberman. 220 00:14:58,475 --> 00:15:24,155 Speaker 1: Oberman a little Yankee Stadium tribute to Larry David. Between 221 00:15:24,235 --> 00:15:27,115 Speaker 1: his introduction and the voice of the Great Yankee p 222 00:15:27,275 --> 00:15:32,355 Speaker 1: I announce a Bob Shepherd and the music he heard there, 223 00:15:32,835 --> 00:15:37,715 Speaker 1: the bach Takata and Fugue State still ahead on this 224 00:15:37,835 --> 00:15:40,595 Speaker 1: initiative countdown. Third Bird time. He never did write a novel. 225 00:15:41,115 --> 00:15:43,475 Speaker 1: He did write a history of the New Yorker magazine. 226 00:15:44,315 --> 00:15:46,675 Speaker 1: He did write epic short stories like The Greatest Man 227 00:15:46,715 --> 00:15:49,035 Speaker 1: in the World, and at least three short stories that 228 00:15:49,195 --> 00:15:54,475 Speaker 1: became movies. But then there are his miniatures, his polished gems, 229 00:15:55,315 --> 00:16:00,275 Speaker 1: his ships built inside wine bottles, his fables. There is 230 00:16:00,435 --> 00:16:05,355 Speaker 1: more cynicism, more criticism, more liberalism per square inch in 231 00:16:05,515 --> 00:16:09,435 Speaker 1: these fables than in any other examples of his great writing. 232 00:16:09,795 --> 00:16:14,075 Speaker 1: The Fables of James Thurber next on Fridays with Herber first, 233 00:16:14,115 --> 00:16:16,355 Speaker 1: there are still more new idiots to talk about the 234 00:16:16,475 --> 00:16:19,035 Speaker 1: daily roundup of the miss Grants, morons and Dunning Kruger 235 00:16:19,035 --> 00:16:24,475 Speaker 1: effects specimens who constitute today's day worst worst persons, Persons 236 00:16:25,115 --> 00:16:31,075 Speaker 1: in the world b the Bronze Worse BBC News. It 237 00:16:31,155 --> 00:16:33,955 Speaker 1: has canceled after three decades. A news show with the 238 00:16:33,995 --> 00:16:38,235 Speaker 1: improbable name of Hard Talk, which it ran on the 239 00:16:38,275 --> 00:16:42,355 Speaker 1: BBC UK News Channel and globally on BBC World News. 240 00:16:42,795 --> 00:16:45,995 Speaker 1: Not my favorite show because it often fell into confrontation 241 00:16:46,835 --> 00:16:48,755 Speaker 1: and every once in a while the kind of automatic 242 00:16:48,955 --> 00:16:52,355 Speaker 1: contradiction heard in the fabulous Monty Python sketch. I'd like 243 00:16:52,435 --> 00:16:56,115 Speaker 1: to have an argument, please, you know, good morning? What's 244 00:16:56,195 --> 00:16:59,275 Speaker 1: good about it? That kind of stuff. They also ran 245 00:16:59,355 --> 00:17:03,635 Speaker 1: the same episode like like six times a day any who. 246 00:17:03,915 --> 00:17:05,795 Speaker 1: On the other hand, the number of times I found 247 00:17:05,835 --> 00:17:09,435 Speaker 1: myself watching it anyway once a day because the topics 248 00:17:09,475 --> 00:17:12,435 Speaker 1: could range from the latest from the Middle East with 249 00:17:12,595 --> 00:17:16,235 Speaker 1: the president of prime minister, former military chief or an 250 00:17:16,395 --> 00:17:20,795 Speaker 1: artist or writer explaining defending, chronicling their own work, or 251 00:17:21,955 --> 00:17:24,475 Speaker 1: the topic whether or not the Prime Minister of Finland 252 00:17:24,555 --> 00:17:26,715 Speaker 1: was gonna have to resign because there was video of 253 00:17:26,795 --> 00:17:30,395 Speaker 1: her at a disco drinking and the interviewee for half 254 00:17:30,395 --> 00:17:33,475 Speaker 1: an hour was the Prime Minister of Finland talking about 255 00:17:33,515 --> 00:17:37,435 Speaker 1: her own evening at the disco. Panic at the disco, 256 00:17:37,875 --> 00:17:41,195 Speaker 1: they got great guests, and you'd rather have a great 257 00:17:41,275 --> 00:17:45,555 Speaker 1: guest challenged by an interviewer, usually Steven Sacker, than just 258 00:17:46,155 --> 00:17:49,355 Speaker 1: nodded at, Oh, tell me more about how wonderful you 259 00:17:49,435 --> 00:17:53,635 Speaker 1: are again. Sometimes it just fell into gainsaying for the 260 00:17:53,715 --> 00:17:55,995 Speaker 1: hell of it. I'm not sure it ever once got 261 00:17:55,995 --> 00:17:59,955 Speaker 1: American politics right. But now the BBC has canceled this, 262 00:18:00,435 --> 00:18:04,235 Speaker 1: this little window into the world what's actually happening behind 263 00:18:04,275 --> 00:18:10,235 Speaker 1: the scene in Uzbekistan. They've canceled it, I assume so 264 00:18:10,595 --> 00:18:12,875 Speaker 1: so the BBC News channels can add a one hundred 265 00:18:12,875 --> 00:18:16,595 Speaker 1: and seventy third different business update to its daily schedule, 266 00:18:16,675 --> 00:18:19,555 Speaker 1: because the BBC News channels are quickly morphing into the 267 00:18:19,595 --> 00:18:23,195 Speaker 1: BBC Business News Channels, as all news channels around the 268 00:18:23,275 --> 00:18:25,835 Speaker 1: world have been doing for years. And that's exactly what 269 00:18:26,035 --> 00:18:31,675 Speaker 1: news and the world needs. More glorification of money. Good evening. 270 00:18:31,755 --> 00:18:33,995 Speaker 1: How much money do you have? Our next guest has 271 00:18:34,075 --> 00:18:36,115 Speaker 1: more money than you do. We'll ask him how he 272 00:18:36,195 --> 00:18:39,715 Speaker 1: got more money. You can sit there and see quietly 273 00:18:39,795 --> 00:18:43,915 Speaker 1: as he explains. The runner up speaking of which worser. 274 00:18:44,435 --> 00:18:48,955 Speaker 1: Christina Bob, the Ilse, the she Wolf of the ss 275 00:18:49,635 --> 00:18:53,475 Speaker 1: of the Trump campaign, you know her. She was the 276 00:18:53,515 --> 00:18:57,235 Speaker 1: Trump attorney so stupid that the other Trump attorneys got 277 00:18:57,475 --> 00:19:00,995 Speaker 1: her to sign the document vowing for the completeness of 278 00:19:01,075 --> 00:19:04,515 Speaker 1: the search of the classified materials Trump stole and stan 279 00:19:04,995 --> 00:19:08,395 Speaker 1: marri A Lago. She signed it, not the other ones. 280 00:19:09,075 --> 00:19:11,755 Speaker 1: This was while she was also on the air on 281 00:19:11,915 --> 00:19:17,355 Speaker 1: one of the fascist feeds Flomax Channel or news Aryan 282 00:19:17,555 --> 00:19:21,355 Speaker 1: Nation or One America, one Reich or whatever one it 283 00:19:21,475 --> 00:19:24,075 Speaker 1: was she was on. She's the one with the extremely 284 00:19:24,315 --> 00:19:32,075 Speaker 1: narrow head, and this paranoid, delusional, light bulb head shaped 285 00:19:32,435 --> 00:19:36,395 Speaker 1: person has announced that she expects a rash of celebrities 286 00:19:36,835 --> 00:19:42,395 Speaker 1: to now endorse Trump, especially after the election, because while 287 00:19:42,435 --> 00:19:44,435 Speaker 1: because it turns out, Christina Bob is on top of 288 00:19:44,515 --> 00:19:49,115 Speaker 1: everything else a QAnon slanderer. Let me quote her from 289 00:19:49,155 --> 00:19:53,835 Speaker 1: the podcast Steak for Breakfast, hosted by I don't know, 290 00:19:55,315 --> 00:19:59,315 Speaker 1: Charlie Kirk Hannibal Lecter. I don't know. I think there's 291 00:19:59,395 --> 00:20:02,995 Speaker 1: one Trump Nazi who does all these podcasts, and they 292 00:20:03,155 --> 00:20:05,355 Speaker 1: just change his name from show to sho to make 293 00:20:05,395 --> 00:20:07,475 Speaker 1: it sound like there's three hundred and seventeen different ones 294 00:20:08,115 --> 00:20:12,475 Speaker 1: quoting Bobby Christina or whatever her name is on celebrities. 295 00:20:13,515 --> 00:20:15,275 Speaker 1: I also think there might be a little bit of 296 00:20:15,355 --> 00:20:17,795 Speaker 1: the Diddy effect where they want to be like, I'm 297 00:20:17,835 --> 00:20:20,115 Speaker 1: not a pedophile, you know, like I'm not part of 298 00:20:20,195 --> 00:20:23,955 Speaker 1: that camp. So it's a little bit more socially acceptable, 299 00:20:24,475 --> 00:20:26,635 Speaker 1: that is, to endorse Trump because the Left is so 300 00:20:26,795 --> 00:20:28,715 Speaker 1: evil and I don't know what other word to use 301 00:20:28,755 --> 00:20:31,195 Speaker 1: other than flat out demonic at this point, with the 302 00:20:31,275 --> 00:20:35,635 Speaker 1: fact that they want to normalize pedophilia, madam f you, 303 00:20:36,475 --> 00:20:39,475 Speaker 1: nobody wants to do that. They want to make pedophiles 304 00:20:39,515 --> 00:20:41,915 Speaker 1: basically a type of protected class. Like I said, the 305 00:20:41,955 --> 00:20:44,195 Speaker 1: woman is out of her mind. I don't mean that 306 00:20:44,315 --> 00:20:46,835 Speaker 1: in the legal sense of the world word. I just mean, 307 00:20:46,915 --> 00:20:49,755 Speaker 1: you know, protecting pedophile rights or whatever the heck they're 308 00:20:49,795 --> 00:20:53,115 Speaker 1: going after all of the weird transgender stuff they're doing. 309 00:20:53,355 --> 00:20:56,995 Speaker 1: And then you have these the Ditty Case, the Epstein List, 310 00:20:57,995 --> 00:21:02,315 Speaker 1: Who the hell is on the Epstein List? Dramatic pause, 311 00:21:02,355 --> 00:21:04,715 Speaker 1: and the music. Everybody knows. Everybody knows that it's the 312 00:21:04,755 --> 00:21:07,635 Speaker 1: Democrats supporters that are protecting that Epstein List and are 313 00:21:07,715 --> 00:21:09,755 Speaker 1: quite honestly protecting the ditty list. Because it's in the 314 00:21:09,795 --> 00:21:12,475 Speaker 1: Biden Department of Justice that has that evidence right now. 315 00:21:12,675 --> 00:21:15,115 Speaker 1: They're the ones that rated that place, so everybody knows 316 00:21:15,115 --> 00:21:17,515 Speaker 1: they're a bunch of Democrats. This is a lawyer talking. 317 00:21:18,075 --> 00:21:21,675 Speaker 1: I'd like to see your diploma, please, diploma from the 318 00:21:21,755 --> 00:21:24,955 Speaker 1: crackerjack Box School of Law. I didn't know there was 319 00:21:25,035 --> 00:21:28,355 Speaker 1: such a place. Just a reminder that when Trump or 320 00:21:28,435 --> 00:21:32,475 Speaker 1: the sycophantic lizard people around him are really lying, the 321 00:21:32,715 --> 00:21:37,235 Speaker 1: tell is that phrase everybody knows it means they just 322 00:21:37,355 --> 00:21:40,475 Speaker 1: made something up. Everybody knows Christina Bob is actually eighty 323 00:21:40,555 --> 00:21:44,315 Speaker 1: three years old. Stuff like that. On the other hand, 324 00:21:44,875 --> 00:21:47,315 Speaker 1: to go on that long about this and you begin 325 00:21:47,475 --> 00:21:50,315 Speaker 1: to think, once again, why is this woman? Why are 326 00:21:50,395 --> 00:21:54,035 Speaker 1: they all in the Trump camp so obsessed with kids 327 00:21:54,195 --> 00:21:57,595 Speaker 1: and sex? They spend half of their time talking about it, 328 00:21:57,755 --> 00:22:02,795 Speaker 1: passing laws about it. What kids' bathrooms like are in schools, 329 00:22:03,275 --> 00:22:06,915 Speaker 1: what kids can go into, which bathrooms. They put viewing 330 00:22:06,995 --> 00:22:10,275 Speaker 1: windows in the bathrooms in a middle school in Hanover, PA, 331 00:22:10,715 --> 00:22:12,755 Speaker 1: supposedly to make sure they could tell if any of 332 00:22:12,795 --> 00:22:16,915 Speaker 1: the kids were vaping in there or being truants. Did 333 00:22:16,955 --> 00:22:18,635 Speaker 1: you go to school today, honey, yes, what you do? 334 00:22:18,675 --> 00:22:20,715 Speaker 1: I went to the bathroom for eight hours. If that 335 00:22:20,955 --> 00:22:24,235 Speaker 1: was a suggestion from the Department of Education a window 336 00:22:24,515 --> 00:22:28,915 Speaker 1: in a middle school kid's bathroom, Jamie Comer would be 337 00:22:28,995 --> 00:22:32,075 Speaker 1: conducting a hearing on it, and this idiot Christina Bob 338 00:22:32,115 --> 00:22:35,475 Speaker 1: would be the first witness. I don't know where the 339 00:22:35,595 --> 00:22:38,995 Speaker 1: far rights obsession with the sex and and gender preferences 340 00:22:39,075 --> 00:22:41,715 Speaker 1: of miners came up, but I look at Christina Bob 341 00:22:42,035 --> 00:22:44,075 Speaker 1: and that herman munster head of hers and I think, 342 00:22:44,635 --> 00:22:47,875 Speaker 1: doctor during the delivery, did you have too tight a 343 00:22:47,955 --> 00:22:51,595 Speaker 1: grip on the foresips or something? But the winner the 344 00:22:51,915 --> 00:23:01,115 Speaker 1: worst Chris slecked. Oh he's back, the man who ran 345 00:23:01,315 --> 00:23:04,555 Speaker 1: CNN into the ground. That spent a lot of time 346 00:23:04,755 --> 00:23:09,235 Speaker 1: here quoting Oliver Darcy's media newsletter status because it really 347 00:23:09,315 --> 00:23:12,155 Speaker 1: is the best of a bunch, and Brian Stelter's new 348 00:23:12,235 --> 00:23:15,475 Speaker 1: return to CNN newsletter, which I think he is named Management. 349 00:23:15,675 --> 00:23:20,275 Speaker 1: Isn't it wonderful? It's just so kiss ass. Mister Darcy 350 00:23:20,595 --> 00:23:22,395 Speaker 1: had a big scoop this week. Let me quote some 351 00:23:22,515 --> 00:23:26,515 Speaker 1: of it and I'll annotate it as I go. Chris Lickt, 352 00:23:26,595 --> 00:23:29,795 Speaker 1: he writes, is ready to step back into the public spotlight. 353 00:23:32,275 --> 00:23:34,635 Speaker 1: I'm ready to step back into being twenty eight years 354 00:23:34,675 --> 00:23:38,075 Speaker 1: old again. Nobody asked me to, and nobody's gonna let me. 355 00:23:38,195 --> 00:23:40,635 Speaker 1: But I'm ready to step back into being twenty eight 356 00:23:40,755 --> 00:23:43,395 Speaker 1: years old again. And Chris lick is ready to step 357 00:23:43,435 --> 00:23:47,275 Speaker 1: back into the public spotlight. The x CNN chief, who 358 00:23:47,395 --> 00:23:50,355 Speaker 1: was dismissed last year after a tumultuous run atop the 359 00:23:50,395 --> 00:23:53,395 Speaker 1: news network, is scheduled to deliver remarks at two industry 360 00:23:53,475 --> 00:23:57,075 Speaker 1: conferences following the November election. After spending more than a 361 00:23:57,155 --> 00:24:00,395 Speaker 1: year exiled in the wilderness, the former CNN boss is 362 00:24:00,475 --> 00:24:04,795 Speaker 1: cautiously re emerging with the aim of a playing a 363 00:24:05,035 --> 00:24:10,315 Speaker 1: to be determined role restoring trust in media institutions amid 364 00:24:10,435 --> 00:24:15,035 Speaker 1: the current polarized environment. Quote. I made a conscious decision 365 00:24:15,355 --> 00:24:17,635 Speaker 1: not to be seen for a while and not be 366 00:24:17,795 --> 00:24:22,555 Speaker 1: heard from unquote. Got to say that was a good 367 00:24:22,595 --> 00:24:28,235 Speaker 1: idea by Chris Lickt, his first But given everything that 368 00:24:28,355 --> 00:24:31,115 Speaker 1: is happening, both of these conferences are after the election, 369 00:24:31,315 --> 00:24:33,595 Speaker 1: there's going to be a huge discussion over how things 370 00:24:33,675 --> 00:24:37,595 Speaker 1: go forward, depending on who wins. During our phone conversation, 371 00:24:37,755 --> 00:24:43,235 Speaker 1: Lickt appeared to be in high spirits. Okay, Olivery Darcy, 372 00:24:43,275 --> 00:24:45,355 Speaker 1: I think you're close there. In that last description, what 373 00:24:45,515 --> 00:24:47,995 Speaker 1: licked is saying here is if Trump wins and the 374 00:24:48,075 --> 00:24:52,115 Speaker 1: news outlets that have not filated him yet, like Licht's 375 00:24:52,355 --> 00:24:56,475 Speaker 1: CNN filated him every day, if they erupt in fight 376 00:24:56,675 --> 00:25:00,995 Speaker 1: or flight fear, because Trump would have won, Chris Lickt 377 00:25:01,115 --> 00:25:05,675 Speaker 1: is ready to lead them all in flight right away, 378 00:25:05,955 --> 00:25:10,315 Speaker 1: right away. Lickt wanted to use our time to relay 379 00:25:10,395 --> 00:25:13,595 Speaker 1: that he is genuinely unnerved and worried about the corrosive 380 00:25:13,675 --> 00:25:17,395 Speaker 1: effects that the broken information environment is having on the country. 381 00:25:17,755 --> 00:25:21,075 Speaker 1: He underscored that without a functioning media, the fabric that 382 00:25:21,195 --> 00:25:25,235 Speaker 1: makes up civilization erodes, imperiling us all, and he repeatedly 383 00:25:25,315 --> 00:25:27,715 Speaker 1: said he wanted to be part of the solution, whatever 384 00:25:27,795 --> 00:25:30,915 Speaker 1: that may be. Quote. Everyone is still struggling to find 385 00:25:30,955 --> 00:25:32,955 Speaker 1: the right answer to engage with the public in a 386 00:25:32,995 --> 00:25:36,475 Speaker 1: way that can reverse the trend of people losing trust 387 00:25:36,555 --> 00:25:40,555 Speaker 1: in institutions. Lickt said, I think it's an existential crisis 388 00:25:40,635 --> 00:25:43,875 Speaker 1: for society, and that is not specific to any news organization. 389 00:25:44,155 --> 00:25:46,595 Speaker 1: It is just mass media in general, and it's a 390 00:25:46,675 --> 00:25:49,515 Speaker 1: problem that the country has to solve. It is an 391 00:25:49,635 --> 00:25:56,075 Speaker 1: absolute threat to society. Mister Darcy adroitly and politely notes 392 00:25:56,115 --> 00:25:59,715 Speaker 1: that Chris lick was quote no bystander to the problem 393 00:25:59,795 --> 00:26:05,035 Speaker 1: he describes that is a threat to society, corrosion. That's 394 00:26:05,035 --> 00:26:09,595 Speaker 1: a nice euphemism. Chris Lickt is battery acid. If he 395 00:26:09,715 --> 00:26:13,115 Speaker 1: believed in a moment in journalism, he'd never would have 396 00:26:13,235 --> 00:26:18,035 Speaker 1: associated himself with that manipulator Joe Scarborough, or that opportunist 397 00:26:18,155 --> 00:26:23,555 Speaker 1: Stephen Colbert, or especially the clown college owning CNN, for 398 00:26:23,715 --> 00:26:28,155 Speaker 1: whom the word news is just a brand name. To 399 00:26:28,275 --> 00:26:32,235 Speaker 1: be fair, Oliver Darcy went after him. Lickt lived up 400 00:26:32,275 --> 00:26:35,555 Speaker 1: to his reputation we're down to it. Quote. When I 401 00:26:35,675 --> 00:26:38,315 Speaker 1: asked Lickt how a year later he'd used his time 402 00:26:38,355 --> 00:26:42,195 Speaker 1: at CNN, or whether he had any regrets, he declined 403 00:26:42,275 --> 00:26:48,675 Speaker 1: to answer. I'm not going there, Licht replied. Anybody who 404 00:26:48,755 --> 00:26:54,275 Speaker 1: knows Chris Lickt knows he's going there. Licht said he 405 00:26:54,315 --> 00:26:58,515 Speaker 1: has changed his news consumption habits in taking information quote 406 00:26:58,555 --> 00:27:02,035 Speaker 1: much more like a normal civilian. When pressed as to 407 00:27:02,075 --> 00:27:05,555 Speaker 1: what exactly that means, Licht said he definitely watches much 408 00:27:05,635 --> 00:27:08,435 Speaker 1: less cable news and tries to sample a lot of 409 00:27:08,515 --> 00:27:11,195 Speaker 1: different types of information from a lot of different sources. 410 00:27:11,915 --> 00:27:14,555 Speaker 1: More importantly, Lick said he has spent his time out 411 00:27:14,595 --> 00:27:16,835 Speaker 1: of the public eye trying to learn from an array 412 00:27:16,915 --> 00:27:19,835 Speaker 1: of people he has met over scores of meals, coffees, 413 00:27:19,915 --> 00:27:23,715 Speaker 1: and drinks. In fact, Lick told me he's held hundreds 414 00:27:23,795 --> 00:27:29,275 Speaker 1: of meetings talking to people outside my bubble, outside my 415 00:27:29,515 --> 00:27:38,275 Speaker 1: comfort zone. Okay, so not just personal trainers this time, coffees, meals, drinks, 416 00:27:38,795 --> 00:27:43,115 Speaker 1: hundreds of meetings talking to people he doesn't know. Oh, 417 00:27:43,395 --> 00:27:47,395 Speaker 1: I get it now, Chris Lick is now panhandling. As 418 00:27:47,475 --> 00:27:52,955 Speaker 1: the British say, he's living rough quote. I am working 419 00:27:52,995 --> 00:27:55,995 Speaker 1: on some interesting things, he said, nothing that I'm ready 420 00:27:56,035 --> 00:27:58,595 Speaker 1: to talk about. But there's a lot of exciting things 421 00:27:58,755 --> 00:28:01,955 Speaker 1: happening in this space, as you know. And so I'm 422 00:28:02,115 --> 00:28:07,355 Speaker 1: just trying to figure out where i can be helpful, Chris, 423 00:28:07,955 --> 00:28:11,315 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to figure out where I can be helpful. 424 00:28:11,555 --> 00:28:17,275 Speaker 1: Where you ask, May I suggest Venezuela licked two days 425 00:28:18,115 --> 00:28:37,475 Speaker 1: worst person Ben Now to the number one story in 426 00:28:37,555 --> 00:28:40,395 Speaker 1: the countdown. And since it's the weekend, it's Fridays with Thurber. 427 00:28:41,155 --> 00:28:44,075 Speaker 1: You don't see a lot of new fables anymore. These days. 428 00:28:44,435 --> 00:28:46,995 Speaker 1: People aren't writing as many fables as they used to. 429 00:28:47,115 --> 00:28:50,035 Speaker 1: There was ASoP around five to eighty BC, and then 430 00:28:50,195 --> 00:28:52,795 Speaker 1: James Thrber around nineteen thirty nine, and that's pretty much it. 431 00:28:54,155 --> 00:28:57,675 Speaker 1: Fables require animals to stand in for people. They need 432 00:28:57,795 --> 00:29:00,955 Speaker 1: to be short, they need to be precise, They need 433 00:29:01,035 --> 00:29:03,235 Speaker 1: to end with a moral. They should be, if not 434 00:29:03,395 --> 00:29:06,155 Speaker 1: laugh out loud, funny, at least cry and thought provoking. 435 00:29:07,155 --> 00:29:09,115 Speaker 1: Three years ago, it was my privilege to write the 436 00:29:09,195 --> 00:29:14,075 Speaker 1: foreword to Michael J. Rosen's new volume James Thurber Collected Fables, 437 00:29:14,315 --> 00:29:17,115 Speaker 1: which includes many of the fables that had not previously 438 00:29:17,195 --> 00:29:21,035 Speaker 1: been published in a book. Despite my forward, I suspect 439 00:29:21,115 --> 00:29:25,115 Speaker 1: you will enjoy that book anyway. Thurber published most of 440 00:29:25,195 --> 00:29:28,035 Speaker 1: his fables and most of everything else in the New 441 00:29:28,115 --> 00:29:30,875 Speaker 1: Yorker magazine. He collected twenty eight of them in his 442 00:29:30,995 --> 00:29:34,755 Speaker 1: nineteen forty volume, Fables for Our Time and Famous Poems Illustrated. 443 00:29:35,875 --> 00:29:38,355 Speaker 1: His further Fables for Our Time, came out in nineteen 444 00:29:38,395 --> 00:29:41,475 Speaker 1: fifty six and is heavily influenced by the era of McCarthyism. 445 00:29:42,195 --> 00:29:45,915 Speaker 1: Many of the fables are classics, some are sleepers, all 446 00:29:46,115 --> 00:29:48,475 Speaker 1: are great. Let me give you three of them to 447 00:29:48,595 --> 00:29:52,795 Speaker 1: carry you through the weekend, Starting with maybe maybe the best, 448 00:29:53,955 --> 00:29:59,555 Speaker 1: little misogynistic, but damned fun and certainly the best of 449 00:29:59,635 --> 00:30:02,875 Speaker 1: them in terms of being known to the public. The 450 00:30:03,075 --> 00:30:09,955 Speaker 1: Unicorn in the guard by James Thurber. Once upon a 451 00:30:10,075 --> 00:30:13,275 Speaker 1: sunny morning, a man who sat in a breakfast nook 452 00:30:13,755 --> 00:30:17,315 Speaker 1: looked up from his scrambled eggs to see a white 453 00:30:17,715 --> 00:30:22,635 Speaker 1: unicorn with a golden horn, quietly cropping the roses in 454 00:30:22,755 --> 00:30:25,595 Speaker 1: the garden. The man went up to the bedroom where 455 00:30:25,635 --> 00:30:28,635 Speaker 1: his wife was still asleep, and woke her. There's a 456 00:30:28,795 --> 00:30:33,235 Speaker 1: unicorn in the garden, he said, eating roses. She opened 457 00:30:33,275 --> 00:30:37,075 Speaker 1: one unfriendly eye and looked at him. The unicorn is 458 00:30:37,155 --> 00:30:40,355 Speaker 1: a mythical beast, she said, and turned her back on him. 459 00:30:41,235 --> 00:30:45,195 Speaker 1: The man walked slowly downstairs and out into the garden. 460 00:30:45,915 --> 00:30:49,595 Speaker 1: The unicorn was still there. He was now browsing among 461 00:30:49,675 --> 00:30:54,195 Speaker 1: the tulips. Here, unicorn, said the man, and he pulled 462 00:30:54,275 --> 00:30:57,595 Speaker 1: up a lily and gave it to him. The unicorn 463 00:30:58,155 --> 00:31:03,515 Speaker 1: ate it gravely with a high heart. Because there was 464 00:31:03,595 --> 00:31:06,635 Speaker 1: a unicorn in his garden. The man went upstairs and 465 00:31:06,795 --> 00:31:11,195 Speaker 1: roused his wife again. The unicorn, he said, ay to lily. 466 00:31:12,515 --> 00:31:14,955 Speaker 1: His wife sat up in bed and looked at him coldly. 467 00:31:15,915 --> 00:31:19,155 Speaker 1: You are a booby, she said, and I'm going to 468 00:31:19,195 --> 00:31:22,755 Speaker 1: have you put in the booby hatch. The man, who 469 00:31:22,875 --> 00:31:26,195 Speaker 1: had never liked the words booby and booby hatch, and 470 00:31:26,315 --> 00:31:28,995 Speaker 1: who liked them even less on a shining morning, when 471 00:31:29,035 --> 00:31:32,755 Speaker 1: there was a unicorn in the garden, thought for a moment, 472 00:31:33,875 --> 00:31:37,315 Speaker 1: we'll see about that, he said. He walked over to 473 00:31:37,395 --> 00:31:41,235 Speaker 1: the door. He has a golden horn in the middle 474 00:31:41,235 --> 00:31:44,795 Speaker 1: of his forehead, he told her. Then he went back 475 00:31:44,835 --> 00:31:46,915 Speaker 1: to the garden to watch the unicorn, but the unicorn 476 00:31:46,955 --> 00:31:50,155 Speaker 1: had gone away. The man sat down among the roses 477 00:31:50,195 --> 00:31:54,435 Speaker 1: and went to sleep. As soon as the husband had 478 00:31:54,475 --> 00:31:56,115 Speaker 1: gone out of the house, the wife got up and 479 00:31:56,235 --> 00:31:58,675 Speaker 1: dressed as fast as she could. She was very excited, 480 00:31:58,715 --> 00:32:01,115 Speaker 1: and there was a gloat in her eye. She telephoned 481 00:32:01,115 --> 00:32:03,595 Speaker 1: the police, and she telephoned a psychiatrists. She told them 482 00:32:03,595 --> 00:32:05,555 Speaker 1: to hurry to her house and bring a straight jacket. 483 00:32:05,835 --> 00:32:08,555 Speaker 1: When the police and the psychiatrist arrived, they sat down 484 00:32:08,595 --> 00:32:12,035 Speaker 1: in chairs and looked at her with great interest. My husband, 485 00:32:12,555 --> 00:32:16,915 Speaker 1: she said, saw unicorn this morning. The police looked at 486 00:32:16,955 --> 00:32:20,355 Speaker 1: the psychiatrist, and the psychiatrist looked at the police. He 487 00:32:20,555 --> 00:32:24,795 Speaker 1: told me it ate a lelly, she said. The psychiatrist 488 00:32:24,875 --> 00:32:27,635 Speaker 1: looked at the police, and the police looked at the psychiatrist. 489 00:32:28,115 --> 00:32:30,355 Speaker 1: He told me it had a golden horn in the 490 00:32:30,435 --> 00:32:34,915 Speaker 1: middle of its forehead. She said, had a solemn signal 491 00:32:34,955 --> 00:32:37,915 Speaker 1: from the psychiatrist. The police leaped from their chairs and 492 00:32:38,155 --> 00:32:42,395 Speaker 1: seized the wife. They had a hard time subduing her, 493 00:32:42,475 --> 00:32:45,075 Speaker 1: for she put up a terrific struggle, but they finally 494 00:32:45,195 --> 00:32:48,275 Speaker 1: subdued her just as they got her into the straight jacket. 495 00:32:48,355 --> 00:32:52,795 Speaker 1: The husband came back into the house. Did you tell 496 00:32:52,835 --> 00:32:57,195 Speaker 1: your wife you saw unicorn, asked the police. Of course not, 497 00:32:57,355 --> 00:33:01,635 Speaker 1: said the husband. The unicorn is a mythical beast. That's 498 00:33:01,675 --> 00:33:05,235 Speaker 1: all I wanted to know, said the psychiatrist. Make her away. 499 00:33:05,715 --> 00:33:08,315 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, so h what. Your wife is as crazy 500 00:33:08,355 --> 00:33:12,115 Speaker 1: as a jaybud. So they took her away, cursing and screaming, 501 00:33:12,195 --> 00:33:14,955 Speaker 1: and shut her up in an institution. The husband lived 502 00:33:14,995 --> 00:33:20,515 Speaker 1: happily ever after. Moral don't count your boobies until they 503 00:33:20,555 --> 00:33:26,355 Speaker 1: are hatched. The Unicorn in the Garden by James Thurber 504 00:33:28,075 --> 00:33:31,155 Speaker 1: I promised three. Here's the second one. It's a little 505 00:33:31,235 --> 00:33:36,635 Speaker 1: less joyful and silly. The rabbits who caused all the 506 00:33:36,755 --> 00:33:42,915 Speaker 1: trouble by James thurber within the memory of the youngest child. 507 00:33:43,035 --> 00:33:45,635 Speaker 1: There was a family of rabbits who lived near pack 508 00:33:46,035 --> 00:33:50,395 Speaker 1: of wolves. The wolves announced that they did not like 509 00:33:50,515 --> 00:33:54,475 Speaker 1: the way the rabbits were living. The wolves were crazy 510 00:33:54,475 --> 00:33:56,515 Speaker 1: about the way they themselves were living because it was 511 00:33:56,555 --> 00:34:00,075 Speaker 1: the only way to live. One night, several wolves were 512 00:34:00,155 --> 00:34:02,835 Speaker 1: killed in an earthquake, and this was blamed on the rabbits, 513 00:34:02,875 --> 00:34:06,835 Speaker 1: for it is well known that rabbits pound on the 514 00:34:06,915 --> 00:34:11,155 Speaker 1: ground with their hind legs and cause earthquakes. On another night, 515 00:34:11,435 --> 00:34:14,115 Speaker 1: one of the wolves was killed by a bolt of lightning, 516 00:34:14,155 --> 00:34:16,515 Speaker 1: and this was also blamed on the rabbits, for it 517 00:34:16,675 --> 00:34:23,035 Speaker 1: is well known that lettuce eaters cause lightning. The wolves 518 00:34:23,115 --> 00:34:25,555 Speaker 1: threatened to civilize the rabbits if they didn't behave, and 519 00:34:25,595 --> 00:34:27,875 Speaker 1: the rabbits decided to run away to a desert island, 520 00:34:28,075 --> 00:34:31,475 Speaker 1: but the other animals who lived at a great distance 521 00:34:31,995 --> 00:34:36,035 Speaker 1: shamed them, saying, you must stay where you are and 522 00:34:36,155 --> 00:34:40,275 Speaker 1: be brave. This is no world for escapists. If the 523 00:34:40,315 --> 00:34:43,595 Speaker 1: wolves attack you, we will come to your aid in 524 00:34:43,715 --> 00:34:48,795 Speaker 1: all probability. So the rabbits continued to live near the wolves, 525 00:34:48,915 --> 00:34:51,155 Speaker 1: and one day there was a terrible flood which dround 526 00:34:51,195 --> 00:34:54,875 Speaker 1: a great many wolves. This was blamed on the rabbits, 527 00:34:54,995 --> 00:34:57,395 Speaker 1: for it is well known that carrot nibblers with long 528 00:34:57,515 --> 00:35:02,795 Speaker 1: ears caused floods. The wolves descended upon the rabbits for 529 00:35:02,955 --> 00:35:05,275 Speaker 1: their own good and in prison them in a dark 530 00:35:05,395 --> 00:35:09,955 Speaker 1: cave for their own protection. When nothing was heard about 531 00:35:09,955 --> 00:35:12,275 Speaker 1: the rabbits for some weeks, the other animals demanded to 532 00:35:12,355 --> 00:35:15,955 Speaker 1: know what had happened to them. The wolves replied that 533 00:35:16,075 --> 00:35:19,075 Speaker 1: the rabbits had been eaten, and since they had been eaten, 534 00:35:19,115 --> 00:35:22,955 Speaker 1: the affair was a purely internal matter. But the other 535 00:35:23,035 --> 00:35:25,875 Speaker 1: animals warned that they might possibly unite against the wolves 536 00:35:25,955 --> 00:35:29,035 Speaker 1: unless some reason was given for the destruction of the rabbits. 537 00:35:29,675 --> 00:35:33,275 Speaker 1: So the wolves gave them one. They were trying to escape, 538 00:35:33,835 --> 00:35:37,475 Speaker 1: said the wolves. And as you know, this is no 539 00:35:37,715 --> 00:35:46,195 Speaker 1: world for escapists. Moral run, don't walk to the nearest 540 00:35:46,235 --> 00:35:50,875 Speaker 1: desert island. The rabbits who caused all the trouble by 541 00:35:50,995 --> 00:35:55,315 Speaker 1: James Thurber and one last one. And I have mentioned 542 00:35:55,315 --> 00:35:57,515 Speaker 1: this before in other settings, but I'll mention it again. 543 00:35:58,235 --> 00:36:01,075 Speaker 1: I have a tattoo that pertains to this particular one, 544 00:36:01,595 --> 00:36:04,515 Speaker 1: and I have an ex girlfriend running around who has 545 00:36:04,755 --> 00:36:09,515 Speaker 1: the moral to this one on her shoulders. I wonder how. 546 00:36:09,595 --> 00:36:15,035 Speaker 1: She ever, explained that The Moth and the Star by 547 00:36:15,155 --> 00:36:21,555 Speaker 1: James Thurber, a young and impressionable moth once set his 548 00:36:21,675 --> 00:36:24,995 Speaker 1: heart on a certain star. He told his mother about this, 549 00:36:25,395 --> 00:36:27,595 Speaker 1: and she counseled him to set his heart on a 550 00:36:27,715 --> 00:36:31,435 Speaker 1: bridge lamp instead. Stars aren't the thing to hang around, 551 00:36:31,755 --> 00:36:35,715 Speaker 1: she said, lamp saying the thing to hang around. You 552 00:36:35,835 --> 00:36:39,075 Speaker 1: get somewhere that way, said the moth's father. You don't 553 00:36:39,115 --> 00:36:43,555 Speaker 1: get anywhere chasing stars. But the moth would not heed 554 00:36:43,635 --> 00:36:46,635 Speaker 1: the words of either parent. Every evening, at dusk, when 555 00:36:46,675 --> 00:36:49,235 Speaker 1: the star came out, he would start flying toward it, 556 00:36:49,635 --> 00:36:51,915 Speaker 1: and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home, 557 00:36:52,315 --> 00:36:55,835 Speaker 1: worn out with his vain endeavor. One day, his father 558 00:36:55,955 --> 00:36:58,715 Speaker 1: said to him, you haven't burned a wing in months, boy, 559 00:36:59,195 --> 00:37:00,915 Speaker 1: and it looks to me as if you're never going to. 560 00:37:01,755 --> 00:37:05,435 Speaker 1: All your brothers have been badly burned flying around street lamps, 561 00:37:05,835 --> 00:37:08,875 Speaker 1: and all your sisters have been terribly singed flying around 562 00:37:08,915 --> 00:37:11,155 Speaker 1: house lamps. Come on, now, get out of here and 563 00:37:11,235 --> 00:37:14,235 Speaker 1: get yourself scorched. Big stropping muth like you without a 564 00:37:14,315 --> 00:37:18,435 Speaker 1: muck on him. The moth left his father's house, but 565 00:37:18,555 --> 00:37:20,595 Speaker 1: he would not fly around street lamps, and he would 566 00:37:20,635 --> 00:37:22,795 Speaker 1: not fly around house lamps. He went right on trying 567 00:37:22,795 --> 00:37:26,795 Speaker 1: to reach the star, which was four and one third 568 00:37:26,915 --> 00:37:32,515 Speaker 1: light years or twenty five trillion miles away. The moth 569 00:37:33,155 --> 00:37:34,995 Speaker 1: thought it was just caught in the top of the 570 00:37:35,235 --> 00:37:39,075 Speaker 1: branches of an elm over there. He never did reach 571 00:37:39,155 --> 00:37:41,195 Speaker 1: the star, but he went right on trying night after night. 572 00:37:41,275 --> 00:37:45,115 Speaker 1: When he was a very very old moth, he began 573 00:37:45,235 --> 00:37:48,915 Speaker 1: to think that he really had reached the star, and 574 00:37:48,995 --> 00:37:52,395 Speaker 1: he went around saying so. This gave him a deep 575 00:37:52,835 --> 00:37:57,275 Speaker 1: and lasting pleasure, and he lived to a great old age. 576 00:37:58,675 --> 00:38:01,155 Speaker 1: His parents, and his brothers and his sisters had all 577 00:38:01,195 --> 00:38:05,035 Speaker 1: been burned to death when they were quite young. Tomorrow, 578 00:38:05,795 --> 00:38:09,795 Speaker 1: who flies afar from the sphere of our sorrow is 579 00:38:09,915 --> 00:38:16,315 Speaker 1: here today and here tomorrow. The Moth and the Star 580 00:38:17,435 --> 00:38:33,515 Speaker 1: by James Thurber. I've done all the damage I can 581 00:38:33,555 --> 00:38:35,315 Speaker 1: do here. Thank you for listening. But now back to 582 00:38:35,395 --> 00:38:38,675 Speaker 1: five episodes a week, posting nightly just after midnight Eastern. 583 00:38:39,275 --> 00:38:42,915 Speaker 1: Follow me for the podcast promo videos. They'll tell you 584 00:38:43,035 --> 00:38:46,555 Speaker 1: when the thing is out there. Those videos up here 585 00:38:46,595 --> 00:38:53,035 Speaker 1: on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, x, Instagram, and tickbook. I 586 00:38:53,115 --> 00:38:56,275 Speaker 1: think there is a tickbook isn't there? Once again, there 587 00:38:56,395 --> 00:38:59,755 Speaker 1: is a Monday countdown, and please send this podcast to 588 00:38:59,835 --> 00:39:02,075 Speaker 1: somebody who does not yet know they need to listen, 589 00:39:03,035 --> 00:39:06,275 Speaker 1: but they need to listen. Brian Ray and John Phillip Shanelle, 590 00:39:06,315 --> 00:39:09,355 Speaker 1: the musical directors, have Countdown, arranged, produced and performed most 591 00:39:09,395 --> 00:39:12,595 Speaker 1: of our music. Mister Shanelle handled the orchestration, the keyboards. 592 00:39:12,795 --> 00:39:15,275 Speaker 1: Mister Ray was on the guitars, the bass and the drums. 593 00:39:15,635 --> 00:39:18,995 Speaker 1: It was produced by Tko Brothers. Our satirical and pithy 594 00:39:19,115 --> 00:39:21,715 Speaker 1: musical comments are by the best baseball stadium organist ever, 595 00:39:21,875 --> 00:39:25,915 Speaker 1: Nancy Faust. The sports theme is the Olderman theme from 596 00:39:26,115 --> 00:39:29,075 Speaker 1: ESPN two. It was written by Mitch Warren Davis Curtesy 597 00:39:29,155 --> 00:39:32,715 Speaker 1: of ESPN Inc. Other music arranged and performed by the 598 00:39:32,755 --> 00:39:36,395 Speaker 1: group No Horns Allowed. My announcer today was my friend 599 00:39:36,475 --> 00:39:40,635 Speaker 1: Larry David performing as Bob Sheffield. Everything else is pretty 600 00:39:40,675 --> 00:39:43,595 Speaker 1: much my fault. Let's countdown for today, two weeks and 601 00:39:43,715 --> 00:39:46,915 Speaker 1: four days until the twenty twenty four presidential election, the 602 00:39:47,035 --> 00:39:51,915 Speaker 1: one three and eighty second day since convicted felon dissociative 603 00:39:52,075 --> 00:39:56,435 Speaker 1: fugue Jay Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically elected 604 00:39:56,475 --> 00:39:58,995 Speaker 1: government of the United States, use the election, use the 605 00:39:59,075 --> 00:40:02,275 Speaker 1: mental health system, use presidential immunity to keep him from 606 00:40:02,435 --> 00:40:07,275 Speaker 1: doing it again, while always I'll have a chance. The 607 00:40:07,395 --> 00:40:11,355 Speaker 1: next schedule Countdown is Monday. Bulletin says the news requires 608 00:40:11,795 --> 00:40:14,915 Speaker 1: until then, I'm Keith Olderman. Good morning, good afternoon, good night, 609 00:40:15,355 --> 00:40:34,515 Speaker 1: and good luck. Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production 610 00:40:34,755 --> 00:40:40,035 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 611 00:40:40,155 --> 00:40:43,475 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.