1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,875 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. I'm 2 00:00:21,915 --> 00:00:28,515 Speaker 1: telling you Mini strokes Trump, Mini strokes Donald Trump on 3 00:00:28,755 --> 00:00:34,155 Speaker 1: quote truth unquote social It's a brand name. Zuckerberg admits 4 00:00:34,155 --> 00:00:37,555 Speaker 1: that the White House pushed to suppress Hunter Biden laptop 5 00:00:37,675 --> 00:00:40,595 Speaker 1: story and much more. In other words, the twenty twenty 6 00:00:40,635 --> 00:00:44,915 Speaker 1: presidential election was rigged. This is what everyone's been waiting for. 7 00:00:45,155 --> 00:00:50,035 Speaker 1: The twenty twenty presidential election was rigged. Let me just 8 00:00:50,115 --> 00:00:53,835 Speaker 1: read that operative part again, if I might, Trump writes, 9 00:00:54,075 --> 00:00:58,955 Speaker 1: Zuckerberg admits the White House pushed to suppress Hunter Biden 10 00:00:59,155 --> 00:01:04,675 Speaker 1: laptop story. In other words, the twenty twenty presidential election 11 00:01:05,275 --> 00:01:12,235 Speaker 1: was rigged. So the White House in twenty twenty rigged 12 00:01:12,275 --> 00:01:18,635 Speaker 1: the election, says Trump in twenty twenty. When the president 13 00:01:18,715 --> 00:01:22,795 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty, who pushed the suppression of the Biden 14 00:01:22,915 --> 00:01:29,635 Speaker 1: laptop story. The president in twenty twenty was Trump. Trump 15 00:01:30,275 --> 00:01:35,155 Speaker 1: is not only claiming he rigged the election against himself, 16 00:01:36,115 --> 00:01:40,235 Speaker 1: the White House, he says, the White House. He puts 17 00:01:40,235 --> 00:01:43,395 Speaker 1: the date on it, but the thing is still up 18 00:01:43,395 --> 00:01:48,355 Speaker 1: on his website. He is having a series of episodes 19 00:01:49,075 --> 00:01:54,475 Speaker 1: mini strokes. This is not to absolve him. You will 20 00:01:54,475 --> 00:01:59,035 Speaker 1: recall that on Monday, Trump was caught taking selfies smiling 21 00:01:59,115 --> 00:02:04,435 Speaker 1: with thumbs up at Arlington National Cemetery. NPR now reports 22 00:02:04,475 --> 00:02:09,115 Speaker 1: this was in the area where recent American casualties have 23 00:02:09,195 --> 00:02:13,275 Speaker 1: been buried. It has learned that two members of Trump's 24 00:02:13,275 --> 00:02:17,035 Speaker 1: campaign had a verbal and physical altercation with an official 25 00:02:17,075 --> 00:02:20,035 Speaker 1: at Arlington National Cemetery. A source with knowledge of the 26 00:02:20,035 --> 00:02:23,595 Speaker 1: event said the cemetery official tried to prevent Trump's staffers 27 00:02:23,875 --> 00:02:27,355 Speaker 1: from filming and photographing in a section where recent US 28 00:02:27,395 --> 00:02:30,195 Speaker 1: casualties are buried. The source said Arlington officials had made 29 00:02:30,195 --> 00:02:33,355 Speaker 1: clear that only a cemetery staff member could photograph in 30 00:02:33,395 --> 00:02:37,635 Speaker 1: the area known as Section sixty and by the way, 31 00:02:37,675 --> 00:02:40,475 Speaker 1: as an aside, this is for the privacy of the 32 00:02:40,515 --> 00:02:45,235 Speaker 1: families of the recently deceased, the ones Trump was standing 33 00:02:45,355 --> 00:02:49,755 Speaker 1: on giving a thumbs up and a big stupid shit 34 00:02:49,835 --> 00:02:54,075 Speaker 1: eating grin. To continue the NPR report, When the cemetery 35 00:02:54,075 --> 00:02:57,715 Speaker 1: official tried to prevent Trump campaign staff from entering Section sixty, 36 00:02:57,955 --> 00:03:02,155 Speaker 1: campaign staff verbally abused and pushed the official aside. The 37 00:03:02,355 --> 00:03:06,155 Speaker 1: source said. President Trump participate in a rethlaying ceremony at 38 00:03:06,155 --> 00:03:08,955 Speaker 1: the cemetery on Monday. The event marked the third anniversary 39 00:03:08,955 --> 00:03:12,835 Speaker 1: of a deadly attack on US troops in Afghanistan, as 40 00:03:12,995 --> 00:03:16,035 Speaker 1: US forces withdrew. Is it bad enough? It is never 41 00:03:16,235 --> 00:03:19,995 Speaker 1: bad enough for Donald J. Trump, This humanoid bully he 42 00:03:20,035 --> 00:03:24,595 Speaker 1: has hired to portray the role of spokes idiot, former 43 00:03:24,675 --> 00:03:29,715 Speaker 1: wrestler or something. Stephen Chung. He decided that what this 44 00:03:29,795 --> 00:03:35,515 Speaker 1: needed was an insult against the Arlington Cemetery staffer quote. 45 00:03:35,595 --> 00:03:38,515 Speaker 1: There was no physical altercation as described, and we are 46 00:03:38,555 --> 00:03:42,235 Speaker 1: prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made, 47 00:03:42,915 --> 00:03:46,155 Speaker 1: and PR notes and I would underscore they have not 48 00:03:46,235 --> 00:03:50,355 Speaker 1: released this footage. The fact is it's Trump. There are 49 00:03:50,395 --> 00:03:54,395 Speaker 1: no facts. A private photographer was permitted on the premises 50 00:03:54,435 --> 00:03:58,115 Speaker 1: and for whatever reason, an unnamed individual clearly suffering from 51 00:03:58,155 --> 00:04:02,035 Speaker 1: a mental health episode. I believe we're giving away a 52 00:04:02,035 --> 00:04:04,915 Speaker 1: little too much here, mister Chung. That would be trumping 53 00:04:04,915 --> 00:04:09,275 Speaker 1: the mental health episode, decided to physically block members of 54 00:04:09,355 --> 00:04:13,875 Speaker 1: Trump's team during a very solemn ceremony. Stephen Chung, very 55 00:04:13,915 --> 00:04:18,435 Speaker 1: solemn ceremony with Trump's stubby little thumb in the air, 56 00:04:19,235 --> 00:04:26,995 Speaker 1: smiling next to headstones of dead American heroes, it is 57 00:04:27,115 --> 00:04:31,275 Speaker 1: important to remember, no matter what's going on with him Neurologically, 58 00:04:32,435 --> 00:04:37,395 Speaker 1: Trump is insane, He is unpatriotic, and the next time 59 00:04:38,475 --> 00:04:44,115 Speaker 1: that he goes onto our nation's most hallowed ground, he 60 00:04:44,195 --> 00:04:47,915 Speaker 1: might try to urinate on the graves. We have no 61 00:04:48,035 --> 00:04:51,315 Speaker 1: idea what he could do next. He is that much 62 00:04:51,435 --> 00:05:14,315 Speaker 1: of a psychopath. Happily this reminder that if Trump in 63 00:05:14,355 --> 00:05:17,355 Speaker 1: fact loses in November to Kamala Harris, he will die 64 00:05:17,395 --> 00:05:21,835 Speaker 1: in prison. The superseding indictment that Jack Smith filed yesterday 65 00:05:21,835 --> 00:05:25,835 Speaker 1: in the January sixth insurrection case in Washington was enough 66 00:05:25,875 --> 00:05:27,915 Speaker 1: of a big deal that some of the television networks 67 00:05:27,915 --> 00:05:32,395 Speaker 1: broke into programming without really understanding what they were talking about. 68 00:05:33,035 --> 00:05:35,395 Speaker 1: In point of fact, with a couple of exceptions, it 69 00:05:35,675 --> 00:05:41,035 Speaker 1: is exactly the same set of charges phrased exactly the 70 00:05:41,075 --> 00:05:45,315 Speaker 1: same way, and the difference is the references to President 71 00:05:45,475 --> 00:05:48,835 Speaker 1: Trump have been for the most part changed to candidate 72 00:05:48,915 --> 00:05:53,355 Speaker 1: Trump in order to follow the lead of presidential immunity 73 00:05:54,635 --> 00:05:57,715 Speaker 1: as submitted by Trump's hand picked Supreme Court in its 74 00:05:57,715 --> 00:06:03,275 Speaker 1: attempt to circumvent the Constitution. The January sixth speech, in 75 00:06:03,315 --> 00:06:06,595 Speaker 1: which Trump not very so utly encouraged his gangs to 76 00:06:06,755 --> 00:06:09,835 Speaker 1: attack the Capitol and try to kill congressmen and try 77 00:06:09,835 --> 00:06:11,875 Speaker 1: to kill senators, and try to kill his own vice 78 00:06:11,915 --> 00:06:15,715 Speaker 1: president and interrupt the peaceful transfer of power that is 79 00:06:15,755 --> 00:06:19,275 Speaker 1: now described in the new superseding indictment as quote a 80 00:06:19,395 --> 00:06:26,555 Speaker 1: campaign speech. In short, Jack Smith outsmarted the Court good 81 00:06:26,595 --> 00:06:30,315 Speaker 1: because several members of the Supreme Court should die alongside 82 00:06:30,355 --> 00:06:34,115 Speaker 1: Trump in prison, having spent the rest of their lives there. 83 00:06:35,515 --> 00:06:38,955 Speaker 1: On the other hand, Trump has outsmarted the Governor of Georgia, 84 00:06:39,035 --> 00:06:42,195 Speaker 1: Brian Kemp. Kemp stood up for the members of his 85 00:06:42,275 --> 00:06:45,475 Speaker 1: own party when Trump tried to illegally overturn the twenty 86 00:06:45,515 --> 00:06:48,755 Speaker 1: twenty election results there, and then slandered the people who 87 00:06:48,795 --> 00:06:54,675 Speaker 1: obeyed the law. Trump attacked Kemp as recently as a 88 00:06:54,675 --> 00:06:58,995 Speaker 1: few weeks ago. Tomorrow, the headliner at a Trump fundraiser 89 00:06:59,035 --> 00:07:03,635 Speaker 1: in Atlanta will be Governor Brian Kemp. Is it blackmail? 90 00:07:04,515 --> 00:07:07,635 Speaker 1: Is fear? Is it a diet of forty years of 91 00:07:07,835 --> 00:07:11,475 Speaker 1: right wing propaganda? He is from the South. That could 92 00:07:11,555 --> 00:07:15,315 Speaker 1: very easily be the prospect of the choice being Trump 93 00:07:15,395 --> 00:07:19,635 Speaker 1: or a woman of color. Which is it? I don't 94 00:07:19,635 --> 00:07:23,635 Speaker 1: care anymore. These people, especially those who have lost all 95 00:07:23,755 --> 00:07:27,995 Speaker 1: moral compass after showing briefly that they might have had 96 00:07:28,035 --> 00:07:30,355 Speaker 1: some and then it turned out no, this was just 97 00:07:30,395 --> 00:07:34,275 Speaker 1: another political trick. Those who have lost all moral compass, 98 00:07:34,395 --> 00:07:37,955 Speaker 1: like Brian Kemp, like Nicki Haley, need to be removed 99 00:07:37,995 --> 00:07:42,755 Speaker 1: from public discourse permanently. In some way. We must legally 100 00:07:42,795 --> 00:07:48,275 Speaker 1: determine how the sound you heard late yesterday afternoons, columnist 101 00:07:48,355 --> 00:07:51,275 Speaker 1: after columnist from Chris solicit to everybody at the New 102 00:07:51,355 --> 00:07:55,155 Speaker 1: York Times opinion section hitting the delete key time after 103 00:07:55,235 --> 00:07:59,755 Speaker 1: time after time. Vice President Harris will do her first 104 00:07:59,795 --> 00:08:03,635 Speaker 1: sit down interview since Joe Biden Withdrew. It will be 105 00:08:03,675 --> 00:08:07,435 Speaker 1: with Dana Bash CNN to air tomorrow. It'll be a twofer. 106 00:08:07,955 --> 00:08:12,435 Speaker 1: Tim Walls will join them. This, of course, matters really 107 00:08:12,475 --> 00:08:17,595 Speaker 1: only to CNN and the belt Way. There is no none, 108 00:08:17,715 --> 00:08:21,435 Speaker 1: zero push among the public to force candidates to do interviews. 109 00:08:22,115 --> 00:08:27,155 Speaker 1: Most people, even though most journalists don't, Most people understand 110 00:08:27,195 --> 00:08:30,515 Speaker 1: that the policy issue is this. Who wants a democracy 111 00:08:30,635 --> 00:08:34,315 Speaker 1: or a similar form of representative government. That would be Harris. 112 00:08:34,715 --> 00:08:38,035 Speaker 1: Who does not? That would be Trump? And every other 113 00:08:38,155 --> 00:08:44,915 Speaker 1: policy is subtlety and nuance. To the credit of the 114 00:08:44,955 --> 00:08:48,235 Speaker 1: Harris campaign, they did pick the easiest one. Dana Bash 115 00:08:48,315 --> 00:08:52,435 Speaker 1: occasionally lives up to the term journalists, probably above the average. 116 00:08:52,475 --> 00:08:55,835 Speaker 1: At CNN, she would be a D plus, but usually not. 117 00:08:56,755 --> 00:08:59,755 Speaker 1: She is also lifeless enough that you wonder if they 118 00:08:59,755 --> 00:09:02,155 Speaker 1: have to slip a mirror under her nose periodically to 119 00:09:02,155 --> 00:09:06,995 Speaker 1: make sure she's still you know, of course, after this, 120 00:09:07,675 --> 00:09:11,075 Speaker 1: so as of sometime late Thursday night, what will follow 121 00:09:11,155 --> 00:09:14,915 Speaker 1: next is demands by every other reporter to interview Harris immediately, 122 00:09:16,355 --> 00:09:19,435 Speaker 1: and the replacement complaint to replace the one in which 123 00:09:19,435 --> 00:09:22,515 Speaker 1: they say she hasn't done any sit down interviews, which 124 00:09:22,555 --> 00:09:25,795 Speaker 1: is it has now been filled in the blank days 125 00:09:25,835 --> 00:09:29,075 Speaker 1: since Kamala Harris gave a one on one interview, and 126 00:09:29,195 --> 00:09:32,555 Speaker 1: don't forget there are no press conferences yet, and then 127 00:09:32,795 --> 00:09:35,155 Speaker 1: there will not have been any press conferences while she 128 00:09:35,315 --> 00:09:40,075 Speaker 1: was standing on her head in a bucket of piranha fish. 129 00:09:41,155 --> 00:09:45,155 Speaker 1: To quote the python joke. There is one legitimate criticism here, 130 00:09:45,635 --> 00:09:49,955 Speaker 1: which is, as follows CNN. They're doing this on CNN. 131 00:09:50,835 --> 00:09:53,595 Speaker 1: It's now been x days since Kamala Harris gave an 132 00:09:53,635 --> 00:09:59,675 Speaker 1: interview that anybody saw. This is not polling, per se, 133 00:09:59,875 --> 00:10:02,435 Speaker 1: its analysis, but it continues the thread I talk about 134 00:10:02,475 --> 00:10:05,155 Speaker 1: here every day. To my own disbelief, today some degree 135 00:10:05,235 --> 00:10:08,795 Speaker 1: cook political report has now moved three more states closer 136 00:10:08,795 --> 00:10:12,235 Speaker 1: to Kamala Harris. New Hampshire and Minnesota had been in 137 00:10:12,275 --> 00:10:17,755 Speaker 1: their estimation lean Democrat. They are now likely Democrat, a 138 00:10:17,795 --> 00:10:22,195 Speaker 1: minor distinction, but a meaningful one. More interestingly, North Carolina 139 00:10:22,275 --> 00:10:27,595 Speaker 1: goes from lean Republican to toss up. North Carolina is 140 00:10:28,075 --> 00:10:32,955 Speaker 1: officially from a very conservative, small sea conservative, very slow 141 00:10:33,035 --> 00:10:37,155 Speaker 1: moving political analysis organization. North Carolina is now a toss up. 142 00:10:38,075 --> 00:10:41,915 Speaker 1: This all might explain why Trump has agreed to the 143 00:10:41,915 --> 00:10:48,395 Speaker 1: September tenth debate, or seemed to agree. Listen carefully, I 144 00:10:48,475 --> 00:10:55,395 Speaker 1: have reached an agreement. I have reached an agreement with 145 00:10:55,475 --> 00:10:59,275 Speaker 1: the radical left Democrats for a debate with Comrade Kamala Harris. 146 00:11:00,995 --> 00:11:04,275 Speaker 1: That's not the way a normal human being would say it, 147 00:11:04,875 --> 00:11:08,475 Speaker 1: or without many strokes, you'd say, the debate is on. 148 00:11:09,155 --> 00:11:15,195 Speaker 1: I will debate September tenth debate DEBATEMI. It will be 149 00:11:15,195 --> 00:11:19,515 Speaker 1: broadcast live on ABC, fake news by far, the nastiest 150 00:11:19,515 --> 00:11:23,475 Speaker 1: and most unfair newscaster in the business. Well, a newscaster 151 00:11:23,635 --> 00:11:26,675 Speaker 1: is a person. ABC would be a news organization moron 152 00:11:27,195 --> 00:11:31,235 Speaker 1: on Tuesday, September tenth in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The rules will 153 00:11:31,275 --> 00:11:34,235 Speaker 1: be the same as the last CNN debate, which seemed 154 00:11:34,275 --> 00:11:36,955 Speaker 1: to work out well for everyone except perhaps Biden. The 155 00:11:36,995 --> 00:11:41,075 Speaker 1: debate will be stand up and candidates cannot bring notes 156 00:11:41,155 --> 00:11:43,475 Speaker 1: or cheat sheets. We have also been given assurance by 157 00:11:43,515 --> 00:11:45,995 Speaker 1: ABC that this will be a fair and equitable that's 158 00:11:46,035 --> 00:11:50,835 Speaker 1: in quotes, fair and equitable debate. As an aside, you 159 00:11:50,875 --> 00:11:53,635 Speaker 1: will have noticed that recently he has been falling back 160 00:11:53,755 --> 00:11:58,915 Speaker 1: on terms that you usually find in agreements about property. 161 00:11:59,635 --> 00:12:06,075 Speaker 1: Fair and equitable is a rental or purchase agreement term. 162 00:12:06,435 --> 00:12:09,155 Speaker 1: To continue Trump's statement and that neither side will be 163 00:12:09,155 --> 00:12:12,515 Speaker 1: given the questions in advance. No Dona Brazil this time 164 00:12:12,595 --> 00:12:16,795 Speaker 1: he spelled Brazil's name correctly. Harris would not agree to 165 00:12:16,795 --> 00:12:19,115 Speaker 1: the Fox News debate on September fourth, but that date 166 00:12:19,115 --> 00:12:21,475 Speaker 1: will be held open in case she changes her mind 167 00:12:21,635 --> 00:12:24,235 Speaker 1: or flip flops, as she has done on every single 168 00:12:24,235 --> 00:12:28,115 Speaker 1: one of her long held and cherished policy beliefs. That's 169 00:12:28,115 --> 00:12:30,995 Speaker 1: too clever by half. Nobody who follows Trump will understand 170 00:12:31,035 --> 00:12:34,235 Speaker 1: he's being sarcastic. A possible third debate, which would go 171 00:12:34,275 --> 00:12:37,155 Speaker 1: to NBC Fake News, has not been agreed to by 172 00:12:37,155 --> 00:12:41,955 Speaker 1: the radical left. He goes through several of the rules 173 00:12:41,955 --> 00:12:44,075 Speaker 1: that will continue from the C and N debate. But 174 00:12:44,155 --> 00:12:49,435 Speaker 1: there was no mention of muted microphones. Why was that 175 00:12:50,515 --> 00:12:53,355 Speaker 1: no mention of muted microphones? And he did not say 176 00:12:53,995 --> 00:12:56,275 Speaker 1: that he will be debating. He said he had agreed 177 00:12:56,435 --> 00:13:02,235 Speaker 1: to it. You will recall that yesterday Senior Harris guru 178 00:13:02,315 --> 00:13:05,395 Speaker 1: Brian Fallon said, we suspect Trump's team has not even 179 00:13:05,435 --> 00:13:07,875 Speaker 1: told their boss about this dispute because it would be 180 00:13:07,915 --> 00:13:09,955 Speaker 1: too embarrassing to admit. They don't think he can handle 181 00:13:10,035 --> 00:13:12,555 Speaker 1: himself against Vice President Harris without the benefit of a 182 00:13:12,635 --> 00:13:16,995 Speaker 1: mute button. CNN now reports Trump's handlers are trying to 183 00:13:17,115 --> 00:13:20,195 Speaker 1: mute him on the debate stage. They want the mute 184 00:13:20,195 --> 00:13:22,915 Speaker 1: because they know he will not look presidential. Per their 185 00:13:22,955 --> 00:13:26,595 Speaker 1: reporter Elena Treen, they don't want him to come off 186 00:13:26,635 --> 00:13:29,115 Speaker 1: looking like a bully. They want him to tone down 187 00:13:29,115 --> 00:13:34,355 Speaker 1: his rhetoric. That is potentially even more important now. Before 188 00:13:34,395 --> 00:13:37,355 Speaker 1: he posted he'd reached an agreement. And again that's not 189 00:13:37,395 --> 00:13:42,075 Speaker 1: saying I'm doing the debate, just that he's reached an agreement. 190 00:13:42,635 --> 00:13:46,155 Speaker 1: And god knows how many agreements Trump has gotten out 191 00:13:46,155 --> 00:13:50,955 Speaker 1: of in his careers. Trump wrote something really bizarre, even 192 00:13:50,995 --> 00:13:55,515 Speaker 1: for him from one fourteen yesterday afternoon. You know, if 193 00:13:55,555 --> 00:13:58,715 Speaker 1: Biden didn't do the debate, he would be the Democrat 194 00:13:58,835 --> 00:14:02,195 Speaker 1: candidate for president right now. The fact is debater, no debate. 195 00:14:02,275 --> 00:14:05,515 Speaker 1: Democrats really did a number on him. The main confident 196 00:14:05,595 --> 00:14:07,635 Speaker 1: that Trump is still trying to find a way out 197 00:14:07,675 --> 00:14:12,275 Speaker 1: of doing this debate. I mean, other than he still 198 00:14:12,315 --> 00:14:15,635 Speaker 1: thinks somehow he can force Biden to be the nominee 199 00:14:15,755 --> 00:14:18,955 Speaker 1: or something. He still harbors that hope. What did that 200 00:14:19,035 --> 00:14:21,835 Speaker 1: statement mean? Is it an excuse for him to not 201 00:14:21,915 --> 00:14:25,395 Speaker 1: debate Harris out of some sort of fake empathy for Biden. 202 00:14:25,755 --> 00:14:28,675 Speaker 1: I can't abide by what you did to Biden. Only 203 00:14:28,715 --> 00:14:32,595 Speaker 1: I can abuse Biden. Is it something he thinks will 204 00:14:32,595 --> 00:14:35,595 Speaker 1: cause his supporters to say, oh, no way, you should 205 00:14:35,595 --> 00:14:39,675 Speaker 1: debate again, sir? Is it I already won that debate 206 00:14:39,715 --> 00:14:41,555 Speaker 1: and I want it so much Biden dropped out. I 207 00:14:41,595 --> 00:14:46,715 Speaker 1: don't need to debate again. I mean, what the hell? 208 00:14:46,875 --> 00:14:49,995 Speaker 1: That statement doesn't make any sense. Combine it with the 209 00:14:50,035 --> 00:14:52,075 Speaker 1: previous one, in which he does not say I'll be 210 00:14:52,155 --> 00:14:54,875 Speaker 1: at the debate, just says he's agreed to one. And 211 00:14:54,915 --> 00:14:56,835 Speaker 1: I don't think anything is more firm now than it 212 00:14:56,915 --> 00:15:00,875 Speaker 1: was before. And by the way, from morning Consult voters 213 00:15:00,955 --> 00:15:04,355 Speaker 1: are only slightly more likely to say weird better describes 214 00:15:04,515 --> 00:15:07,275 Speaker 1: the Republican Party than the Democratic Party thirty four to 215 00:15:07,315 --> 00:15:10,995 Speaker 1: twenty nine percent, suggesting that the rhetorical jab has yet 216 00:15:11,035 --> 00:15:14,515 Speaker 1: to catch fire beyond the confines of liberal corners of 217 00:15:14,555 --> 00:15:20,195 Speaker 1: social media. I feel seen Democrats' small advantage on the 218 00:15:20,275 --> 00:15:22,755 Speaker 1: question is driven by their own voters, who are slightly 219 00:15:22,795 --> 00:15:25,475 Speaker 1: more likely than GOP voters to say that word better 220 00:15:25,475 --> 00:15:29,075 Speaker 1: describes the other party Morning Consult continues. The branding effort 221 00:15:29,115 --> 00:15:32,555 Speaker 1: also appears to be resonating better with non white voters, 222 00:15:32,835 --> 00:15:36,315 Speaker 1: especially black voters, who are thirty five points more likely 223 00:15:36,355 --> 00:15:39,835 Speaker 1: to view the GOP as weird than the Democratic Party, 224 00:15:40,115 --> 00:15:45,315 Speaker 1: the largest gap along racial or ethnic lines. I once 225 00:15:45,435 --> 00:15:48,875 Speaker 1: asked Kevin Costner when I was working the Red carpet 226 00:15:48,915 --> 00:15:51,995 Speaker 1: one year in nineteen ninety nine at the Oscars. I 227 00:15:52,035 --> 00:15:53,915 Speaker 1: asked him a question for a feature I was doing 228 00:15:53,995 --> 00:15:57,395 Speaker 1: as a non writer, a non entertainment writer doing for 229 00:15:57,435 --> 00:15:59,395 Speaker 1: the La Times. I said, what do you think of 230 00:15:59,395 --> 00:16:01,715 Speaker 1: the idea of having like a six hour pregame show 231 00:16:01,715 --> 00:16:04,115 Speaker 1: for the Oscars the way they do for the Super Bowl? 232 00:16:04,195 --> 00:16:07,955 Speaker 1: And Kevin and said, I think we already know too 233 00:16:08,035 --> 00:16:10,995 Speaker 1: much about the things we already know about, which I 234 00:16:10,995 --> 00:16:12,835 Speaker 1: thought was a wonderful quote. He came back to me 235 00:16:12,875 --> 00:16:14,955 Speaker 1: about five minutes later and said, could you not run that? 236 00:16:15,195 --> 00:16:18,995 Speaker 1: I sound like Yogi bearra if we are now polling, 237 00:16:19,355 --> 00:16:25,155 Speaker 1: actually polling on which minority or racial or ethnic group, 238 00:16:25,475 --> 00:16:30,395 Speaker 1: or demographic or age group or majority group or group 239 00:16:30,435 --> 00:16:32,835 Speaker 1: of people whose last names begin with the letter G 240 00:16:33,515 --> 00:16:35,875 Speaker 1: over which one of them believes the Democrats are less 241 00:16:35,875 --> 00:16:38,635 Speaker 1: weird than the Republicans. We may know too much about 242 00:16:38,635 --> 00:16:42,755 Speaker 1: the things we already know about, but more importantly that number, 243 00:16:43,355 --> 00:16:46,915 Speaker 1: that it's only thirty four to twenty nine. I'm sorry 244 00:16:46,955 --> 00:16:50,275 Speaker 1: to become the coach yelling at the team that just 245 00:16:50,355 --> 00:16:53,635 Speaker 1: came from three touchdowns down to go ahead by five 246 00:16:53,715 --> 00:16:56,235 Speaker 1: or six points. But Madame Vice President, this is not 247 00:16:56,395 --> 00:17:01,475 Speaker 1: good enough. The Republicans are existentially weird, and a five 248 00:17:01,555 --> 00:17:06,915 Speaker 1: point lead over them in weird team needs to push 249 00:17:07,235 --> 00:17:13,435 Speaker 1: harder on this. To go back to doctor Strangelove and 250 00:17:13,515 --> 00:17:17,875 Speaker 1: George C. Scott as General Turgenson, we must not allow 251 00:17:18,555 --> 00:17:31,035 Speaker 1: a weirdness gap. Also, the headlines read Telsey Gabbard and 252 00:17:31,115 --> 00:17:34,355 Speaker 1: Robert F. Kennedy Junior added to Trump transition BOYD did 253 00:17:34,395 --> 00:17:38,035 Speaker 1: that surprised me. I thought, holy crap, Trump is transitioning. 254 00:17:38,875 --> 00:17:42,115 Speaker 1: Shouldn't this be a bigger story. Turned out they meant 255 00:17:42,155 --> 00:17:49,195 Speaker 1: transition team. I'd be surprised if either of them transitioned 256 00:17:49,195 --> 00:17:52,755 Speaker 1: into a human being or an American. Once again, to 257 00:17:52,835 --> 00:17:55,955 Speaker 1: alter the Rodney dangerfield quote, as Thornton mellon from Back 258 00:17:55,955 --> 00:17:58,675 Speaker 1: to School, Here's what this is all about. If you 259 00:17:58,715 --> 00:18:01,435 Speaker 1: want to look sane, you hang out with crazy people. 260 00:18:02,075 --> 00:18:04,875 Speaker 1: This applies equally to Gabbard, RFK and of course Trump 261 00:18:06,955 --> 00:18:10,195 Speaker 1: and maybe trump spokes liar Stephen Chung, who we visited 262 00:18:10,195 --> 00:18:14,595 Speaker 1: with earlier, who gets the self awareness Award for complaining 263 00:18:14,595 --> 00:18:18,235 Speaker 1: to the Washington Post about the Harris campaign and how 264 00:18:18,275 --> 00:18:22,395 Speaker 1: it is I swear it says this. The Harris campaign 265 00:18:22,595 --> 00:18:27,275 Speaker 1: is mocking Trump on social media, and Stephen Chung and 266 00:18:27,355 --> 00:18:32,435 Speaker 1: Donald Trump are butt hurt. Acting like whiney school children 267 00:18:32,515 --> 00:18:35,515 Speaker 1: is not a political strategy, Chung says, but it is 268 00:18:35,555 --> 00:18:38,355 Speaker 1: a coping mechanism for the Kamala campaign, who knows they 269 00:18:38,395 --> 00:18:41,835 Speaker 1: have a weak candidate incapable of being authentic. If anyone 270 00:18:41,875 --> 00:18:45,275 Speaker 1: thinks that using emojis is some cutting edge message technique, 271 00:18:45,435 --> 00:18:48,435 Speaker 1: they're severely out of touch. With reality and the seriousness 272 00:18:48,435 --> 00:18:53,955 Speaker 1: of the challenges Americans face. So you heard him, No emojis. 273 00:18:54,395 --> 00:19:00,355 Speaker 1: Emojis are for Whiney's school children. Racist and sexist and 274 00:19:00,475 --> 00:19:05,115 Speaker 1: anti semitic and violent memes and stupid ass nick names. 275 00:19:05,395 --> 00:19:12,995 Speaker 1: Those are what serious presidential candidates use. I got one question. 276 00:19:13,395 --> 00:19:16,795 Speaker 1: Is there an emoji or a meme for a mini 277 00:19:16,915 --> 00:19:25,675 Speaker 1: stroke asking for a friend? Also of interest here, it 278 00:19:25,755 --> 00:19:28,115 Speaker 1: is rare when a former worst Person comes back and 279 00:19:28,195 --> 00:19:32,115 Speaker 1: wins the award years later in an entirely new category. 280 00:19:32,715 --> 00:19:35,595 Speaker 1: But a TV reporter fired for showing up in a 281 00:19:35,635 --> 00:19:39,475 Speaker 1: bikini on tape at the house of a guy she 282 00:19:39,595 --> 00:19:43,115 Speaker 1: was doing an investigative report on after his wife disappeared. 283 00:19:44,115 --> 00:19:46,635 Speaker 1: She is now about to be fired for mocking Tim 284 00:19:46,675 --> 00:19:49,915 Speaker 1: Walls's son. And the twist, not only is she a 285 00:19:50,035 --> 00:19:52,955 Speaker 1: right wing media nut job now, but she's also the 286 00:19:53,115 --> 00:19:57,075 Speaker 1: volleyball coach at a public school with a special and 287 00:19:57,235 --> 00:20:04,595 Speaker 1: exemplary department dedicated to special needs high school kids. That's next. 288 00:20:04,755 --> 00:20:31,075 Speaker 1: This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Olberman stell 289 00:20:31,115 --> 00:20:33,675 Speaker 1: ahead of us on this ediative countdown. So lou Dobbs 290 00:20:33,675 --> 00:20:36,475 Speaker 1: has been dead for like six weeks now and just 291 00:20:36,635 --> 00:20:39,355 Speaker 1: yesterday I found myself explaining to an old friend who 292 00:20:39,355 --> 00:20:43,395 Speaker 1: didn't know that Lou Dobbs's inability to keep his pants 293 00:20:43,435 --> 00:20:46,995 Speaker 1: on while he was living directly led to the start 294 00:20:47,035 --> 00:20:50,675 Speaker 1: of my television career a scant forty three years ago. 295 00:20:50,715 --> 00:20:55,555 Speaker 1: This month, Hey baby, I work for Cable News Network. 296 00:20:55,795 --> 00:21:00,475 Speaker 1: If you get my drift, stocks are up ahead in things. 297 00:21:00,515 --> 00:21:04,115 Speaker 1: I promised not to tell what I'm supposed to respect 298 00:21:04,155 --> 00:21:07,835 Speaker 1: him because he's dead. First, there are still more new 299 00:21:07,835 --> 00:21:10,555 Speaker 1: idiots to talk about. The daily round up, the miss Grants, morons, 300 00:21:10,595 --> 00:21:14,475 Speaker 1: undunning Kruger effects specimens who constitute today's worst persons in 301 00:21:14,515 --> 00:21:19,115 Speaker 1: the world. Respect. I never respected him when he was alive. 302 00:21:19,915 --> 00:21:24,035 Speaker 1: The Bronze worst Bill Mitchell talk about lack of respect. 303 00:21:24,515 --> 00:21:28,275 Speaker 1: He is chairman of Your Voice America, and he's also 304 00:21:29,035 --> 00:21:32,995 Speaker 1: a human weather van. As near as I can figure, 305 00:21:33,075 --> 00:21:37,235 Speaker 1: this is the plot of his course in Republican party 306 00:21:37,475 --> 00:21:41,675 Speaker 1: circles since twenty fifteen. Hated Trump, liked Trump, hated Trump, 307 00:21:41,795 --> 00:21:44,675 Speaker 1: liked Trump, wanted Trump to drop out, wanted Trump to 308 00:21:44,715 --> 00:21:49,395 Speaker 1: stay in, supported Trump, rooted for Trump, demanded Trump, resign, 309 00:21:49,915 --> 00:21:53,395 Speaker 1: got rid of Trump, disavowed Trump, got rid of his 310 00:21:53,795 --> 00:21:58,035 Speaker 1: Twitter account, came back supported Trump, supported Trump some more 311 00:21:58,635 --> 00:22:01,875 Speaker 1: now demanding Trump be elected. I've lost track how many 312 00:22:01,875 --> 00:22:04,275 Speaker 1: times it is. It might be thirty five more times 313 00:22:04,315 --> 00:22:07,755 Speaker 1: that I've for got. Now he likes Trump again. Why 314 00:22:07,795 --> 00:22:12,235 Speaker 1: are the Democrats, he writes, completely uninterested in the investigation 315 00:22:12,315 --> 00:22:16,195 Speaker 1: of the Trump assassination attempt? Hold on before we go 316 00:22:16,315 --> 00:22:20,715 Speaker 1: into this bill. Got a surprise in a reply from 317 00:22:20,755 --> 00:22:25,315 Speaker 1: Congressional reporter Jamie Dupree, who wrote, all six Democrats on 318 00:22:25,355 --> 00:22:29,155 Speaker 1: the Trump Shooting Task Force showed up in Butler, Pennsylvania 319 00:22:29,435 --> 00:22:33,755 Speaker 1: for a site visit on Monday. Four of the seven 320 00:22:33,915 --> 00:22:40,635 Speaker 1: GOP lawmakers on that House panel missed the trip. Who 321 00:22:40,715 --> 00:22:44,355 Speaker 1: is it that are completely uninterested in the investigation of 322 00:22:44,395 --> 00:22:51,235 Speaker 1: the Trump assassination attempt? Phil wor Sir the Silver Donald himself. 323 00:22:51,715 --> 00:22:54,755 Speaker 1: There's lots to complain about h R. McMaster, who was 324 00:22:54,795 --> 00:22:59,595 Speaker 1: Trump's National security advisor, but McMaster did point out that 325 00:22:59,635 --> 00:23:06,155 Speaker 1: Trump negotiated with the Taliban, forced the Afghanistan government to 326 00:23:06,195 --> 00:23:09,075 Speaker 1: release five thousand of some of the most heinous people 327 00:23:09,155 --> 00:23:12,435 Speaker 1: on earth, as McMaster put it, and he added, and 328 00:23:12,595 --> 00:23:17,235 Speaker 1: stopped the active targeting of the Taliban in Afghanistan When 329 00:23:17,275 --> 00:23:21,755 Speaker 1: he said that. Even Anderson Cooper noticed he did something 330 00:23:21,755 --> 00:23:25,435 Speaker 1: that I thought was not allowed. On CNN, he asked 331 00:23:25,435 --> 00:23:30,475 Speaker 1: a follow up question, Cooper, the Trump administration forced the 332 00:23:30,515 --> 00:23:35,275 Speaker 1: Afghan government to release five thousand Taliban. The answer from 333 00:23:35,395 --> 00:23:40,715 Speaker 1: hr McMaster correct. So Trump forced the release of five 334 00:23:41,035 --> 00:23:46,435 Speaker 1: thousand Taliban terrorists, then caused Republicans to stop all the 335 00:23:46,555 --> 00:23:50,275 Speaker 1: border security in this country and the deal to increase it, 336 00:23:50,635 --> 00:23:54,035 Speaker 1: and then boasted the terrorists, including from the Middle East, 337 00:23:54,075 --> 00:23:58,435 Speaker 1: were coming into this country over that border. So Trump's 338 00:23:58,635 --> 00:24:02,475 Speaker 1: guilty of treason. Again, harasked him, he's at trade tour. 339 00:24:03,195 --> 00:24:06,035 Speaker 1: I don't care if he's having mini strokes put them 340 00:24:06,075 --> 00:24:10,995 Speaker 1: behind bars. But our winner, I have to say, I 341 00:24:11,075 --> 00:24:15,835 Speaker 1: love this woman's ingenuity. Do you remember her Amy Jacobson. 342 00:24:16,515 --> 00:24:20,235 Speaker 1: Amy Jacobson was the Chicago TV news reporter who got 343 00:24:20,275 --> 00:24:23,635 Speaker 1: fired in two thousand and seven after while she was 344 00:24:23,675 --> 00:24:27,155 Speaker 1: doing an investigative report on a guy whose wife had disappeared, 345 00:24:27,915 --> 00:24:31,395 Speaker 1: video turned up of her at the guy's house and 346 00:24:31,435 --> 00:24:36,035 Speaker 1: she's in the video and she's in a bathing suit. 347 00:24:37,475 --> 00:24:40,155 Speaker 1: She got fired and then her husband filed for divorce 348 00:24:40,235 --> 00:24:46,955 Speaker 1: against her. Remember her, Amy Jacobson? Well, Now, unsurprisingly, as 349 00:24:47,115 --> 00:24:51,715 Speaker 1: all of the tumbling tumbleweeds blow over to this role. 350 00:24:52,355 --> 00:24:55,755 Speaker 1: Everybody who got caught being a jackass winds up as 351 00:24:55,755 --> 00:24:58,915 Speaker 1: a right wing nut job radio host or a member 352 00:24:58,995 --> 00:25:06,235 Speaker 1: of the Trump transition team. She's on wid in Chicago, fittingly, 353 00:25:08,315 --> 00:25:11,915 Speaker 1: what have you got on that radio? I've got wind? 354 00:25:11,475 --> 00:25:15,595 Speaker 1: And guess who she mocked in the August twenty second show, 355 00:25:16,635 --> 00:25:21,475 Speaker 1: Gus Walls, governor and vice presidential candidate Tim Walls's son, 356 00:25:22,635 --> 00:25:25,915 Speaker 1: the young man with the nonverbal learning disorder. She mimicked 357 00:25:25,995 --> 00:25:29,795 Speaker 1: Gus's emotional reaction to his dad's acceptance speech at the 358 00:25:29,795 --> 00:25:33,395 Speaker 1: Democratic National Convention. As you know, Gus is seventeen years old. 359 00:25:35,035 --> 00:25:36,795 Speaker 1: If that were Baron Trump, who had been mocked that 360 00:25:36,875 --> 00:25:39,435 Speaker 1: way by the liberals, I don't know, Trump would have 361 00:25:39,475 --> 00:25:45,155 Speaker 1: taken hostages by now. Jacobson's co host compared Gus Walls 362 00:25:45,235 --> 00:25:49,435 Speaker 1: to a Chris Farley character, and Jacobson laughed and laughed 363 00:25:49,435 --> 00:25:52,915 Speaker 1: and laughed. And this is bad enough. As we've seen, 364 00:25:53,075 --> 00:25:56,675 Speaker 1: even Ann Coulter felt a measure of remorse about doing 365 00:25:56,715 --> 00:26:01,075 Speaker 1: the same thing. But this gets much worse. Amy Jacobson 366 00:26:01,155 --> 00:26:05,315 Speaker 1: is the clubhouse leader in the insulting Gus Wall and 367 00:26:05,395 --> 00:26:09,075 Speaker 1: showing a total lack of humanity and showing your ass, 368 00:26:09,875 --> 00:26:14,835 Speaker 1: as they say, full the ass not unfamiliar to her 369 00:26:15,035 --> 00:26:16,875 Speaker 1: from from the two thousand and seven story. Come to 370 00:26:16,915 --> 00:26:19,675 Speaker 1: think of it, See, because Amy Jacobson is not just 371 00:26:19,755 --> 00:26:23,075 Speaker 1: a right wing nut job on Chicago radio. She's also 372 00:26:23,275 --> 00:26:27,915 Speaker 1: head coach of the varsity boys and girls volleyball teams 373 00:26:28,435 --> 00:26:32,355 Speaker 1: at Roiled Amundson High School in Chicago. And guess what 374 00:26:32,395 --> 00:26:36,515 Speaker 1: they have at Aminson High School in Chicago. Apart from 375 00:26:36,715 --> 00:26:41,035 Speaker 1: periodic Arctic expeditions. I suppose they have a large so 376 00:26:41,155 --> 00:26:47,915 Speaker 1: called cluster program designed for high school kids with learning disabilities. 377 00:26:48,595 --> 00:26:51,635 Speaker 1: It's such a good program they have at Alminson that 378 00:26:52,235 --> 00:26:56,675 Speaker 1: licensed therapists who treat these kids and help them out. 379 00:26:56,715 --> 00:27:00,795 Speaker 1: Many of them send their kids specifically to this school. 380 00:27:01,475 --> 00:27:05,475 Speaker 1: So the volleyball coach at the school helping special needs 381 00:27:05,595 --> 00:27:09,355 Speaker 1: kids mocked the special needs kid of the Democratic vice 382 00:27:09,355 --> 00:27:12,755 Speaker 1: presidential candidate, who himself used to be a football coach 383 00:27:13,075 --> 00:27:16,435 Speaker 1: at a high school in Minnesota. Well, guess what the 384 00:27:16,515 --> 00:27:22,275 Speaker 1: parents at Aminsen want. They want coach Amy fired, and hell, 385 00:27:22,315 --> 00:27:24,755 Speaker 1: they want the guy who's jokes she laughed at. A 386 00:27:24,795 --> 00:27:28,275 Speaker 1: guy named Dan Proft, fired two from his job. But oh, 387 00:27:28,595 --> 00:27:31,155 Speaker 1: according to the Chicago trib what do you know, looks 388 00:27:31,195 --> 00:27:34,435 Speaker 1: like he's already been removed as a board member of 389 00:27:35,155 --> 00:27:41,275 Speaker 1: Envision Unlimited, which is, what else a disability advocacy organization. 390 00:27:43,555 --> 00:27:47,995 Speaker 1: So anyway, Wind should fire this clown Jacobson, and obviously 391 00:27:48,035 --> 00:27:51,515 Speaker 1: the school has to fire her. But happily, Amy Jacobson, 392 00:27:51,555 --> 00:27:57,235 Speaker 1: you can always go back into TV reporting. Oh right, 393 00:27:58,555 --> 00:28:23,875 Speaker 1: Amy Jacobson unemployable? Two days? Whis Tyson now to the 394 00:28:24,035 --> 00:28:27,275 Speaker 1: number one story on this all new edition of Countdown? 395 00:28:27,475 --> 00:28:30,395 Speaker 1: And it's that time of year again. It's August when 396 00:28:30,395 --> 00:28:35,075 Speaker 1: the odometer turns over and my TV debut becomes forty 397 00:28:35,635 --> 00:28:41,115 Speaker 1: three years ago. This holy crap, and it all owes 398 00:28:41,155 --> 00:28:45,075 Speaker 1: to Ted Turner and Lou Dobbs. Part of this I've 399 00:28:45,075 --> 00:28:50,235 Speaker 1: told before. I actually interviewed with Cable News Network twice, 400 00:28:51,075 --> 00:28:54,435 Speaker 1: once in April nineteen eighty when they were not yet 401 00:28:54,475 --> 00:28:57,115 Speaker 1: on the air, and after that interview I saw no 402 00:28:57,235 --> 00:28:59,755 Speaker 1: reason they ever would be. I wrote in my diary 403 00:28:59,795 --> 00:29:01,915 Speaker 1: there's no chance they're ever going to get it on 404 00:29:01,955 --> 00:29:03,435 Speaker 1: the air in time. They were supposed to go on 405 00:29:03,475 --> 00:29:08,075 Speaker 1: in September. Because the New York Bureau of CNN consisted 406 00:29:08,115 --> 00:29:13,195 Speaker 1: of one coffee table, a couple of chairs, one coffee machine, 407 00:29:13,515 --> 00:29:18,395 Speaker 1: a stairwell, one unisex bathroom, and one staffer New York 408 00:29:18,435 --> 00:29:21,915 Speaker 1: Bureau chief Mary Alice Williams. Plus the day I went there, 409 00:29:22,275 --> 00:29:25,475 Speaker 1: CNN Sports president Bill McPhail made it two staffers. He 410 00:29:25,475 --> 00:29:29,995 Speaker 1: was up from Atlanta after a long year. My phone 411 00:29:30,075 --> 00:29:32,155 Speaker 1: rang one day and McPhail asked me to fill in 412 00:29:32,195 --> 00:29:35,155 Speaker 1: for two weeks. In two weeks for their New York 413 00:29:35,195 --> 00:29:39,035 Speaker 1: sports reporter. I had no television experience at all. Well, 414 00:29:39,155 --> 00:29:43,755 Speaker 1: I'd watched it. She was going on vacation on August third, sooner, 415 00:29:43,835 --> 00:29:46,915 Speaker 1: McPhail added if the baseball strike ended before then. Her 416 00:29:46,995 --> 00:29:49,635 Speaker 1: name was Debbie Segur, and all I knew was vacation 417 00:29:50,115 --> 00:29:54,795 Speaker 1: me okay. Turned out it was part vacation, part get 418 00:29:54,795 --> 00:29:59,995 Speaker 1: out of town quickly, very quickly. See CNN started as 419 00:30:00,115 --> 00:30:04,195 Speaker 1: not just news news or just news and politics and 420 00:30:04,355 --> 00:30:07,315 Speaker 1: interw views and guests. There was a half an hour 421 00:30:07,395 --> 00:30:10,675 Speaker 1: business show every night, and a half an hour show 422 00:30:10,755 --> 00:30:12,875 Speaker 1: business show every night, and a half an hour sports 423 00:30:12,875 --> 00:30:15,315 Speaker 1: cast at seven, and another half an hour sports cast 424 00:30:15,355 --> 00:30:16,995 Speaker 1: at eleven, and then one in the middle of the night. 425 00:30:17,235 --> 00:30:20,075 Speaker 1: There was a fashion program, and there were hourly stock reports, 426 00:30:20,195 --> 00:30:22,315 Speaker 1: and they had a staff of meteorologists, and they had 427 00:30:22,355 --> 00:30:25,195 Speaker 1: short sports casts almost every hour of the day. And 428 00:30:25,275 --> 00:30:28,995 Speaker 1: the business anchor based in that New York bureau, which 429 00:30:29,075 --> 00:30:32,475 Speaker 1: had expanded from the one unisex bathroom, was Lou Dobbs, 430 00:30:33,595 --> 00:30:35,795 Speaker 1: and as the producer they had sent up to work 431 00:30:35,835 --> 00:30:38,675 Speaker 1: with me when I filled in for this Debbie Sigura 432 00:30:38,795 --> 00:30:41,955 Speaker 1: Phil Griffin later the president of MSNBC. As he explained 433 00:30:41,955 --> 00:30:43,235 Speaker 1: to me, when we got in the car to go 434 00:30:43,275 --> 00:30:46,235 Speaker 1: out to Shaye Stadium to interview all those New York 435 00:30:46,275 --> 00:30:50,075 Speaker 1: Mets guys, Lou Dobbs was rumored to be stepping out 436 00:30:50,115 --> 00:30:53,835 Speaker 1: on his wife with the CNN New York sports reporter, 437 00:30:54,435 --> 00:30:57,755 Speaker 1: and missus Dobbs had found out, so there was even 438 00:30:57,755 --> 00:30:59,995 Speaker 1: a rumor there was somebody else who also worked in 439 00:31:00,035 --> 00:31:04,155 Speaker 1: the CNN New York bureau who found out. So Bill 440 00:31:04,235 --> 00:31:07,075 Speaker 1: McPhail's hurried call asking me to fill in for the 441 00:31:07,155 --> 00:31:10,235 Speaker 1: reporter for two weeks. In two weeks was because she 442 00:31:10,435 --> 00:31:16,315 Speaker 1: was going on quote vacation. Not long after all this, 443 00:31:16,995 --> 00:31:19,235 Speaker 1: Dobbs thought it would be smarter to leave New York 444 00:31:19,275 --> 00:31:23,235 Speaker 1: for a while, like a decade or so, and Debbie 445 00:31:23,315 --> 00:31:26,315 Speaker 1: went with him. They got married. This left New York 446 00:31:26,355 --> 00:31:28,715 Speaker 1: without a sports reporter, and CNN tried another one of 447 00:31:28,715 --> 00:31:31,075 Speaker 1: their Atlanta anchors for a while, but they kept giving 448 00:31:31,155 --> 00:31:33,395 Speaker 1: him extra vacation time, so they would have to bring 449 00:31:33,435 --> 00:31:36,235 Speaker 1: me in freelance every month, and finally the following March 450 00:31:36,275 --> 00:31:37,995 Speaker 1: they offered me the job full time. And I have 451 00:31:38,075 --> 00:31:40,995 Speaker 1: not earned an honest pay check since. And I mean 452 00:31:41,035 --> 00:31:45,275 Speaker 1: that in two ways. CNN was paying me five hundred 453 00:31:45,355 --> 00:31:48,435 Speaker 1: dollars a week, that's one hundred dollars a day to 454 00:31:48,515 --> 00:31:52,355 Speaker 1: go on national television. Even then, this seemed a little low, 455 00:31:52,995 --> 00:31:54,955 Speaker 1: and it was about forty percent less than what I 456 00:31:55,035 --> 00:31:57,635 Speaker 1: was making for like three days a week in network radio. 457 00:31:58,595 --> 00:32:03,875 Speaker 1: I pointed this out acceptingly because I was learning how 458 00:32:03,955 --> 00:32:07,235 Speaker 1: to do TV while on TV and getting paid for 459 00:32:07,275 --> 00:32:10,275 Speaker 1: it was a vocational school. And that's when they told 460 00:32:10,275 --> 00:32:12,115 Speaker 1: me that the five hundred dollars a week was already 461 00:32:12,115 --> 00:32:15,035 Speaker 1: more than they had been paying Debbie Sigura and more 462 00:32:15,075 --> 00:32:16,995 Speaker 1: than the guy they were paying as their reporter in 463 00:32:17,035 --> 00:32:20,235 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. And then Bill McPhail, the head of sports, 464 00:32:20,275 --> 00:32:22,635 Speaker 1: called and offered me a contract for twenty five thousand 465 00:32:22,635 --> 00:32:26,035 Speaker 1: dollars and I said, wait, twenty five thousands, five hundred 466 00:32:26,035 --> 00:32:28,115 Speaker 1: dollars a week is twenty six that wait a minute, 467 00:32:28,475 --> 00:32:31,555 Speaker 1: you're offering me less for the contract. Why would I 468 00:32:31,555 --> 00:32:34,635 Speaker 1: take less? Is there health insurance or something? And he 469 00:32:34,635 --> 00:32:37,835 Speaker 1: said no, there's just the security of having the contract. 470 00:32:37,875 --> 00:32:39,915 Speaker 1: And I said, well, I'd rather have the thousand dollars 471 00:32:40,115 --> 00:32:43,955 Speaker 1: that you're docking me for signing, and they found it somewhere, 472 00:32:44,315 --> 00:32:47,115 Speaker 1: but they always reminded me how generous they had been 473 00:32:47,235 --> 00:32:49,755 Speaker 1: with that extra thousand dollars, and I kept saying, that's 474 00:32:49,795 --> 00:32:55,115 Speaker 1: not extra. You are already paying me that. Anyway, None 475 00:32:55,115 --> 00:32:58,675 Speaker 1: of that would have happened, though, without Ted Turner, because 476 00:32:58,715 --> 00:33:02,075 Speaker 1: CNN was his idea, and in fact, most of what 477 00:33:02,115 --> 00:33:05,835 Speaker 1: you saw from me on ESPN later that was also 478 00:33:06,275 --> 00:33:09,795 Speaker 1: mostly his idea too, sort of anyway, the basic idea 479 00:33:09,835 --> 00:33:13,315 Speaker 1: of SportsCenter sports news on national television on more or 480 00:33:13,395 --> 00:33:17,995 Speaker 1: less a daily basis, Ted did that. Not ESPN and 481 00:33:18,075 --> 00:33:22,635 Speaker 1: the daily sports news studio show on at the same 482 00:33:22,715 --> 00:33:26,515 Speaker 1: time every day or night with the same anchors treated 483 00:33:26,555 --> 00:33:29,155 Speaker 1: as seriously as a half an hour of news. Ted 484 00:33:29,195 --> 00:33:32,075 Speaker 1: did that. And buying sports teams to have something to 485 00:33:32,115 --> 00:33:36,435 Speaker 1: put on your television station, Ted did that too. WTCG 486 00:33:36,755 --> 00:33:40,595 Speaker 1: Channel seventeen Atlanta was the fringiest of fringe ETV stations 487 00:33:40,755 --> 00:33:43,635 Speaker 1: when Ted Turner bought it in nineteen seventy. But then 488 00:33:43,715 --> 00:33:46,715 Speaker 1: six years later he bought first the Atlanta Braves and 489 00:33:46,755 --> 00:33:49,195 Speaker 1: then the basketball Atlanta Hawks, and he bought a couple 490 00:33:49,235 --> 00:33:52,635 Speaker 1: of satellite dishes, and the FCC made the fateful decision 491 00:33:52,675 --> 00:33:56,155 Speaker 1: to let him put Channel seventeen up on the satellite 492 00:33:56,555 --> 00:33:59,715 Speaker 1: so it could be shown on those fledgling cable systems 493 00:33:59,715 --> 00:34:01,875 Speaker 1: around the country. And the next thing you knew, the 494 00:34:01,915 --> 00:34:06,915 Speaker 1: Atlanta Braves were America's team, and Ted, who was shameless, 495 00:34:07,235 --> 00:34:10,755 Speaker 1: promptly signed the first baseball player ever to take advantage 496 00:34:10,755 --> 00:34:13,955 Speaker 1: of what we now know as free agency, Andy Messersmith. 497 00:34:14,515 --> 00:34:17,235 Speaker 1: Andy Messersmith got what looked like all the money in 498 00:34:17,275 --> 00:34:21,075 Speaker 1: the world, more money than any baseball player had ever 499 00:34:21,155 --> 00:34:24,555 Speaker 1: gotten or or we were certain would ever get, one 500 00:34:25,115 --> 00:34:36,155 Speaker 1: million dollars over three years with one catch. Andy Messersmith 501 00:34:36,195 --> 00:34:41,955 Speaker 1: had to wear uniform number seventeen WTCG Channel seventeen. You 502 00:34:42,035 --> 00:34:44,635 Speaker 1: see where this was going. He had to wear uniform 503 00:34:44,715 --> 00:34:48,195 Speaker 1: number seventeen, and instead of having Messersmith written on the 504 00:34:48,235 --> 00:34:50,795 Speaker 1: back of the shirt over the seventeen, he had to 505 00:34:50,795 --> 00:34:56,515 Speaker 1: have the word channel. So Andy Messersmith's uniform when he 506 00:34:56,515 --> 00:34:58,755 Speaker 1: broke in with the Atlanta Braves in nineteen seventy six 507 00:34:58,795 --> 00:35:01,275 Speaker 1: as the highest paid player in baseball history. The back 508 00:35:01,315 --> 00:35:07,475 Speaker 1: of the uniform read channel seventeen. Baseball stopped that right quick. 509 00:35:08,635 --> 00:35:11,075 Speaker 1: It stopped Ted the day he decided that he should 510 00:35:11,075 --> 00:35:13,155 Speaker 1: see what it was like to manage the Braves and 511 00:35:13,195 --> 00:35:15,435 Speaker 1: if it really was as difficult as his managers had 512 00:35:15,475 --> 00:35:18,835 Speaker 1: made it seem. His lifetime record was zero to one, 513 00:35:18,995 --> 00:35:21,435 Speaker 1: and he said, yes, this is very difficult. But the 514 00:35:21,515 --> 00:35:23,915 Speaker 1: cable sports genie, that one was out of the bottle 515 00:35:23,955 --> 00:35:26,755 Speaker 1: and nobody was stopping it, and he haspn ran with it. 516 00:35:27,795 --> 00:35:31,235 Speaker 1: But next came news. Even then, his crazy idea cable 517 00:35:31,235 --> 00:35:35,475 Speaker 1: news network rested squarely on the first regularly scheduled nightly 518 00:35:35,555 --> 00:35:39,955 Speaker 1: sports newscast in national television history, CNN Sports Tonight at 519 00:35:39,995 --> 00:35:44,275 Speaker 1: seven at eleven and two am Eastern. While Sports Center 520 00:35:44,435 --> 00:35:47,355 Speaker 1: was on in those days for fifteen minutes one night 521 00:35:47,395 --> 00:35:49,795 Speaker 1: at seven and then an hour the next night at 522 00:35:49,835 --> 00:35:53,115 Speaker 1: ten and sports Tonight, was there come news or high 523 00:35:53,115 --> 00:35:56,875 Speaker 1: water seven nights a week. Of course, Ted Turner was 524 00:35:56,915 --> 00:36:00,035 Speaker 1: not just shameless, he was also technically penniless, so he 525 00:36:00,115 --> 00:36:02,555 Speaker 1: hired a couple of real veterans to run and anchor 526 00:36:02,595 --> 00:36:05,355 Speaker 1: the thing. Bill mcphil who helped invent the NFL on 527 00:36:05,475 --> 00:36:08,755 Speaker 1: CBS and Monday Night Football, was also his idea. And 528 00:36:08,835 --> 00:36:12,475 Speaker 1: his former CBS colleague Bob Wessler, and he hired Nick Charles, 529 00:36:12,475 --> 00:36:15,995 Speaker 1: who was a star of sportscasting on the Washington and 530 00:36:16,035 --> 00:36:21,195 Speaker 1: Baltimore newscasts, but everybody else the cheapest hires they could find. 531 00:36:21,275 --> 00:36:25,235 Speaker 1: In nineteen eighty one, Turner sent McPhail to hire me. 532 00:36:25,675 --> 00:36:28,555 Speaker 1: That was our second interview. When I told Bill I 533 00:36:28,595 --> 00:36:31,355 Speaker 1: had made forty two thousand dollars the year before working 534 00:36:31,355 --> 00:36:35,235 Speaker 1: for Charlie Steiner in radio. Bill spit his drink halfway 535 00:36:35,235 --> 00:36:39,035 Speaker 1: across the room. We were planning on hiring six guys 536 00:36:39,075 --> 00:36:41,595 Speaker 1: to start with, for a total of ninety five thousand. 537 00:36:41,995 --> 00:36:44,515 Speaker 1: This is when they were staffing up what became CNN 538 00:36:44,555 --> 00:36:47,435 Speaker 1: Headline News. I answered that I hoped that the other 539 00:36:47,475 --> 00:36:49,475 Speaker 1: five guys he was going to hire were prepared to 540 00:36:49,515 --> 00:36:51,955 Speaker 1: make it on seven grand each, because there was no 541 00:36:52,035 --> 00:36:54,195 Speaker 1: way I was moving to Atlanta for less than sixty 542 00:36:54,235 --> 00:36:57,995 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. Well, they got me anyway, and for less 543 00:36:57,995 --> 00:37:00,755 Speaker 1: than sixty thousand dollars, but I did not move to Atlanta, 544 00:37:00,875 --> 00:37:04,755 Speaker 1: Thank you, Lou Dobbs. And they got Dan Patrick and 545 00:37:04,795 --> 00:37:08,995 Speaker 1: Tanna Storm and Fred Hickman and Dan Hicks and Gary 546 00:37:09,035 --> 00:37:12,555 Speaker 1: Miller and dozens of others and reporters and cameramen and 547 00:37:12,595 --> 00:37:17,235 Speaker 1: producers and executives and editors, and one sports production assistant 548 00:37:17,235 --> 00:37:20,995 Speaker 1: from the original crew of CNN Sports wound up becoming 549 00:37:21,035 --> 00:37:25,235 Speaker 1: the president of CNN Worldwide, and another wound up becoming 550 00:37:25,275 --> 00:37:32,115 Speaker 1: the president of MSNBC. ESPN reshaped television sports news anyway, 551 00:37:33,155 --> 00:37:38,475 Speaker 1: CNN created it, and early on CNN staffed ESPN and 552 00:37:38,555 --> 00:37:41,515 Speaker 1: much of the industry. And I'm skipping how Turner mainstreamed 553 00:37:41,555 --> 00:37:44,755 Speaker 1: World Cup Yachting at least for a while, and Ted 554 00:37:44,795 --> 00:37:47,435 Speaker 1: and TNT and Ted and the Goodwill Games and Ted 555 00:37:47,475 --> 00:37:50,635 Speaker 1: and World Championship Wrestling, whose matches were actually held right 556 00:37:50,675 --> 00:37:54,155 Speaker 1: above the CNN newsroom so that often you could hear 557 00:37:54,235 --> 00:37:57,675 Speaker 1: the wrestlers slamming each other on our ceiling. And by 558 00:37:57,715 --> 00:38:01,315 Speaker 1: the way, the Braves winning fourteen straight division titles, and 559 00:38:01,395 --> 00:38:04,355 Speaker 1: the repopulation of Bison in the country. It was also 560 00:38:04,395 --> 00:38:07,675 Speaker 1: Ted Turner, But my favorite Ted Turner story comes from 561 00:38:07,675 --> 00:38:10,115 Speaker 1: something he did not pull off, not that he did 562 00:38:10,195 --> 00:38:13,555 Speaker 1: not try. When the football owners forced the players out 563 00:38:13,555 --> 00:38:16,035 Speaker 1: on strike in nineteen eighty two. Ted sent me to 564 00:38:16,075 --> 00:38:21,075 Speaker 1: cover it every day for eight months, and one day 565 00:38:21,195 --> 00:38:23,915 Speaker 1: he showed up at the football strike talks to meet 566 00:38:23,955 --> 00:38:26,715 Speaker 1: with the players, and when he came out, he announced 567 00:38:26,755 --> 00:38:30,595 Speaker 1: that he would be bankrolling and televising two football games 568 00:38:30,595 --> 00:38:33,195 Speaker 1: in the middle of a football strike, one at RFK 569 00:38:33,315 --> 00:38:35,675 Speaker 1: Stadium in Washington and the other at the Rose Bowl 570 00:38:35,715 --> 00:38:38,635 Speaker 1: in southern California. And basically these two games would pit 571 00:38:39,035 --> 00:38:43,635 Speaker 1: pickup teams of striking players the American Conference versus the 572 00:38:43,715 --> 00:38:47,395 Speaker 1: National Conference. And he called his two games the All 573 00:38:47,435 --> 00:38:52,275 Speaker 1: Star Season. I've mentioned this elsewhere and before. When I 574 00:38:52,315 --> 00:38:55,635 Speaker 1: asked him about the acronym for the All Star Season, 575 00:38:56,035 --> 00:38:58,595 Speaker 1: he winked at me and shushed me, and then he 576 00:38:58,635 --> 00:39:00,235 Speaker 1: took me aside and he asked me what I thought. 577 00:39:00,275 --> 00:39:02,315 Speaker 1: I told him, nobody's going to watch and he's going 578 00:39:02,395 --> 00:39:04,515 Speaker 1: to lose money. And he looked at me and he said, 579 00:39:05,035 --> 00:39:08,955 Speaker 1: nobody watches you. I lose money on you, so what, 580 00:39:10,395 --> 00:39:14,675 Speaker 1: you'll make money eventually. He then explained that that was 581 00:39:15,035 --> 00:39:18,675 Speaker 1: really just designed to set up the owners if he 582 00:39:18,715 --> 00:39:21,435 Speaker 1: could put the games together and get them on TV 583 00:39:21,595 --> 00:39:24,795 Speaker 1: with no more than one month's lead time, the players' 584 00:39:24,875 --> 00:39:29,275 Speaker 1: union was willing to partner up with him. Ted's real 585 00:39:29,355 --> 00:39:34,315 Speaker 1: motive for the ass the All Star season was nothing 586 00:39:34,395 --> 00:39:38,235 Speaker 1: less than creating his own football league, twenty four teams, 587 00:39:38,555 --> 00:39:41,675 Speaker 1: which would begin play in nineteen eighty three or sooner 588 00:39:41,715 --> 00:39:48,155 Speaker 1: if necessary, and would be televised exclusively on TBS. All 589 00:39:48,195 --> 00:39:50,475 Speaker 1: he needed was the players going along with him, and 590 00:39:50,595 --> 00:39:53,555 Speaker 1: one little labor court ruling that the owners had forced 591 00:39:53,595 --> 00:39:55,675 Speaker 1: the players union to go out on strike and that 592 00:39:55,715 --> 00:40:01,595 Speaker 1: would allow the union to negotiate with other employers. Well, obviously, 593 00:40:02,195 --> 00:40:03,795 Speaker 1: you don't have to be a football expert to know 594 00:40:03,835 --> 00:40:06,035 Speaker 1: that he did not get that court ruling, but they 595 00:40:06,075 --> 00:40:10,195 Speaker 1: went for it. Ted Turner was shooting for nothing less 596 00:40:10,235 --> 00:40:13,475 Speaker 1: than killing off the National Football League and replacing it 597 00:40:13,515 --> 00:40:17,755 Speaker 1: with a new National Football League owned by Ted Turner, 598 00:40:18,235 --> 00:40:20,595 Speaker 1: and he was going to give the players fifty percent 599 00:40:20,595 --> 00:40:24,155 Speaker 1: of the whole league. And don't forget, nearly all of 600 00:40:24,155 --> 00:40:27,595 Speaker 1: this was done on a shoe string budget, with borrowed money, 601 00:40:27,755 --> 00:40:30,395 Speaker 1: with all of his employees convinced that he was crazy, 602 00:40:30,875 --> 00:40:33,515 Speaker 1: and it wouldn't last until next Tuesday, and when we 603 00:40:33,515 --> 00:40:35,675 Speaker 1: would get our paychecks at CNN in New York, we 604 00:40:35,715 --> 00:40:38,595 Speaker 1: would race each other to the bank to cash them 605 00:40:39,035 --> 00:40:42,395 Speaker 1: just in case there wasn't going to be enough for everybody. 606 00:40:43,755 --> 00:40:46,475 Speaker 1: So whenever something causes me to get nostalgic about my 607 00:40:46,635 --> 00:40:51,235 Speaker 1: start in TV, I inevitably find myself going back to 608 00:40:52,235 --> 00:40:59,355 Speaker 1: tales of Ted Turner, Owen Lou and Missus Dobbs and 609 00:40:59,395 --> 00:41:15,035 Speaker 1: the Other Missus Dobbs, Missus Dobbs one and Missus Dobbs two. 610 00:41:17,115 --> 00:41:18,875 Speaker 1: I've done all the damage I can do here. Thank 611 00:41:18,875 --> 00:41:22,355 Speaker 1: you for listening. Please share this podcast with somebody who 612 00:41:22,355 --> 00:41:25,795 Speaker 1: does not listen. Brian Ray and John Phillip Schanel, the 613 00:41:25,875 --> 00:41:28,955 Speaker 1: musical directors, have Countdown, arranged, produced, and performed most of 614 00:41:28,955 --> 00:41:32,355 Speaker 1: our music. Mister Chanelle handled the orchestration and the keyboards. 615 00:41:32,675 --> 00:41:35,155 Speaker 1: Mister Ray was on the guitars, the bass, and the drums. 616 00:41:35,635 --> 00:41:39,355 Speaker 1: He's a first little guy. It was produced by Tko Brothers. 617 00:41:39,915 --> 00:41:42,395 Speaker 1: Our satirical and fithy musical comments are by the best 618 00:41:42,395 --> 00:41:45,875 Speaker 1: baseball stadium organist ever, Nancy Faust. The sports music is 619 00:41:45,875 --> 00:41:49,075 Speaker 1: the Olderman theme from ESPN two, written by Mitch Warren 620 00:41:49,155 --> 00:41:53,235 Speaker 1: Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc. Other music arranged and performed 621 00:41:53,235 --> 00:41:56,115 Speaker 1: by the group No Horns Allowed. My announcer today is 622 00:41:56,155 --> 00:42:00,235 Speaker 1: my friend Kenny Maine. Everything else was pretty much my fault. 623 00:42:00,995 --> 00:42:04,235 Speaker 1: Your assignment, if you choose to accept it. Write some 624 00:42:04,315 --> 00:42:08,595 Speaker 1: lyrics to the Beatles song Penny Lane about Kenny Maine. 625 00:42:10,675 --> 00:42:14,435 Speaker 1: Kenny Maine, the barber shaves another customer. That's countdown for 626 00:42:14,475 --> 00:42:18,195 Speaker 1: this the seventieth day until the twenty twenty four presidential election, 627 00:42:18,595 --> 00:42:22,235 Speaker 1: the three hundred and twenty ninth day since convicted felon 628 00:42:22,315 --> 00:42:26,235 Speaker 1: Donald J. Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically elected 629 00:42:26,275 --> 00:42:29,995 Speaker 1: government of the United States. Use the September eighteenth sentencing 630 00:42:30,035 --> 00:42:33,075 Speaker 1: hearing if it happens, Use the mental health system. After all, 631 00:42:33,755 --> 00:42:38,115 Speaker 1: he doesn't realize he was president in twenty twenty and 632 00:42:38,195 --> 00:42:42,035 Speaker 1: you've got this President Biden. I mean, if Jack Smith 633 00:42:42,075 --> 00:42:45,555 Speaker 1: can outsmart the Supreme Court, you and the White House 634 00:42:45,595 --> 00:42:49,155 Speaker 1: can use the presidential immunity these idiots on the Court 635 00:42:49,235 --> 00:42:53,875 Speaker 1: provided to stop him from doing it again while we 636 00:42:53,955 --> 00:42:59,835 Speaker 1: still can. And anti Semitic, anti immigration, gun nut Republicans, 637 00:42:59,915 --> 00:43:07,235 Speaker 1: please stop shooting at Trumph. More Democrats than Republicans showed 638 00:43:07,315 --> 00:43:10,955 Speaker 1: up at the investigation at the site christ The next 639 00:43:10,955 --> 00:43:14,515 Speaker 1: scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Bulletins is the news requires until 640 00:43:14,515 --> 00:43:17,715 Speaker 1: the next one. I'm Keith Oldreman. Good morning, good afternoon, 641 00:43:17,755 --> 00:43:35,395 Speaker 1: good night, and good luck. Countdown with Keith Olreman is 642 00:43:35,435 --> 00:43:40,235 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 643 00:43:40,275 --> 00:43:44,955 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.