# Great moments in TV news & punditry **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757 "2008-11-14T19:58:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/1 "2008-11-14T19:58:45Z")
I don’t believe in Heaven, Hell, Judgment Day, or any sort of afterlife. But if I did, I’d say that, if Keith Olberman were to die today, [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVUecPhQPqY) impassioned plea in favor of gay marriage was going to earn him a spot in the celestial choir. It’s incredibly wonderful. Not merely for his arguments, which are cogent and well-spoken, but for the passion of his delivery. If there is a God, I’m sure he watched the clip in question, turned to Gabriel, and said, “Make a note. He gets a ‘well-done,’ on the big day.” Anyway…that’s just me. What moments in TV news & punditry stand out in your mind especially well-accomplished? Conservatives are as free to respond as liberals. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/2 "2008-11-14T21:56:28Z")
Personally, I thought that was really, really hammy and about twice as long as it needed to be, and I’m on the same side. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/3 "2008-11-14T22:03:55Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > Personally, I thought that was really, really hammy and about twice as long as it needed to be, and I’m on the same side. It is, of course, your right to have that opinion. I might observe, though, that I asked one question and you answered a completely different one that, so far as i can tell, nobody asked. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/4 "2008-11-14T22:11:01Z")
The Hindenburg Explosion comes to mind. IIRC Walter Cronkite was virtually in tears at the moon landing, that was pretty intense. Edward R. Murrow taking on Joe McCarthy. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/5 "2008-11-14T22:22:12Z")
There are only a handfull of things that I remember totally clearly about the weeks right after 9/11. [This](http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=105095&title=September-11,-2001)is one of them. He isn’t really a pundit but he works in that world, and I remember this monologue with perfect clairty. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/6 "2008-11-14T22:43:05Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > It is, of course, your right to have that opinion. I might observe, though, that I asked one question and you answered a completely different one that, so far as i can tell, nobody asked. 😃 True, but surely part of the value of this thread comes from _discussing_ the punditry, yes? With that in mind - I thought Olbermann’s monologue was clearly sincere, and deeply felt, and I liked much of it - “What is it to you?” is, indeed, a fine question to ask the Prop 8 supporters. But this thing could have been tighter, and Olbermann needed to sound less close to tears. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/7 "2008-11-14T23:08:59Z")
This is sort of anti-punditry, but the approximately 10 minutes that MSNBC spent not talking at all, just showing people celebrating across the country (especially at Spelman College and Ebenezer Baptist Church) after Obama’s win was more powerful than any words could have made it. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/8 "2008-11-14T23:45:16Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I don’t believe in Heaven, Hell, Judgment Day, or any sort of afterlife. But if I did, I’d say that, if Keith Olberman were to die today, [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVUecPhQPqY) impassioned plea in favor of gay marriage was going to earn him a spot in the celestial choir. Meh. That wasn’t even one of Olberman’s top 20 rants. Now his “Special Comment” about the Bush Administrations’ F\*\*\*-up of Katrina, now that was a rant! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/9 "2008-11-15T02:03:49Z")
Jim McKay, Munich, 1972. [“They’re all gone.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o11XpnI1of8) ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/10 "2008-11-15T03:51:54Z")
Stewart on Crossfire is my all time favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/11 "2008-11-15T04:09:18Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > This is sort of anti-punditry, but the approximately 10 minutes that MSNBC spent not talking at all, just showing people celebrating across the country (especially at Spelman College and Ebenezer Baptist Church) after Obama’s win was more powerful than any words could have made it. Do you have a link to it? I’d like to see it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/12 "2008-11-15T04:55:55Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > Stewart on Crossfire is my all time favorite. Heh… that one is really good. Must’ve watched that 10+ times on youtube. “I’m not gonna sit here and be your little monkey boy.” is probably my favorite line. ---
**Author:** ![phil417](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6bbea6/32.png) [@phil417](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phil417)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/13 "2008-11-15T08:06:02Z")
**Boyo Jim** , I agree with you re the Apollo Moon landing… [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QS3JSRGk3o](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QS3JSRGk3o) It was an awesome moment. In the middle of the cold war, it was wonderful to hear that, “the Eagle has landed.” Then to hear it in many different languages! “And the world waited…” How wonderful! Love, Phil ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/14 "2008-11-15T08:46:49Z")
Howard Beale having his breakdown on live TV. 😉 More seriously, I think that Letterman’s first show after 9/11 was remarkable. No jokes, no celebrity guests. Just him and Dan Rather sitting there talking about what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-moments-in-tv-news-punditry/472757/15 "2008-11-15T09:07:46Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Anyway…that’s just me. What moments in TV news & punditry stand out in your mind especially well-accomplished? Conservatives are as free to respond as liberals. Olbermann is the king of the geek culture reference, too. Today it was _The Princess Bride_ and _Star Trek_ within one minute of each other.