# What do RFK Jr., Keith Olbermann, Mark Sanford, and political journalist Ryan Lizza have in common? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 18, 2025, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948 "2025-11-18T04:15:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/1 "2025-11-18T04:15:42Z")
> **[Part 1: How I Found Out](https://www.telos.news/p/part-1-how-i-found-out)** > > Olivia had just returned from a reporting trip—at least that’s what she told me it was—and her Herschel backpack, the one with the flap that never quite closed properly, was tossed beside our bed, its contents scattered on the floor. If you guessed former political journalist and now Vanity Fair editor Olivia Nuzzi, you’re smarter than I am. She has a book coming out soon, which is why much of this is surfacing now. Talk about compromised journalism. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/2 "2025-11-19T00:51:27Z")
Well that’s certainly intriguing, but not exactly surprising. If asked to guess a political reporter and politician who had an affair, Nuzzi and Sanford would both be near the top of the list. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/3 "2025-11-19T02:28:28Z")
Everything you learn about Olivia Nuzzi’s life adds even more to the WTF. Like, what do you mean she was a 16 year old Myspace popstar that debuted her feature single “Jailbait”? > **[Livvy Gives Us Something to Talk About](https://www.prlog.org/10563337-livvy-gives-us-something-to-talk-about.html)** > > Livvy Gives Us Something to Talk About. With The Release of Her Debut Single, "Jailbait", Livvy Proves That It's Still Possible To Shock. - PR10563337 The entire internet is trying to find if someone still has an archived version of the song but the lyrics are unhinged: > ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/4 "2025-11-19T02:38:03Z")
What do RFK Jr., Keith Olbermann, Mark Sanford, and political journalist Ryan Lizza have in common? So, they all took the Appalachian Trail? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/5 "2025-11-19T03:21:29Z")
Be that as it may, those four people have never been in my kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/6 "2025-11-19T03:45:01Z")
I was going to guess a taste for roadkill. I thought everybody knew that Washington politics and journalism have been as incestuous and prone to partner swap-philia as 60s rock hippiedom. Everybody has always been involved with everybody. Does it compromise journalism? Yes. Does it have to involve sex? No. Look at the protection Ben Bradlee afforded JFK. (Or every reporter in the world not reporting on FDR’s wheelchair.) While I’m asking myself questions, how about Do women always get tarred with accusations more than men? Also yes. Keith Olbermann has been involved with Katy Tur, Kyrsten Sinema, and even Laura Ingraham, amomg others. But how much flak does he get? Not to mention that neither he nor Ryan Lizza were politicians. Or that only Lizza accused Nuzzi of having an affair with Sanford, which remains unproven AFAIK. Admittedly, her relationship with RFK Jr., whether physical or just personal, should have been revealed. But how does any of the rest of this constitute compromised journalism? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/7 "2025-11-19T04:14:17Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > But how does any of the rest of this constitute compromised journalism? Nuzzi was covering Sanford at the time she was sleeping with him. She was covering RFK Jr. at the time she was sexting him. But yes, if you discount the cases where it constitutes compromised journalism, then the rest of it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/8 "2025-11-19T07:42:13Z")
[The lost song has been found](https://jumpshare.com/s/oMIJUAz8caV2VsEQF2WC) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/9 "2025-11-19T16:07:33Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Nuzzi was covering Sanford at the time she was sleeping with him. Was she? Has either one of them admitted it? When I search all I find is Lizza’s accusation. He claims he saw unsent letters. If you have more direct confirmation I’d like to see it. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/10 "2025-12-10T13:55:06Z")
> **Summary** > > [https://youtu.be/fbT7ftAAe8w?si=Zn4uOS5-YBX0p1hO](https://youtu.be/fbT7ftAAe8w?si=Zn4uOS5-YBX0p1hO) Taylor Lorenz and Kat Tenbarge talk about double standards in journalistic ethics, and also how the men in Nuzzi’s life are taking advantage of the scandals and her. They aren’t exonerating her, but pointing out the asymmetry. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/11 "2025-12-10T14:03:56Z")
> **Summary** > > [https://youtu.be/fbT7ftAAe8w?si=Zn4uOS5-YBX0p1hO](https://youtu.be/fbT7ftAAe8w?si=Zn4uOS5-YBX0p1hO) Taylor Lorenz and Kat Tenbarge talk about double standards in journalistic ethics, and also how the men in Nuzzi’s life are taking advantage of the scandals and her. They aren’t exonerating her, but pointing out the asymmetry. Edit: Not sure how to post the YouTube link. I think I recall something about taking off the preview or somethin, but I’m on my phone and not sure where to find it. Apparently, the Summary let me post the link, but you have to click on it. Any instructions would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/12 "2025-12-10T16:12:08Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fbT7ftAAe8w/maxresdefault.jpg "The Truth Behind The RFK Cheating Scandal") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbT7ftAAe8w) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/13 "2025-12-10T16:13:24Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Edit: Not sure how to post the YouTube link. You were posting a “youtu.be” link which I don’t think Discourse recognizes. You need to link to the real site, not a redirect. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-rfk-jr-keith-olbermann-mark-sanford-and-political-journalist-ryan-lizza-have-in-common/1024948/14 "2025-12-10T16:24:31Z")
Thank you. I appreciate the video posted and the explanation. ✌🏼