Olbermann: "It’s going to be a fight for oxygen in that room, between the candidates...and me."

Chicago Tribune, Maureen Ryan: July 17, 2007
Olbermann to host candidate forum in Chicago
MSNBC host Keith Olbermann will moderate the AFL-CIO's Democratic Presidential Forum Aug. 7 in Chicago

The forum will take place at McCormick Place West convention center, and the audience of 5,000 will be drawn from the AFL-CIO’s membership. Candidates scheduled to appear include Sen. Joe Biden, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sen. Christopher Dodd, former Sen. John Edwards, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Sen. Barack Obama and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.

“It’s going to be a fight for oxygen in that room, between the candidates, of course, and me,” Olbermann joked at a Tuesday press conference at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills.

“It is not technically a debate,” added Olberman, who hosts “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” on MSNBC. “We’re hoping to get the candidates to engage each other in some form. I may try to physically move them together, shove one towards another, something like that if it gets boring.”

In a more serious moment, Olberman said, “I don't go for ‘gotcha’ questions as a rule, and I think my preference would be to try to get information and get people to state what it is they would do as president under these circumstances, as opposed to, you know, (what) are you philosophically opposed (to). No. Tell me what it is you would do. What do you want the viewers to know about your position on this?”

The 90-minute live forum will air 6 p.m. Aug. 7, and also be streamed live on MSNBC’s Web site.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/07/olbermann-to-ho.html

the standards for a political forum. I hope he gets a good audience for this.

this guy does his homework. And sharp as a tack. It actually WILL be the "no spin zone"

good on ya, Keith, for landing this gig.

I'll have the Algae Award written before the broadcast, ready to add finishing touches and post! :)

we need to see the candidates dialogue between themselves -- hosting a series of statements has turned people off to the whole process.

:rofl:

Must-see TV at its best.

TC

They may never let him host another debate again with that approach. Everyone knows that debates are for sound bites and gotcha questions that the media can replay to produce ratings. What is Olberman thinking?

Seriously, I definitely want to watch this debate. It will actually help in selecting a candidate instead of silly questions like Brian Williams asked in the first one.

I hope they ask my question...