You heard it here first! Watching Keith Olbermann's rant against George W. Bush tonight--posted on the web under the headlne, "Bush owes troops an apology, not Kerry"--it began to dawn on me that Olbermann is a far more crafty wordsmith than most partisan Democrats, and harder-hitting, too. And of course, to look at the self-satisfied smirk that's on KO's face most of the time, especially when he's trashing Republicans, it's pretty clear that he knows how smart he is. Don't get me wrong: I think Kerry was right to apologize to the troops, and I think that Olbermann is wrong to think that everything is Bush's fault. But hardcore Democrats, the kind who pick nominees, surely admire KO's articulate forcefulness.
So to review the presidential bidding: A smart guy? (Check.) Smarter than his rivals? (Check.) Plenty liberal? (Check.) Born in the US? (Check.) Over 35? (Check.) Able to command media attention? (Check.) Able to enlist even rival networks, such as CNN, which have completely gone over to the GOP-bashing side? (Double check) Then why not!? Why should't Olbermann go for it?
You wait and see--he will run, or be drafted. It will prove to be a gracious way for him to leave the ratings-challenged confines of MSNBC. Maybe he won't be ready to run for '08, but he'll run for one of these upcoming White Houses. Yes, KO has what was once called a "zipper problem," but among Democrats, as Bill Clinton proved, that's a plus, not a minus.
