Reconciliation for a Fallen Soldier

In my most previous post, I reported on my recent frustrations with Keith Olbermann, and it seems like I was not alone in my dissatisfaction. Jon Stewart echoed a similar opinion on The Daily Show Thursday night, but unlike my post, Keith responded right away…



It takes a big man to admit that he’s wrong, but an even bigger one to actually make a lasting behavioral change. Yes, in a moment of respect for Stewart - or maybe it was his desperate attempt to reestablish a rapport with the large portion of his own audience that worship the ground Stewart walks on – Keith appears to have humbled himself in an apology. “You know what? You’re right. I have been a little over the top lately. Point taken. Sorry.”

While I am not a social psychologist trained in discerning whether someone is speaking the truth, this response felt a bit insincere. It is entirely possible for Keith to have realized that without the support of Stewart’s fan base, his own rating would suffer dramatically, but everyone deserves a second chance ,and I am willing to give Keith the benefit of the doubt in this case. Now, it becomes a waiting game to see how genuinely Keith took this critique to heart. Anyone can make a short term adjustment in order to please those around them, but Stewart was calling KO to make a permanent transformation to reconcile for his actions. I have no doubt that we will see a better behaved Keith for the next week, or even month, but I only hope when we reevaluate Mr. Oblermann’s job performance in six months that we won’t be witnessing Keith’s second regression.

Good luck, Keith, and I hope that your rehabilitation will be enduring to prevent another relapse, for there is no telling how forgiving the public will be a second time. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, well, don’t.