There’s a certain intelligent impishness missing from the show.

I would have liked to have seen KO interview Peter Morris on the second volume of “A Game of Inches: The Game Behind the Scenes,” or the recent move of the Famous Sausage Race by half an inning, maybe talk about the buzz surrounding the new Indiana Jones film…if only for the last/#1 segment only.

I’m a woman of eclectic tastes.

I am also a huge political junkie, but I’m tired of the complaints about the “fluff”. Sheesh, the whole lot of it takes up a whole five minutes of a sixty minute show on most day. Big deal. I consider it to be “comic relief”. If some of these complainers actually paid attention to that fluff, they’d realize that Keith and his guests usually treat the subjects of the fluff with the derision and humor they deserve. Even Michael Musto, as bawdy as he is. I’d take Musto over having to constantly listen to the idiotic blatherings of Schmuck Todd any day. He’s getting as bad as Pat Buchanan when it comes to his showing up everywhere 24/7. Don’t these guys sleep?

And, add me to the list of those who would love to see a Hall of Fame segment–or anything else on baseball. This Cubs fan definitely appreciated it when Keith called the HOF folks to the carpet for their latest snubbing of Ron Santo and other deserving players last year.

I would call my sister to make sure that she did not miss the show when there was a SC on, and while she was also involved, she would comment on how much she liked ODDBALL, and I was totally confused and thinking, “Wait, this is serious, pay attention.”

Then, the once a month programs that seemed to be all ODDBALL when there was a Republic to Save, for goodness sake.

After the election, when somehow Keith and Jon Turley were not in Gitmo, and the balance of power had taken a slight shift, and I was naive enough to think that the now Democratic Congress could force an end to this war and so many other abuses, I began to relax, and to laugh at Oddball, and I realized how grim I had been.

I still have problems with segments that show people wasting food, such as throwing a truckload of tomatoes at each other, as I have visited so many so called 3rd world countries where food and the funds for it are so scarce. And, I know that there are people right here who also do not get enough nourishment.

But, otherwise, I now find that these segments are a reminder that the human spirit strides forward in giant boots, no matter how much distress surrounds us.

I also do not like the Celebrity/Idol news and much of that creeps me out.

But, Puppet Theatre, that is a statement on the press, on how involved they become in making non stories big stories, with deepening shifts of voice to intone that importance. It is quite wonderful.

My major frustration with the current political coverage is that it is what my mother used to call trying to cause trouble, to get the two Democratic camps to fight with each other.

I would love to hear long passages from the various Economic speeches that were given last week with some sharp analysis.

But, instead, Chuck Todd once again with his evidence that the numbers tell us Hillary cannot win, come on, a new poll at this point tells us nothing really, although I confess to wanting to know how many Republicans crossed over in Ohio because Rush told them to.

The candidates are trying to talk about important issues, all of them are, but most of the news is not covering that but rehashing what might lead to blood in the water.

I have been recovering from bronchitis and spent several days last week in front of the tv with MSNBC running, and the same talking heads appear from program to program and fight over each other about the same old stuff. I finally turned it all off and then was miffed at going to Countdown Friday night for my one news fix of the day to discover no Keith.

Much of the news business is populated by people with a crises mentality. They get off on discord and peril.

Chris Matthews (And I single him out only because I have heard him do it since before the debates began) has been itching for a fight. He and several of the others have been excited beyond belief at the possibility of getting to experience, at last, a brokered convention, not taking into account what the impact of that might be on the country and our political system.

(Feeling a bit mystified as I am certain that Matthews is old enough to recall the Goldwater convention in 1964.)

They only care for the energy of chaos, and the more the better.

Keith is a different animal, he has always been thoughtful and seen connections where others miss them and engaged in dialogues.

And while I enjoy his usual guests (Richard Wolffe, be still my heart), where are Jon Turley and John Dean? Are there suddenly no legal issues involving the current corrupt administration, say Karl Rove’s using the Justice Department in an apparent effort to bring down and imprison the former Governor of Alabama?

I hope that Dan Abrams changing his show to VERDICT does not mean that he now handles all of the stories with a legal angle.

And for anyone who is wondering, yes, there are times when I do shut up.

Boy, I echo that!! He definitely is the finest WRITER in broadcast journalism today. If you ever read the radio (and even TV) broadcasts of Edward R. Murrow, you can see many similarities. Murrow’s reports read like essays not mere reporting. I think KO’s would as well. I would love to see him write a book of essays, especially if they are brilliant as his special comments.

And…maybe that is an idea … he could do essays, different from Special Comments (which speak truth to power) that discuss his observations about life, culture, absurdities and other takes about America.

I do like the more analysis focus. It used to be, as I think George Carlin said, the best 30 minutes for news before Countdown switched to 30 minutes of Paris and Britney. I’m glad they’ve really stopped with the gossip crap. I think his #1 story tends to be a bit snarky and fun.

Unfortunately, politics right now sells. The CNN program that used to be opposite Countdown was a big rating plus for them. That may be why the lean toward the political. Of course, politics have become the new “reality show” for cable news. It sells and it’s relatively cheap to produce. Nowadays, there is as much gossip and tabloid crap in the political news as it is in “Keeping Tabs.”

I think puppet theatre is fun…but too much would kill it, I think. Maybe they should introduce the Countdown Players who can do more reenactments such as the Larry Craig one. Does cost a bit, though.

I also would like to see Countdown analysts stay more exclusive to Countdown. Seems KO introduces such folks as Rachel Maddow, Dana Milbank, Jonathan Alter, Richard Wolffe…and now I see them on the Gregory, Abrams and even Hardball shows. That makes them old by the time they get back to where they belong.

I think KO is the real draw of Countdown. I think the key to Countdown success is to let Olbermann be Olbermann.

I said I preferred news and politics…not just “all-politics-all-the-time”. It’s the candy-coated segments that get thrown in I find to be distracting - like popsicle stick theater. To each his/her/its own.

Becky wrote: What I wouldn’t give for a good Hall of Fame segment!

If we are lucky, perhaps tomorrow night! We know that we will be getting the Commander in Chief test and some Worst Persons.

I hope that this “Chance” at the Network slot will not turn the show all serious.

What made me watch Countdown in the first place, back before anyone had herd Keith editorialize, was his incredible wit and deftness with words. I don’t see much of that recently. There was a time when KO said he wrote something like 80% of the show. I doubt that’s the case any more. The program is much more grim and yes, predictable.

What I wouldn’t give for a good Hall of Fame segment!