rockefeller plaza

If you're wondering who actually flicked the switch for the always impressive Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, you might be surprised or violently angry depending on your personal opinions.

MSNBC's professional right-wing pundit impressionist Keith Olbermann lit the tree during last night's episode of Countdown while dishing on Tiger Woods' series of trysts with gossip monger Michael Musto like a couple of housewives in a beauty parlor with baritone voice. Olbermann officially ushered in Christmas with a switch that looks like he raided the trash bin after NBC dismantled the Family Feud set. Then without missing a beat, the two jump right back into the Tiger trashing.

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It's about 12 hours later and as I look back on MSNBC's Election Plaza broadcast, I can see things a bit more clearly now. Overall, the "place for politics" did a fine job covering the most historic presidential election in my lifetime. It wasn't the most dramatic, but it was living history.

History was in the making because we knew going in whether the Dems or the Reps won, an African-American or a woman would be in the White House by the end of the night. MSNBC captured that political reality with images and by letting the camera run long after Obama's speech just to watch the faces of the people -- including Oprah and Jesse Jackson, both in tears -- celebrate in joy.

The prognosticators and pollsters were all on target by choosing Obama/Biden as the winners, so that means nobody's at Gallup or Fivethirtyeight.com is losing his/her job.

I wish I would have seen this so I could have a better perspective on it for you but, alas, I do not watch the Today show if I can help it. So, I'm just going on an article and a slideshow here. On Tuesday, when Katie Couric was outside interviewing Bonnie Hunt about her new movie, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Jim Carrey appeared in the crowd and hijacked the whole segment. Jim had been on the show earlier, promoting his new movie, Fun with Dick and Jane. Of course, he's a funny guy and he made everyone laugh. It was probably pretty darn funny and the crowd looks like they just went nuts when he started interacting with them. He gave crowd members hugs and dug through the toy box. Luckily, Bonnie Hunt is a true class act. Once she realized the cameras had all turned to Jim and his mugging, she joined in with him and started dancing around the staging area. Oh well, it was probably more interesting than yet another interview about yet another movie opening over the holidays.

[Via TV Newser]