Today’s Guest: Lawrence O’Donnell, host, “The Last Word,” MSNBC

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Soft-spoken political analyst and frequent MSNBC fill-in host Lawrence O’Donnell launched his own show on the Micro-Peacock at 10 p.m. last night.

It seems likely to provide a gentle landing for left-wing political junkies who get progressively more pumped up as they sit through the sometimes hysterical “Ed Show,” “Hardball with Chris Matthews” and “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” then need an extra hour to settle back down for bedtime following the cerebral Rachel Maddow.

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL podcast excerpt: “Frequently, because I worked in politics, because I worked in government, in the past, as a host, I’ve been sitting there knowing more than my guest and I am being forced to ask a question of someone who knows less than I do. And there’s an awkward posture to that, that I think we got away with, thanks to my acting skills.”

O’Donnell is a different kind of analyst on MSNBC, which has a well-earned reputation for being a strong voice for Democratic views, despite a day that starts with Republicans “Morning” Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan.

I worried that having Olbermann as one of his first guests last night might be a mistake. I generally enjoy Keith’s caffeinated delivery; his presence reinforced O’Donnell’s more subtle approach in style, if not words. It turned out to be effective because it reinforced that “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” is not “Countdown,” and that’s a good thing at 10 p.m

Lawrence O’Donnell Website • Twitter



