Olbermann named National Review's Lowry second "Worst Person" for misstating results of NY Times poll

On the November 16 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann awarded National Review editor Rich Lowry "runner-up" in his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for, as Media Matters for America documented, falsely claiming a recent New York Times poll showed "55 percent of Americans favor sending more troops to Iraq." As Olbermann noted, "In fact, the poll indicates only 16 percent of Americans favor sending more troops to Iraq. That 55 percent figure Mr. Lowry tried to slip past the gullible represented those in the poll who would support more troops, quote, 'if that meant the U.S. would finally gain control over Baghdad and stabilize the country.' "

Olbermann previously awarded National Review writer Stephen Spruiell "the bronze" in his "Worst Person" segment for "[c]omplaining that I [Olbermann] too often refer to President Bush as 'Mr. Bush,' that it's my, quoting him, 'way of saying that Bush 'holds office illegitimately,' " when, as Media Matters noted, "Writing in National Review since 2001, [National Review founder] William F. Buckley himself has referred to the president as 'Mr. Bush' more than 150 times."

From the November 16 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

OLBERMANN: Our runner-up tonight only acts 7 or 8 years old. Rich Lowry of National Review Online has written a column quoting a New York Times poll that suggests that 55 percent of Americans favor sending more troops to Iraq. In fact, the poll indicated only 16 percent of Americans favor sending more troops to Iraq. That 55 percent figure Mr. Lowry tried to slip past the gullible represented those in the poll who would support more troops, quote, "if that meant the U.S. would finally gain control over Baghdad and stabilize the country." The title of Mr. Lowry's column: "Be Careful What You Believe." Good advice for anybody who reads what he writes.

—A.I.