The "Oh God" Heard Round America

I'm not sure how many were of you were watching MSNBC last night, but for those of you that were watching, we were given something that has already stirred a great controversy on the internet. Right before Lousisana governor Bobby Jindal delievered his response to President Obama's speech, there was a very distinct, whispered, "oh God" heard on the MSNBC broadcast. The big question is, who was it? I've been looking around and I've read posts where people were certain it was Keith Olbermann, I've read posts where people were certain they heard Chris Matthews' voice, and others are certain it was an MSNBC producer. Here's the video and you can judge for yourself.



When I first heard it, I immediately thought the producer option. But then I heard it more, and I began hearing Keith Olbermann's voice. I then listened to it some more and I'm back to thinking it was an MSNBC producer/director. I don't think it's Matthews for a couple of reasons. For one, Matthews was serving as a guest to the show in Washington and not at the MSNBC studios at 30 Rock in New York. And secondly, try as I might, I just can't get Matthews' voice out of it. In all likelihood it came from Keith Olbermann's mic, but the question is, was it Olbermann who said it or a producer that came running in after Olbermann was off-camera? Was the "oh God" meant as an "oh God, here's a lame-ass Republican speaking" or was there some sort of production difficulty? If it's the former, then someone at MSNBC may be in hot water. If it's the latter, then good luck convincing the right-wing blogs that that is so.

If there's a confirmation of some sort later today, I'll be sure to give it to you.

Update: A recent post on the forum from Olbermann Watch that I linked to below has reported that Chris Matthews will confess tonight to being the one saying "oh God" and it was (allegedly) in reference to the setting that Governor Jindal used in his response, as it was made to look like the East Room of the White House. I still have problems hearing the voice but I guess when you're whispering it's hard to make any sort of distinction. Good times, MSNBC, good times!

Update #2: From the Huffington Post, here is a tidbit of what we can expect to hear from Matthews tonight on Hardball according to an NBC Spokesperson

I was taken aback by that peculiar stagecraft, the walking from somewhere in the back of this narrow hall, this winding staircase looming there, the odd anti-bellum [sic] look of the scene. Was this some mimicking of a president walking along the state floor to the East Room?

Update #3: We have confirmation that it was indeed Matthews. And what do you know, if you click on the Olbermann Watch link below and you'll find that my prediction came true. Now that it's been revealed to have been Chris Matthews, the right-wingers are trying to say that he was just taking a bullet for Keith and that the more and more they hear it, the more and more they think it's Keith Olbermann. Of course last night, they were just as willing to play the guessing game as the rest of us but now that it was not what they had hoped for, they're saying he's taking a bullet for Olbermann.

MSNBC: "Oh God" and laughter as Jindal began to speak (Olbermann Watch)
MSNBC Welcomes Jindal: "Oh God" (Politico)