[Archon]

O'Reilly, Hannity, Savage, Coulter and Co. are just the logical progression from conservative talk radio to the big leagues. They appeal to a certain demographic("oppressed cultural conservatives and jingoistic Jesus freaks) and that's what makes them money. I'm sure most of these "culture warriors" are mainly full of hot air, and i don't really think they believe most of what they say. It's just for show.

That being said O'Reilly is a lot less annoying than Glenn Beck who is basically a second-rate pundit hack job. Potemkin was right when he said O'Reilly is great for a laugh. Remember his special on the liberal "WAR ON CHRISTMAS". Classic.

[PBVBROOK]

PVBROOK I hope you are not being serious. How do you know that most of his viewers like him? He's kinda like Howard Stern in the sense that tons of people hate him but they can't stop listening to him cause they want to hear what he says next. Except the difference between Stern and Oreilly is that Stern is actually pretty intelligent and Oreilly just tries to stir up controversy to get ratings.

I am deadly serious. If you think people dial this guy up just to dislike what he has to say you are deluding yourself. Look at this map:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/

It should make you see red.

[sazerac]

Bill O'Reilly was fairly centrist until 9/11. I'd have put him a tad right of center just like every other average white American male. He was sorta pro gay and liberal in many areas. He says his political hero is Robert Kennedy.

He became very vocal against the antiwar crowd and is now considered to be this huge conservative. This has only made him more popular. He is not popular, however, with people who are very conservative.

[PBVBROOK]

He became very vocal against the antiwar crowd and is now considered to be this huge conservative. This has only made him more popular. He is not popular, however, with people who are very conservative

Absolutely right. Many on the left have come to think of Bill O'Rielly with a right-wing icon. He is not. As you said. His views are not those of the arch social conservative.

What people have come to appreciate in him is that he speaking out on certain issues that no one else is. Earlier someone mentioned his piece on the threat by the left on Christmas. This may seem funny to some but to people with strong religious beliefs (and there are a whole lot of them) this is no laughing manner. To those who believe in religious accommidation it is no laughing matter.

Some here dismiss him as a blow hard or as less intellignet than some. One even equated hm with Howard Stern. This is a mistake. He has a Bachelor's Degree is in History from Marist College, a Master's in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University and another Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. No dummy.

They appeal to a certain demographic("oppressed cultural conservatives and jingoistic Jesus freaks) and that's what makes them money

Another big mistake.

I will refrain from launching into another tirade about how stupid my fellow liberals are in name-calling. I will simply put it this way. There have been wars lost because one underestimated the enemy. There have been none lost because one overestimated the enemy.

I listen to O'Rielly sometimes. I listen to Amy Goodman everyday too. That way even if the news that is being sold to me is not 'fair and balanced', the news I am hearing...is.

From where I sit media people are not so easy to categorize and many here would like us to believe. Of course...I are one ya' know. And we are all over the map. So is O'Rielly.

[Potemkin]

Bill O'Reilly was fairly centrist until 9/11.

Yeah, he seems to go batshit insane whenever 9/11 is mentioned. One of O'Reilly's finest moments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OshuYcL5sGg

[pikachu]

I am amazed every time I see people who are capable of watching substantial amount of daytime television and not be retards. I applaud you, because I'm incapable of watching it for intervals any longer than 15 minutes.

[Plaro]

Here are some more fine moment of Bill O'reilly that I have come across.

Now this shows the genius of Bill, take notes on how he argues.

This is how you can defeat Bill.

[pikachu]

Haha, his "opinion" on Dixie Chicks just reminded my how much I've struggled in my high school music class trying to avoid mispronouncing it as "Chixie Dicks". I've actually said this shit out loud several times by accident.

[Archon]

Another big mistake.

I will refrain from launching into another tirade about how stupid my fellow liberals are in name-calling. I will simply put it this way. There have been wars lost because one underestimated the enemy. There have been none lost because one overestimated the enemy.

I listen to O'Rielly sometimes. I listen to Amy Goodman everyday too. That way even if the news that is being sold to me is not 'fair and balanced', the news I am hearing...is.

From where I sit media people are not so easy to categorize and many here would like us to believe. Of course...I are one ya' know. And we are all over the map. So is O'Rielly.

Maybe i should have re-phrased what i meant better. O'Reilly regardless of what he is/or believes is truly irrelevent. O'Reilly is part of a larger cultural trend, a sort of faux populist movement which emphasizes a macho, "common sense" tough guy conservatism, which totally distorts or makes a mockery of any real intellectual discourse on American conservatism. It is tactless,shameless and ideologically disingenuous. O'Reilly and his ilk like to dictate from their bully pulpits about what is so, what "common Americans" believe and act like they are are interceding on their behalf. O'Reilly may even be right some of the time about what he's on to or what he says. It's just the way that he presents it and himself is what i see as the most subversive thing about it, him and other pundits like him, on the left as well as the right. By the way I am not a liberal.[/quote]

[Dr House]

I watch Bill O'Reilly every once in awhile just for the lulz. It's kinda like watching the Colbert Report.

[PBVBROOK]

Maybe i should have re-phrased what i meant better. O'Reilly regardless of what he is/or believes is truly irrelevent. O'Reilly is part of a larger cultural trend, a sort of faux populist movement which emphasizes a macho, "common sense" tough guy conservatism, which totally distorts or makes a mockery of any real intellectual discourse on American conservatism. It is tactless,shameless and ideologically disingenuous. O'Reilly and his ilk like to dictate from their bully pulpits about what is so, what "common Americans" believe and act like they are are interceding on their behalf. O'Reilly may even be right some of the time about what he's on to or what he says. It's just the way that he presents it and himself is what i see as the most subversive thing about it, him and other pundits like him, on the left as well as the right. By the way I am not a liberal.

[/quote]

None of the above What is your point? If viewers think that O'Rielly is speaking to/for them your solution is to call them stupid? His opinion is "subversive" why?

Why are you name calling? Why do you feel it is smart to call millions of Americans are duped and/or stupid?

I am a liberal. And I am sick of my fellow liberals calling conservatives names. That is a most illiberal attitude.

[pikachu]

I think his point was that if it wasn't O'Reilly, it would have been someone else just like him. That's why O'Reilly himself is irrelevant.

If that is his point, I agree with him.

[PBVBROOK]

think his point was that if it wasn't O'Reilly, it would have been someone else just like him. That's why O'Reilly himself is irrelevant.

If that is his point, I agree with him.

How is it possible to conclude that an individual (O'Rielly) who ia the most popular news/pundit on TV is irrelevant?
That makes no sense at all. Your It won't work though. He is a force to be reckoned with.

[Potemkin]

He is a force to be reckoned with.

And laughed at.

[pikachu]

And laughed at.

No, you see, PBV doesn't understand that. He's pretty much a democrat crusading against everything republican, so for him it is not a laughing matter, for him Billy is a serious adversary.

For those outside the centrist / liberal politics, Blitzer, O'reilley, and co are no more than clowns.

[PBVBROOK]

No, you see, PBV doesn't understand that. He's pretty much a democrat crusading against everything republican, so for him it is not a laughing matter, for him Billy is a serious adversary.

How many of my posts have you read?

A democrat?

I can't be a democrat. I am a progressive/liberal. Orielly is no threat to real progressives.

Sorry guys. Dismissing as laughable someone who commands as much media attention and audience as Orielly is a recipe for failure. So laugh away. The man is infinately more powerful than you and I will ever be.

Think of all of the leaders others dismissed as laughable. Think of the polls that laughed at Bushisms. Dismissed him as a baffoon. Who is laughing now?

[Potemkin]

Sorry guys. Dismissing as laughable someone who commands as much media attention and audience as Orielly is a recipe for failure. So laugh away. The man is infinately more powerful than you and I will ever be.

So is Barney the Dinosaur. What's your point?

Think of all of the leaders others dismissed as laughable. Think of the polls that laughed at Bushisms. Dismissed him as a baffoon. Who is laughing now?

We are, still.

[ComradeKeeling]

His ratings are so high because everyone loves a good comedian. Hell i watch it every now and again for good laughs. Even my conservative relatives cant take him seriously and poke fun at him time and time again.

[PBVBROOK]

His ratings are so high because everyone loves a good comedian. Hell i watch it every now and again for good laughs. Even my conservative relatives cant take him seriously and poke fun at him time and time again.

Yes. This is true. Still. For the next several months he will be, arguably, the most powerful man in the world. And that is the danger in laughing at people with whom you disagree. While you are laughing there are millions who are not.

Now you have the option of the democrat candidate you choose to be president. Oh wait. You live in Florida. You don't get to choose which democrat runs for president. Your opinion doesn't matter AGAIN. You must be getting really tired of this. I suggest you vote for Nader. Or McCain. At least they asked for your vote.

[R_G]

LOL

Bill O'Reilly is the best.

I can stand him certainly more than most of the liberal broadcasters out there.