Bill O'Reilly

[Black Dog]

Calls for arrest of "any American who undermines that war".

O'REILLY: And when he [Durbin] went out there, his intent was to whip up the American public against the Bush detainee policy. That's what his intent was. His intent wasn't to undermine the war effort, because he never even thought about it. He never even thought about it. But by not thinking about it, he made an egregious mistake because you must know the difference between dissent from the Iraq war and the war on terror and undermining it. And any American that undermines that war, with our soldiers in the field, or undermines the war on terror, with 3,000 dead on 9-11, is a traitor.

Everybody got it? Dissent, fine; undermining, you're a traitor. Got it? So, all those clowns over at the liberal radio network, we could incarcerate them immediately. Will you have that done, please? Send over the FBI and just put them in chains, because they, you know, they're undermining everything and they don't care, couldn't care less.

And who will be the arbiter of what is "acceptable" dissent and treason. O'Reilly, I assume.

Edited August 8, 2005 by Greg

[newbie]

I guess he doesn't follow the polls. Most Americans now feel they shouldn't have gone into Iraq.

[for_liberty]

I can't believe O'Reilly said that, what a fool.

I haven't seen O'Relly show much but what i see i dont like. He always cuts people off and raises his voice with someone that doesn't agree with him. But there was one interview I saw with Arnold Swarzeneeger that i liked. I thought for sure it would be a fluff peace because he's a Republican, but he asked him how he can call himself a Govenor for the envioroment when he drives a Hummer? It was classic.

[Said1]

Does anyone think he said that purely for shock value? O'Reilly's show is an op-ed program, he gets paid to shout his opinion, just like Jerry Springer with his "final thoughts".

[kimmy]

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly said that Americans "must know the difference between dissent from the Iraq war and the war on terror and undermining it,"

Yes. Dissent and undermining the war effort aren't necessarily the same thing. So far so good, Bill.

and that "any American who undermines that war ... is a traitor."

Well, yes. Pretty much by definition, right?

"So, all those clowns at the liberal radio network, we could incarcerate them immediately. Will you have that done, please? Send over the FBI and just put them in chains, because they, you know, they're undermining everything and they don't care."

Whoa. WHOOAAH, Bill. Hold on a minute. Didn't we just say a minute ago that dissent doesn't mean undermining the war effort? Jeez, Bill. Paying lip-service to the idea of free speech and then 30 seconds later calling for the mass arrest of people who exercise it...

...

...well, whatever. I don't know much about Bill O'Reilly, but when ever I hear about him it's because he's made an ass of himself.

-k

[I miss Reagan]

I usually don't venture into the "US Politics" section of the forum as it really should be called the "Anti-US" section of the forum. But it appears there is a need to set things straight.

I haven't seen O'Relly show much but what i see i dont like.

Which is what most people believe, both left and right because they are often shown video clips taken out of context by media outlets such as CBS and CBC. He reads some of the mail he gets on the air both positive and negative. Much of the mail he reads from Canada tends to read along the lines of: "Bill I now get Fox News, I was surprised to see that you aren't the radical guy that Canadian media makes you out to be".

But there was one interview I saw with Arnold Swarzeneeger that i liked. I thought for sure it would be a fluff peace because he's a Republican, but he asked him how he can call himself a Govenor for the envioroment when he drives a Hummer? It was classic.

If you actually watched the O'Reilly Factor a couple times you would see that he holds both sides accountable. He consistently slams Bush for not tightening the borders, he slammed Jeb Bush quite a bit for not getting involved in the Jessica Lunsford murder case but stuck his nose in the Terri Shaivo case. He wouldn't give any air time to the author of the recent book about Hilary Clinton because he felt it was unfair despite the fact he doesn't like Hilary at all.

With respect to this latest little O'Reilly slam, I'd like to hear the whole radio segment in it's context. It doesn't fall in line with what Bill has recently been saying that he felt the sentence for the radical cleric in Virgina was too heavy, even though the cleric was calling for American muslims to attack the US.

...well, whatever. I don't know much about Bill O'Reilly, but when ever I hear about him it's because he's made an ass of himself.

Exactly. All these opinions from people who "hear about him". Not opinions from people who actually watch the show first hand.

[crazymf]

Let's see... O'Reilly or Lou Dobbs????

Dobbs is smarter, but O'Reilly is more fun to watch.

[SirSpanky]

Oleg, how does this relate to the thread?

I've not seen a side of mr. O'reilly where he wasn't being absolutely closed minded. I'm interested that some of you say he's quite reasonable, and impartial. I'll definately check into it.

[marina]

I guess he doesn't follow the polls. Most Americans now feel they shouldn't have gone into Iraq.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

your absolutly right ,and if anyone reads hundreds of articles about the american soldiers who came back from iraq hell be shoked , so american people wont be blamed if they dont support war against iraq , and Mr Oreilly must be realistic about that war.

[Guest eureka]

I take it you see London as a modern Rome?

[I miss Reagan]

If anyone saw O'Reilly last night he had Ann Coulter on to discuss the war in Iraq. O'Reilly has been argueing a lot that the war is going badly and that Rumsfeld should resign (interesting coming from a supposedly closed minded conservative). Anyway Annie was pretty tough on Bill and she didn't seem to be afraid of him one bit and she hammered him for saying the US didn't lose in Vietnam.

I've not seen a side of mr. O'reilly where he wasn't being absolutely closed minded. I'm interested that some of you say he's quite reasonable, and impartial. I'll definately check into it.

Check into it, and form your opinion by actually watching the show rather than basing your opinion on 30 seconds worth of clips or a 3rd hand analysis from some Franken type, like many people on this forum do.

[newbie]

Well, sometimes all you need is 30 seconds. The clip I saw he completely shut down the guest and kept saying "Shut up." I wouldn't watch any journalist who displays that type of rude behaviour. He reminds me of the school yardbully, much like Robert Novak.

[I miss Reagan]

First off he's not a journalist really. He's a commentator. He gives his opinion. You know right up front where he stands, whether you agree with him or not. I think this is more fair than so called journalists who are supposed to be reporting on a story but in reality are subtley telling a one sided story which expresses their own opinion.

Secondly, a 30 second clip doesn't give the context of why he's saying "shut up". It also gives the perception that this is what he always does when he doesn't agree with someone, which isn't true.

I will give you this however, he is arrogant and can be a bully sometimes. But not to the extent the radical left would have you believe.

[Shady]

You know right up front where he stands

Another great point. At least you know where he stands, unlike the mainstream media that pretends to be objective.

[Black Dog]

Another great point. At least you know where he stands, unlike the mainstream media that pretends to be objective.

Um...I hate to burst the bubble, but FOXNews is the mainstream media, as much as the New York Times and CBS and given to the same editorializing.

[Shady]

Um...I hate to burst the bubble, but FOXNews is the mainstream media

I wasn't referring to FoXNews in general but to Bill O'Reilly, and not just to him but conservative personalities such as Limbaugh, Hannity, etc. But you're right, in a way, they're becoming more mainstream. The usual mainstream media is losing its control.

[Black Dog]

I wasn't referring to FoXNews in general but to Bill O'Reilly, and not just to him but conservative personalities such as Limbaugh, Hannity, etc. But you're right, in a way, they're becoming more mainstream. .

a) If FOX News is "mainstream" then any one on Fox News (especially one with his own show) would, by extension, be mainstream.

Hannity and Limbaugh are also mainstream, for the same reasons as above.

The usual mainstream media is losing its control

?

I suppose this would be true if one thought of the mainstream media as a cabal of radical hippies in some star chamber in Hollywood that filtered every bit of content through their leftist vision. But that's not the case. The media is a business: their only ideaology is to make a profit. FOX is a perfect case: peddling red-state culture war backlash conservativism on one network and the raunchiest, filthiest, most morally bankrupt programming in the country on the other.

[Shady]

I suppose this would be true if one thought of the mainstream media as a cabal of radical hippies in some star chamber in Hollywood that filtered every bit of content through their leftist vision. But that's not the case. The media is a business: their only ideaology is to make a profit. FOX is a perfect case: peddling red-state culture war backlash conservativism on one network and the raunchiest, filthiest, most morally bankrupt programming in the country on the other

Actually, before talk-radio, cable news and the internet, the mainstream media was a type of cabal, populated by mostly leftist journalists. Today, as you know, it is quite different. There is a wide spectrum of journalists and opinions. The main cause of uprising of the new media is specifically linked the cabal of the old media. Without the existence of the first, there would have been no need for the second. As for the "peddling red-state culture war", that's BS. You gain an audience by broadcasting what people want to watch. You said it yourself, it's a business. You can't sell a product someone isn't willing to buy. And who are you to judge what programming is moral or immoral? Isn't that what the left always asks? Personally, I there's plenty of it on all networks.

[Black Dog]

AcActually, before talk-radio, cable news and the internet, the mainstream media was a type of cabal, populated by mostly leftist journalists. Today, as you know, it is quite different.

I don't buy this for a second. First, I don't think there's any more idealogical diversity among journalists than there used to be. What's more, I don't think the indiovidual political stances of reporters matters all that much. Bias also operates among the editors, managers, and owners who call the shots. It's called structural bias, and its neither left nor right. Look no further than CBS, former home of "liberal" Dan Rather, and who's president pledged support for Bush in '04.

If there is a bias in media it is towards official power and policy.

As for the "peddling red-state culture war", that's BS. You gain an audience by broadcasting what people want to watch. You said it yourself, it's a business. You can't sell a product someone isn't willing to buy. And who are you to judge what programming is moral or immoral? Isn't that what the left always asks? Personally, I there's plenty of it on all networks.

WOOSH! That was the point. You missed it.

Here it is for you again: because FOX is a business it sells people what they want. In Fox News, that is conservative, Christian outrage. On Fox network, its titilating, "edgy", sex and violence programming: in other words, the same content culture war conservatives detest. Does the content of FOX the network demonstrate a liberal bias in FOX news? Nope. It just shows that they know how to work the rubes.

[I miss Reagan]

Here it is for you again: because FOX is a business it sells people what they want. In Fox News, that is conservative, Christian outrage. On Fox network, its titilating, "edgy", sex and violence programming: in other words, the same content culture war conservatives detest. Does the content of FOX the network demonstrate a liberal bias in FOX news? Nope. It just shows that they know how to work the rubes.

BD, I love it how you talk about FOX News with such authority and conviction. Interesting coming from someone who does not have access to FOX and who gets his information from cut and paste clips of O'Reilly and literature from the far left.

[Montgomery Burns]

Well, sometimes all you need is 30 seconds. The clip I saw he completely shut down the guest and kept saying "Shut up." I wouldn't watch any journalist who displays that type of rude behaviour. He reminds me of the school yardbully, much like Robert  Novak.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unlike James Carville (who - along with Paul Begala were campaign advisors for Kerry at the same time as they were hosting CNN's Crossfire - a blatant conflict of interest) who put on one of the most disgusting displays of rude behaviour against O'Neill from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth - screaming at him until Carville's face was red as a tomato. I thought Carville's head was going to explode.

Simply disgraceful.

[Montgomery Burns]

Here it is for you again: because FOX is a business it sells people what they want. In Fox News, that is conservative, Christian outrage. On Fox network, its titilating, "edgy", sex and violence programming: in other words, the same content culture war conservatives detest. Does the content of FOX the network demonstrate a liberal bias in FOX news? Nope. It just shows that they know how to work the rubes.

BD, I love it how you talk about FOX News with such authority and conviction. Interesting coming from someone who does not have access to FOX and who gets his information from cut and paste clips of O'Reilly and literature from the far left.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

BD is too busay regaling the forum about the Duelfer Report proving that Saddam and Al Qaeda were not linked with each other.

[Black Dog]

BD is too busay regaling the forum about the Duelfer Report proving that Saddam and Al Qaeda were not linked with each other.

When I'm not painting murals in Iraq, of course.

[newbie]

Well, sometimes all you need is 30 seconds. The clip I saw he completely shut down the guest and kept saying "Shut up." I wouldn't watch any journalist who displays that type of rude behaviour. He reminds me of the school yardbully, much like Robert  Novak.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unlike James Carville (who - along with Paul Begala were campaign advisors for Kerry at the same time as they were hosting CNN's Crossfire - a blatant conflict of interest) who put on one of the most disgusting displays of rude behaviour against O'Neill from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth - screaming at him until Carville's face was red as a tomato. I thought Carville's head was going to explode.

Simply disgraceful.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Or Novak's walkout when some commentators got a little too close to the Plame for him.

[Montgomery Burns]

Bill O'Reilly lays a lickin' on radical leftist Phil Donahue.

I watched it last night on the O'Reilly Factor (The No-Spin Zone), and it's now available on video on the Internet.

Enjoy.

I know I did.