Bill O'Reilly: "Chatting with Obama" (Interesting read)

[Colobo]

Yes, O'Reilly is a blowhard, but he is much less close minded than Hannity, Limpballs or the others. In fact, he seems to like Obama (even though he obviously hates his liberal views and you know...). I think what Obama wanted was for someone like Bill O'Reilly to talk about him like this: in a generally positive manner. Read this and realize what Obama accomplished by going to Bill-O's show:

Like him or not, you have to give Barack Obama credit for waging a smart, focused campaign. Destroying the Clinton machine was a major achievement and so was putting together a successful convention in Denver. Obama is now firmly a part of U.S. history, no matter what happens in the presidential election.

The problem some Americans continue to have with the Senator is that he is long on charisma but short on detail. This frightens some voters. Who the heck is this guy, anyway? So when Obama finally agreed to speak to me this week, specifics were on my mind.

First, the man. The Barack Obama I witnessed is self-confident, determined and driven. He was acutely aware of his surroundings from the moment he entered the room. He looks you in the eye and touches your shoulder. He understands how to connect one-on-one.

As far as philosophy goes, Senator Obama is convinced that the federal government should be in control of income distribution and, to some extent, should regulate the free marketplace. That is a classic liberal position, and Obama promotes it well.

The Senator also believes that poor Americans have a basic right to free health care and monetary supplements from the government with no strings attached. The American substance abuser, for example, would derive the same benefit as a hard working, laid off worker would. Again, classic liberalism. No judgments made regarding entitlements.

So, if Barack Obama does become president, there will definitely be change. His left-wing base will demand it, and he will come through. You can decide if that's change we should believe in, but keep in mind that the unintended consequences of government interference in the marketplace are impossible to predict. Free markets have a way of chafing under government imposition.

On the foreign policy front, Obama has convinced me that he is tough but cautious. He rose up quickly because he vehemently opposed the Iraq war. But now I see a man who understands the victory that has taken place in Iraq. I don't believe he wants to screw that up. I could be wrong.

After going mano-a-mano with Obama on television, I am also persuaded that he is a sincere guy—that he wants the best for all Americans. He's an ideologue, but not a blind one. He understands that his story is incredible, and, I have come to believe, he is grateful to the American system for allowing it happen.

It is true that we don't know whether Senator Obama has the ability to solve complex problems, but you can say that about all presidential contenders.

Like most politicians, Obama has used guile and good luck to accumulate his power. He can be ruthless, kind, unfair, and generous. In short, he's a real person trying to achieve an unreal position—that of the most powerful person in the world.

God help him.

What do you think?

[ClarkBayh 2008]

1. Interesting indeed

I guess he's trying, as the rest of us are, to imagine living under the other candidate's rule.
However, Obama started off, no one can take away what he has accomplished over the last 4 yrs.

Whatever, whoever, and whyever he got here, he's now the dem nominee and you have to respect that.

TO win though, the dems have to be more ruthless and start pumping money into the Barr campaign.

[DemsUnited]

2. Um, I'd say *gulp* that the column is surprisingly fair and balanced.

Too bad most of his followers don't read and he's seems to have a completely different take on his TV and radio shows...

[jzodda]

3. My first reaction is "Oreilly said that??"

I am sort of taken aback. I guess it's really true that all the guy really wants is powerful people to come on his show and stroke his ego, because I didn't expect Billo to be so generous to Obama when he is so polar opposite politically.

Well I still hate Billo anyway :D

[phleshdef]

4. Wow.

As a person who has loathingly monitored Bill O' for a long time now, I have to say thats about as close to "Respect" that someone like Barack Obama is going to get from him.

...but on that last line, I think what Bill really meant was, God help himself and others of the Fox news ilk if Barack is successful.

[Geek_Girl]

5. He's trying to garner ratings and promote himself as independent minded

It was a wonderful opportunity for O'Riely to interview him and it looks like he made the most of it.

[Frustratedlady]

6. If he can win over O'Reilly, even for an hour, Obama is incredible.

Now, I suppose we have to step down into the hole with Rush? Naw, no way would he ever win him over. I wouldn't even suggest he try.

[Colobo]

8. Bill O'Reilly is "still" a journalist. Rush is... well...

[Kdillard]

7. Obama must have done something right in order to inspire that

article from Bill O.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. Doncha love it when O'Liely says

that helping out those who are less fortunate should not be done because it would mean that some drug addict would get help. Funny, I think that Obama's position is not simply just "classic liberalism" but also what the great teachers, like Jesus, taught.

[Colobo]

10. Bill is what he is- a Republican.

[Beregond2]

11. HIs statement about government interference in the

marketplace is the angle I wish more liberals would attack. BOTH parties believe in the government interfering in the marketplace. The only difference is whom they want to see benefit from it.

[Skittles]

12. has he ever used the words BUSH MACHINE

he can fuck himself

[Colobo]

13. Look at the positive here- He's not doing a "Kerry" this time. He's praising Obama.

[Skittles]

30. o'reilly can fuck himself

I'd hardly take praise from that bastard as a compliment

[Colobo]

35. I respect your views. However, Obama did the right thing and it's paying off.

[truth please]

14. Do you have a link for the article?

[Colobo]

16. Go to his website, www.billoreilly.com

It's there.

[MannyGoldstein]

15. Obama Has An Amazing Effect On People

Even on really evil people.

He's one of the very, very few people who can varied groups together in a positive way. Just look at what he did to the Clintons: beat 'em by taking the high road, then brought them back into the fold.

[tomg]

17. It is interesting, but it is also, in some ways,

typical of O'Reilly in these situations. Whenever he faces someone from the Democratic Party or who is a liberal who is a real figure of import and who lets him feel like he is "fair and balanced" and, more, respected as an equal and that he is a national figure ( and not simply dismissed as a right wing hack) he tends to respond like that. To an extent, he sees it as about being "a stand-up guy."

Obama, we find, finally "agreed to speak to me." They went "mano-a-mano." O'Reilly gets to decide Obama is "a real person," and now O'Reilly gets to give his imprimatur out there to all of those other "blue-collar" folks. O'Reilly and I come from identical backgrounds ( same age, Irish-Catholic backgrounds, Catholic High School NYC burbs, fathers accountants, grandfathers NYC cops, my folks wanted me to go to the same college he went to and four guys I went to High school with were in his class, my cousin went there two years behind him, and I know a few of his former professors well).

[LittleClarkie]

21. He calls people who won't meet with him cowards

So I guess it meant something to him that Obama agreed to be interviewed.

[tomg]

26. Absolutely. Again, it is part of the background.

In his universe, the only reason one would not meet with him is because they don't want to be held accountable or are scared to face him ( or, though this is unstated, they simply don't give him the respect he thinks is his due). O'Reilly constantly touts himself as coming from a working class background. In fact, it is first-generation white collar, Irish-Catholic. He comes out of a mid-60s, Catholic High School burb jock culture. He seems to identify with and, if not like, then respect the oppositional guys ( and it is guys) from a certain kind of background or with a certain kind of story: Kucinich, Sharpton, Obama apparently, oddly enough Baldwin - another Long Island, Irish-Catholic middle-class kid - although in a clearly adversarial way. I don't want to sound stupidly sexist, because it isn't that, but there is really a heavy dose of "being a guy" from a particular kind of place and time that goes into his makeup. He probably loved Obama's "I've been called worse things on a basketball court" comeback. That same culture can also be bullying, arrogant, self-righteous and very defensive over issues of class.

[LittleClarkie]

18. Every once in a while...

I appreciated it when O'Reilly said in 2004 that he knew Kerry and that he knew Kerry was a patriot when all that crap about his military record was going around.

And I appreciate his comments here.

[justiceischeap]

19. I think what this article shows is that Bill *sees* Obama... he gets what the man is about

He could have lied, he could have made up some story about how "Obama is as full of himself as I am" but it seems that the time Obama spent with Bill'O was time well-spent because if you can get someone as slanted as Bill'O to say such positive things about Barack, then it means there's still hope that he can reach even more people as long as they have an open mind.

As far as the comment that Faux watchers don't read, don't forget, Bill'O has fans just like anyone else (why, I have no clue but he does). There will be people who read this and give Obama a second look, I think.

[nc4bo]

20. WHO said all this?? Forgive me whilst I pick my lower jaw off my lap. nt

[Zombie2]

24. Can you please grab mine while you're down there....

...my jaw.

I'm not shocked that he feels this way, just shocked that he put it out there like this.

Well... cool. Recommended

[Cha]

22. Interesting, indeedy.. o'rielly gives Obama

credit for a "successful Convention in Denver" which is more than a long time DUer has given him credit for.

[Shine]

23. I actually think that was very reasonable. It's clear he gained some respect of Obama.

Good job, Barack! :applause:

[Lucinda]

25. One of Billo's more lucid moments. I still can't watch him, but for him, this was

great praise.

[sellitman]

27. I agree.

Even if he said he was going to vote for Obama I couldn't bring myself to listen to his sorry ass.

Not many on the news I detest more.

[Clio the Leo]

28. Yep, Bill made my week ..... twice!

Bill complimented Barack on his show on both Thursday and Friday nights. Calling him "sincere" and "not a wimp" and saying on Friday that he was impressed with him. Obviously my opinion of O'Reily is no higher than anyone else's here, but the man's no fool and those compliments meant a lot.

And the exchange between them was a taste of things to come in the debates.

Bill would interrupt Barack when he didn't give the answer he wanted, clearly trying to get him flustered. But it didn't work. Instead of saying "wait! let me finish!" Barack continued talking until Bill did the unthinkable.......... he shut up.

And his mention of the hand on the shoulder thing is interesting. My job requires me to read body language and react accordingly and so that is always a subject that fascinates me. You will see Barack doing this over and over and over. So much so, I almost have to wonder if he's not doing it on purpose. Look at pictures of him talking to ....... anyone really ....... and you'll find hundreds of them with his left hand on their shoulder. Now, that's because he's left handed and he's tall. But there's more to it than that. It's a gesture that is both intimate and domineering at the same time. It says, "I like you, you can trust me" but it also says, "I'm in control." Fascinating.

And of course I could write a whole diatribe on McCain's body language, but who really cares about that. ;)

[neomonkey]

29. Interesting, the feedback here

I'm a little suprised that so many seem unable to reconcile "BO' the RW pundit" with this piece of his.

I'm not shocked at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to give birth to some BO' love-fest right now. I find the guy's opinions and idealogy generally pretty repugnant. On more than one occasion he has nearly caused me to junk a radio or television. But if I were given the distasteful choice of picking one wingnut to hang out with over a beer and shoot the crap about politics, it would be him.

I've had the unfortunate "luck" to consort with a number of right wingers in my life. Most of them are just plain short-sighted human filth, but every once in a while you run into one who embodies the mantra "we can agree to disagree." They put thought into their viewpoints and will defend them reasonably, but they are also a little world-weary and realize the opinions rattling around in their pea-brains are not necessarily Gospel.

And they are willing to discuss and reason without throwing some crazy conservative rage tantrum.

William F. Buckley was another. I don't think it's an accident that Obama chose Bill O'Reilly to sit down with.

Now Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter...um yeah, remember that "human filth" category...?

[liberalpragmatist]

31. O'Reilly is often weirdly "fair and balanced" in presidential campaigns

In 2004 he was actually very fair-minded to the Kerry campaign and actually called bullshit on the Swift Boaters several times.

I really don't understand him. He's a blowhard and a prick 99% of the time. I guess a stopped-clock is right twice a day.

[Danger Mouse]

32. On very, very rare occasions, O'Reilly gets it right.

I've seen him knock it out of the park a few times. Always shocking when it happens.

[Levgreee]

33. He only sneaks in the bias when he can.He needs to credible enough so people believe he is nonbiased

Or, perhaps he actually believes he is credible, but subconsciously throws in his bias and propaganda.
Since Obama pretty much refuses to talk to Bill, there was a lot of attention on this interview. Bill couldn't get away with much slanting, because that would play into the criticism that Obama himself based his refusal to be interviewed on.


There is one instance in this article that jumps out at me as biased.

"Senator Obama is convinced that the federal government should be in control of income distribution and, to some extent, should regulate the free marketplace."

Should be in control of income distribution? All people who don't support a flat tax to some extent support income distribution. He puts it simply, without further clarification, so Obama's viewpoint is generalized into a "lefty/socialist" view.


Same with regulating the free marketplace. What did George Bush just do in taking over those 2 mortgage companies?

He simplifies Obama into the leftist/semi-socialist spectrum, which short-changes Obama, making people who lean on fiscal conservatism say "yup, that's what I thought and figured, and now a non-biased source confirms it for me", without looking further into Obama's platform.

"He's an ideologue(a person who zealously advocates an ideology), but not a blind one."

O-Reilly focused 8/10ths of the article on Obama's "personality", and only 2/10ths on the issues.


Billy did what he could get away with... which wasn't much with all the eyes on him. He had a narrow agenda, to help push the meme that Obama is a liberal partisan to polarize him, a la the "most liberal voting recored" meme. He's a clever one, at times.



This interview probably did not help Obama at all among conservative voters, perhaps securing some of their opinions that Obama was too leftist/socialist, and hurting him a little maybe. So...

Obama: Small + or -

O'Reilly: Big + on ratings, + on perceived non-bias, so he can push other propaganda later.

[Raine]

34. The problem is that O'Lielly's "gig" is

as a rightwing kook, that's what he's paid to do and that's the act he'll keep up.

[rndmprsn]

36. hmmm...i'l give bill the benefit of the doubt on this one, seems like he respects obama...

for coming on his show and going "mano-a-mano" with him...

[NYC_SKP]

37. It was a fair and respectful exchange. Obama did very well.

I look forward to part two.