foogledricks Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 I never cared about politics until about 5 years ago. Watching CNN or MSNBC was torture in that it was just not interesting. I had little idea of what a conservative or liberal was - didn't care either. Then my brother recommended watching this show, "The O'Reilly Factor" - so I Tivoed it. And it has been a season pass ever since. I really love this show. I will explain why I love it in a succeeding post, but for now I'd like to know who here watches this show. Many people hate Bill, but love the show. Many people love Bill and love the show. And some people consider the show total trash. Where do you stand? Keep it clean (no political tangents please). And keep it pithy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLYING SE7EN Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Without bloviating, I will say that I like Bill and I like the show. I watch it every night followed by Hannity and Colmes. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baiter Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 I watch the show 2 or 3 nights a week. :tu: I like the show for the most part, but it doesn't come close to Meet the Press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishepa Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 I also like O'Reilly along with Sean Hannity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoisonJam Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Hate the show, hate the man, I think he's as arrogant blowhard with possibly the biggest ego on television (and THAT is saying something). And not to be a jerk, but I'm keeping a close eye on this thread. I don't see how a discussion about this show can possibly avoid discussing politics, but I'm willing to give it a chance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbert Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Trash TV with zero journalistic intentions or interest in real debate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robot Monkey Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 I don't care for him. I dislike most (all?) TV news/current affairs/news magazine shows and O'Reilly's show seems to be in good company with the other stuff on network and cable TV. The whole "no spin zone" reminds me of people who say things like "I speak honestly and some people don't like that" or "I'm a straight-talker; that's just what I am." Almost without exception, these are euphemisms for "I lack tact and I'm an asshole." His behavior with Terry Gross on Fresh Air clinched it for me (link to audio). It was so outrageous that Triumph the Insult Comic Dog singled him out for derision a month later (link to audio). -j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starhawk Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 I'm pretty liberal, so I don't like O'Reilley at all, and I never watch his show. I also think Hannity is a jerk, as he always interupts people on his show and Colmes isnt really of calibur to "compete" with him. My conservative dad agrees. I'm waiting for the O'Franken Factor to hit TV. :tu: This book is a "fair and balanced" look at O'Relley and others. Read with an open mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelley Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 O'Reilley is the biggest piece of trash on TV IMHO. Just for my own knowledge, but what made this man such a know it all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robot Monkey Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Well, I put Franken in the same category as O'Reilly. One or two notches below Limbaugh on my Partisan Nut Scale. This is one of the interesting aspects of shows like the O'Reilly Factor, Hannity & Colmes or ABC's This Week. We often pick one show (or political flavor) and the other shows are no good or even garbage. Thus, I hear people attack a show on Fox News as right-wing, misleading fluff and then turn around and watch Dateline NBC. Similarly, I've heard Fox News fans blast junk (IMO) like Dateline and then turn around and tune in to their favorite tripe. This isn't directed towards anyone in particular -- this behavior is, I think, human. I listened to Limbaugh for a while as a young man before I realized it was junk. Same goes for O'Reilly, Dateline NBC, 60 Minutes and other shows. -j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyberwoo Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 I catch the show every now and then (but dont go out of my way to do so). I agree with alot of what O'Reilly has to say. We share many of the same political ideals. I can understand how he comes off as being arrogant, obnoxious, etc. Certainly if I didn't agree with what he is saying I would see him in that light as well. I just think its funny when he starts talkin himself up. I really think he does that just as a lil jab to all the people who disagree with him. Its his show afterall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlucci Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 I find O'Reilly to be too abrasive for my tastes. I'm not crazy about Hannity on TV, but I find his radio show to be more tolerable. I'm a huge Limbaugh fan. One man's junk is another man's (national) treasure. I guess. The few times that I listened to Sam Donaldson, I was very entertained. (but I believe its cancelled now) I watch "This Week with George Step-on-all-of-us" just for George Will, who is hands down my favorite of all the political pundits out there. He is the very definition of pragmatism, IMO. Plus the man really knows his baseball! Carlos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exile Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Love the show but I agree with his side of politics so I can understand how some folks can't stand him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scobeto Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 I like O'Reilly, but usually catch his radio show. Hannity is OK. Michael Savage of the Savage Nation radio show is a hoot I have a lot of liberal friends, but we don't talk politics much, as it is futile: A liberal will never make sense to a conservative, and a conservative will never make sense to a liberal. It's like discussing abortion or religion; you never really get anywhere. All I really listen to is talk radio these days, it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starhawk Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 This is one of the interesting aspects of shows like the O'Reilly Factor, Hannity & Colmes or ABC's This Week. We often pick one show (or political flavor) and the other shows are no good or even garbage. Oh, I agree. I lean far enough to the left that I actually think people like O'Reilly and Hannity are wrong. 8) If Bill Maher or Al Franken had TV shows like those mentioned above, I would watch them everyday and think they were great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan FB Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 I find O'Reilly to be more of an entertainer than anything else. He often takes random, entrenched positions on issues he's unfamiliar with just to get a rise out of people. He also seems to be rather egotistical. That being said, I do occasionally tune in to "The Factor" when there's nothing else on. But I still find O'Reilly to be too far to the left for my tastes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baiter Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Originally posted by gigapower@Jun 19 2004, 10:44 AMJust for my own knowledge, but what made this man such a know it all? He started out as a high school teacher, moved on to become a reporter, then I think he just got a brake and was given a show when Fox News was getting off the ground. Since everyone is putting people in boxes, Franken is out there w/ Micheal Moore, total hacks that would do anything to promote what their agenda. I guess you could put Rush in the same box, as I don't think I've ever heard him say a bad word about a republican (except McCain of course). Conversely O'Reilly and Hannity will commonly go against the grain, they make an attempt to do analysis of the news instead of forcing an agenda down my throat. They're both definitely slanted right, so it's understandable if you commonly don't like the conclusions they come to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Remember, we're not trying to make this political... We're already treading on name calling of some pundits, and we know where things go from there. So, please be careful where you go from here. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLYING SE7EN Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 If someone can listen to that interview and think that O'reilly was in the wrong than I don't know what to say. The interview was over 40 minutes long and she asked 2 questions about the book that was supposed to be the reason for the interview in the first place. I agree with O'reilly 100% and I would have walked out as well. She even admitted that she was tougher on him than on Franken! Claiming Franken's book is satire is the height of ignorance. At no time in that interview did I get a single clue as to what is covered in "Who's looking out for you". All it was was Bill trying to defend every comment he has ever made, and refuting the attacks made on him by others. Having said that, I think Bill's explanation of how he went from Republican to Independent was weak as hell. I always have. On that subject it definitely sounds like he's full of BS. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robot Monkey Posted June 20, 2004 Report Share Posted June 20, 2004 Originally posted by FLYING SE7EN@Jun 19 2004, 07:15 PM I agree with O'reilly 100% and I would have walked out as well. She even admitted that she was tougher on him than on Franken! I agree with you, she was tougher on him than Franken. Sadly, Franken got softballs. My problem is that it doesn't change the questions. That is, so what? Why couldn't he address them in a civil manner? So Franken had it easy. Maybe Franken isn't as intellectually rigorous. Maybe he had an "in" with Terry Gross because of a philosphical affiliation. Either way, why would that excuse O'Reilly from addressing Terry's questions civilly? Is he not up to the task? My conclusion was that he had no desire to do so. I think he went in looking for a "controversy" to feed his show and waited until he found one. -j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foogledricks Posted June 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2004 I started this thread to see if there were some LCVGers who watch O'Reilly. Seems there are a bunch. And we seem fairly diverse in whether we like the show and/or the man. Exactly what I expected. Here is my analysis of O'Reilly: I love the show. Bill stands up to people and organizations and I like his zeal in doing so. He seems to care a lot about issues that he thinks are important. He tries really hard to stay moderate and fair on most issues. But his social ideals are clearly conservative, and it shows, especially since I am socially liberal. He isn't always fair, but he tries to be, and I give him credit for that. He's abrasive, and this can make him fun to watch, when he's not slamming someone I like, or hammering some issue that I disagree with him on. So that cuts both ways. I don't wish to be preached to as part of a partisan choir, so the fact that I disagree with O'Reilly on social issues, does not deter me from watching his show. I think it is great. To give an idea of what else I like and don't like: I do not like Hannity or Franken, I do like Maher (very funny), I like Meet the Press (mostly for the round table discussions), and I have never listened to Rush - should I? Would I like him, do you think, given the above likes and dislikes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyberwoo Posted June 20, 2004 Report Share Posted June 20, 2004 Try Rush and see what you think. Can't hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLYING SE7EN Posted June 20, 2004 Report Share Posted June 20, 2004 Why couldn't he address them in a civil manner? I believe he did answer them in a civil and calm manner. Until the last one. He got fed up with having to constantly defend himself from accusations made by others. I mean the guy comes on the show to promote his new book and he gets hammered by questions and put on the defensive from the start. The first question was "Are you sorry you sued Al Franken?" Sheeesh. If that doesn't set a tone, I don't know what does. I have never listened to Rush - should I? Would I like him, do you think, given the above likes and dislikes? I think with Rush you will definitely feel like you are being preached to as part of the partisan choir. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ant1 Posted June 20, 2004 Report Share Posted June 20, 2004 Hmmm only one thing comes to mind when I think of O'Reilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weremichael Posted June 20, 2004 Report Share Posted June 20, 2004 I've seen Bill's show a few times and I tend to find him to have less actual research and more opinion for my taste (as a result he just pisses me off). I wish I could be more like kfredericks as it seems (at least for his avatar) we are of ilk mind socially. I tend to only get my news from the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Pacifica, the NY Times, The Guardian Unlimited and the every now and again NPR (although they are a little conservative for me). I guess my tastes lean toward one side, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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