Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O'Reilly, Int'l
Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O'Reilly, Int'l is an organization dedicated to the dissemination of information that exposes Bill O'Reilly for what he is: an ego-driven, biased individual who spreads fear, hate and misunderstanding. His views are firmly anchored to the political right. He works tirelessly to enrage Americans and pit them against anything he considers "liberal" or, worse yet, "secular". Mr. O'Reilly uses highly manipulative forms of presentation, phrasing and, yes, "spin".
Many thanks to Aimee for enlightening us with this. Question: how many conservatives at Politics Schmolitics find O'Reilly repulsive? Maybe in the same way some liberals find Al Franken repulsive?
posted by Sean @ 6/07/2005 04:46:00 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
I'm not a conservative, but can I still vote? Down with O'Reilly! He sucks!
What do you think about Al Franken?
Honestly, while I tend often to agree with Franken's points, I think he and his ilk contribute to the general dissolution of intelligent political discourse just as much as O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, G. Gordon Liddy, and the as*hole from Scarborough Country do. I think honestly that what we're doing as private citizens -- even in its limited, on-again/off-again way -- is much more construcutive and hopeful.
I have to agree with you, Sean, as much as I may agree with Mr. Hannity, and, to a lesser degree, with Mr. O'Reilly politically, I cannot STAND the way they present or argue a point of view.
I think that Jon Stewart was right when he pointed out that talk shows like Crossfire have been bad for our political system.
Why is it that we can debate the issues in a polite, intelligent manner here, and find it entertaining, but the talking heads cannot do the same on television or talk radio, except on PBS and NPR????
In answer to your query, Jimmy (and here's where my liberal credentials wear really, really thin) I'd have to say because we're all EDUCATED. And, beyond that, we're all fairly well-adjusted (generally) and fairly successful. So we're equipped to listen, to reason, to debate, to have informed opinions and to argue them amongst a group of like-minded individuals.
What we have here at Politics Schmolitics is what amounts to a salon. At least a virtual salon. And, in the best salon traditions, we value the conversation as much or more than the final outcome of the conversation. We're all able to remain friends, remain respectful... and to DISAGREE. And that is not a dynamic that appeals to (forgive me liberals)... to... the unwashed masses tuning in to any one of the numerous, and venemous, "political news sources" that exist in mainstream media.
Here's my two cents:
1. I wonder how relevant the O'Reillys and Frankens of the world really are to the public at large, and how much of their status is inflated by the media. In other words, do people really listen to these guys as much as the media wants us to believe? It would seem from reading newspapers/magazines, listening to/watching newscasts, that these guys are top-of-mind to folks across the country. But when you look at their actual ratings, it's a very small portion of the population that's tuning in. They make good news stories because of their sensationalistic rhetoric, but I would argue that not too many people really care what they say (myself included.)
2. Regarding political discourse in this country: I would agree that education might play a role. But let's take that a step further. [Begin gross generalizations.] For most people on this blog, we have the luxury of time to read about and discuss politics (maybe because we're educated and consequently have stable jobs with stable incomes.) But for lower income workers, those working several jobs to support a family, the unemployed--I tend to think that political discussion isn't a priority. They've got more important things to worry about. And when they do have some leisure time, not too many spend it following politics. Maybe this is why "reality" programming is so popular with the public at large and political/news programs are barely on the radar screen. The irony of "reality" shows is that they sell precisely the opposite of reality--an escape, an alternate reality where everyone is beautiful and anyone can get rich. News and political programs ostensibly provide the reality that no one wants to face--they live reality everyday, who wants to watch it in the few hours of leisure time available. So, maybe political discourse is a luxury item of the educated, middle-class--much like owning a car, taking vacations, buying a house.
Okay, here's my two cents...
I think that many of these news talk shows are popular for the same reason Jerry Springer is still on the air. For some reason, viewers like to see people getting in each other's faces about whatever. The problem is not these talk shows, its that we have very little to counter what comes out of it. And, Jon Stewart's point is that the press seems to be asleep at the wheel. Even regular news shows will put a couple of talking heads together to argue a point, and they (the press) feels no obligation to fact-check the various inaccurate statements made by these "experts". So, we never get the real story.
And, its not just a matter of education. My brother-in-law, who has a graduate degree, listens to Rush Limbaugh every day. And, what's worse, he believes what he hears. He never bothers to find out what is fact. I think you'll find many educated people who listen to these shows because they agree with what they are hearing. And, they don't want to hear alternative points of view.
I think the members of this blog are more curious and enlightened than the average American. My attitude is that I want to hear opposing views. It helps me to either think more about where I stand, or it reinforces my original position.
And, to answer your question, Sean, I have to admit that I like Al Franken. If, for no other reason, than he balances out all of the conservative crazies. But, I wouldn't compare Al Franken to Bill O'Reilly. O'Reilly is a sloppy "journalist", who's show is so... I can't even come up with a word.
Franken can't even take an award without upsetting the applecart. What a jackass.
Franken can't even accept an award without upsetting the apple cart. What a jackass - http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2005/06/13/20050613_185708_flash.htm
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