The most interesting thing that happened when Bill O'Reilly appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman last night could have been when he walked out with a plastic shield. It could have been Letterman's prediction that he hoped he would have the chance to call the conservative a bonehead. It could been when that prediction came true. It could even have been their predictable debate about the war in Iraq.
But it wasn't any of that.
This was the most interesting quote of the night: "This whole thing is a big act," O'Reilly said.
O'Reilly, responding to a heckler, exclaimed he and the talk show host were actually good friends and this whole banter or arguing or rivalry, or whatever it is to be called, is fake and merely an act for entertainment purposes.
WOW!
The FOX pundit — the arch-enemy of the bleeding heart, the scourge of the Clinton administration — is acting?
It is entirely possible that O'Reilly and Letterman are friends. The media makes for strange bedfellows, and much stranger than these two have emerged in the past. It's also plausible when the cameras stop rolling and they've both made their political points that they are utterly civil and perhaps even cordial to each other. The best debaters in the world make their point when it counts and don't take it or the responding contentions personally. It's like a rugby match where you basically kill the other team all game and then go out for beers after. But the killing is real and the debating is real and none of it is (supposed to be) an act.
Otherwise, we did get to see a great exchange between media figures, and the war in Iraq was a hot topic as always. But, now the question sits in the back of our minds: Did O'Reilly snap and drop the acting card on the audience or was he just pissed at a heckler and said the first thing that came to mind?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - kr
why is it liberals are so tolerant of everything and everyong, except those who disagree with them?
the 50+ % who disagree with them !
2 - JustOneMan
Oh Dave Letterman was in great flip-floppin Democratic form! Oh yes he was a credit to our Democratic Party! I especially liked it when he said "he was for the War before he was against it'! Oh...the memories that brought back!
In addition he really supported our Democratic platform of - Ignore the facts and blame bush...pure genius...and best of all he really told that Oreally guy off about Korea..wow...
I was so proud to be a left-wing democrat that night!
From The Left - JustOneMan
3 - Dave Nalle
From what I've always understood, Letterman is a moderate Republican of some sort.
Dave
4 - Baronius
O'Reilly was joking about being best friends with Letterman after (maybe during) his first appearance. I think it was a misguided attempt to diffuse the tension.
Dave's got one of the better late-night shows, certainly superior Leno. Dave and Bill don't work well together, but I guess it's a stunt that helps both of them. It's too bad that Letterman only gets attention when he stoops to buffoonery. Dave can do an interview.
5 - JustOneMan
Baronius
True..letterman is better than Leno..he made a classice hollywood/entertainer mistake...they confuse their ability to entertain with real intellect...if he would only stick to what he does best..ask funny and or embarassing questions he would have been fine!
Instead he sounded like Jon Liebowitz aka Jon Stewart a real buffoon reading lines from the left wing talking points...with no facts or figures to support his opinions..
Temporarily Back to Reality...JustOneMan
6 - Bob Jones
When you make somebody from Fox News sound knowledged, you're a bad debater and bonehead.
7 - JustOneMan
Oh yes my dear Robert...we Democrat Fox haters sound so much more "knowledged" than those illeatarate Repubelickins!
From The Left...JustOneMan
8 - Plainavy
Too many people cavalierly underestimate the research that informs O'Reilly's vision: he's not an idiot, he's not a pathological liar, he's not the devil. He's well informed. All the name-calling, smearing, and bashing in the world doesn't change that fact or other people's minds.
Deal with his arguments and engage him: he thinks America should closely control its borders. If you don't think America should, then explain how having open borders is a good thing.
He's for aggressive interrogation techniques being used on non-uniformed combatants picked up in conflict zones: his idea of aggressive interrogration is not physical maiming but water-boarding, standing for extended periods, loud music without respite, lack of clothing, 50 degree fahrenheit cells--if American intelligence officers can break terrorists with that sort of interrogation, then O'Reilly is for it.
Many on the left think that non-uniformed combatants picked up in combat zones should be given Geneva Convention rights, expected to offer only name (and I guess affiliation?), and be given civilian lawyers. The idea is that even if some terrorist acts are not stopped, because of a non-interventionist approach to questioning, that in the long term, America will gain the respect of the world and have a better chance of stopping terrorism.
That's a clear difference of opinion and people can decide which policy they want to support. To me, that's what O'Reilly is about: clarifying positions and that's why I pay attention to him. Agree or disagree with him, he's usually making a strong effort to get clear about the defining issues and positions.
Plainavy
9 - Valery Dawe
"America will gain the respect of the world and have a better chance of stopping terrorism."
Plainavy
When America stops terrorizing it will have a better chance of gaining the respect of the world.
10 - MCH
"Too many people cavalierly underestimate the research that informs O'Reilly's vision: he's not an idiot, he's not a pathological liar, he's not the devil."
- Plainavy
True, but he IS a draft-dodger.
11 - Sylvia Muffaleto
"they confuse their ability to entertain with real intellect"
Something JOM does not have to fear.
O'Reilly also thinks there is a war on Christmas, so spare us the great political thinker bit.
12 - JustOneMan
Valery,
Well said...spoken like a great Democrat Party thought leader..you are so correct that we the US are the real terrorists..why ever since that white trash Columbus came here the US has been nothing but pure terror...why in WWII we terrorized those poor Nazis and Japanese for nothing more than killing a few Jews, trying to conquer the world and bombing Pearl Harbor...my my...in addition as US dollars, medical assistance, drugs and food are given freely to so many sick and starving people we must remind ourselves that in every grain of rice and AIDs cocktail that we give out for free a whole lotta terror is behind it!!
Your post though brief provides all the reasons for rational Americans to understand what us Democrats stand for....remember "Blame America and Bush First"
From The Left...JustOneMan
13 - JustOneMan
Sylvia Muffaleto..
Thank you for your kind words...
From
14 - Les Slater
Comes out with a plastic shield and is heckled by the audience? Sounds like a mix of Jerry Springer and 'professional' wrestling. And you wonder if they were acting?
15 - Zedd
Does the left have talking points????
I guess that IS the latest Republican talking point. I've heard it four times in two days. "Left wing talking point" thats funny... The idea goes against everything that the left is about. Thats whay Air America didn't work.
As for "flip flopping". Get used to it. People of the LEFT are fine with changing their minds. They deem that to be an honorable thing. When you learn more, you are supposed to change and grow. Sticking to IT even though IT is stupid is ridiculous don't you think.
I suppose we are all flip floppers when we think back on our younger selves (let's hope).
16 - RJ Elliott
"From what I've always understood, Letterman is a moderate Republican of some sort."
He's not. Back when Hillary was running for the Senate, Letterman made a big deal about giving Hillary a "pop quiz" on facts about New York. She answered all the questions quickly, and correctly. We found out later than Letterman had submitted his questions to her long before her appearance on his show, so she could research them and come up with the correct answers. He did not, however, mention this fact on his show that evening, and therefore millions of people got the incorrect impression that Hillary really knew all this stuff off the top of her head.
Letterman was also a mentor of sorts to Jon Stewart, one of the most liberal, pro-Democrat dudes on TV today.
17 - RJ Elliott
By the way, I watched a good portion of the Letterman-O'Reilly debate, and I can honestly say that O'Reilly came off looking pretty good. Not great, but considering the audience was mostly against him, he did pretty well. Letterman, OTOH, made himself look like a rude, uninformed ass.
18 - Dave Nalle
Re: #15.
Zedd, you're a funny fellow. 'Does the left have talking points'. You amaze me.
I get emailed talking points from several leftwing organizations daily. Hell, there's even a leftist website called talkingpointsmemo.com.
The left is in lockstep, repeating what they're programmed to think.
Dave
19 - Professor Strat
Anyone who thinks Letterman handled the interview with O'Reilly well is simply reflecting their own political biases. Taking the political points made by each side out of the equation, did Letterman seem to have any developed concepts to counter O'Reilly's points, whatsoever? Had the "debate" placed O'Reilly and Letterman on opposite sides of the argument, Letterman would still have come off as rude, uninformed, and closed-minded. Johnny Carson and Jay Leno never stooped to the level of incivility toward a guest that Letterman has toward O'Reilly's in his two appearances. If he finds O'Reilly so distasteful, why book him?
I used to be a major fan of Letterman, but he's lost his sense of broadcasting "class" a long time ago. Last Friday, he came off as "William Jennings Bryan" to O'Reilly's "Clarrence Darrow" in the exchange, and it was sad to watch.
Professor Strat
20 - Sylvia Muffaleto
Wow, you fellas really know nothing about broadcasting or entertainment.
"We found out later than Letterman had submitted his questions to her long before her appearance on his show..., and therefore millions of people got the incorrect impression that Hillary really knew all this stuff off the top of her head."
You're kidding, right? Almost all those who appear on talk shows do pre-interviews and go over what they are going to discuss. It's how they answer the questions so quickly. Just because you fell for it, doesn't mean millions bought it. Do you know wrestling is fake?
"If he finds O'Reilly so distasteful, why book him?"
Obviously not a Prof of media studies. It wasn't an episode of Firing Line. This thing with O'Reilly and Letterman is a celebrity feud done to get everyone talking about the both of them. It appears to be working.
21 - Valery Dawe
JustOneMan, "..you are so correct that we the US are the real terrorists..why ever since that white trash Columbus came here the US has been nothing but pure terror..." from 1492 to 1942 we slaughtered anyone who got in our way. Our genocide of the natives here gave the Nazis some killer ideas about accumulating real estate. When it looked like they would eventually come over here when they'd settled Europe we quit trading with them and joined the fight that began in 1939. Since WW2 we've financed our favorite dictators and helped their regimes slaughter millions of people around the world. Our altruism knows no bounds. We are God's gift to the planet. We are 'murka, Left, Right and Center and by jeesus we mean BUSINESS!
22 - JustOneMan
Good job Val!
Great to see some additional left wing intellects are joining our group! Your posts will make me, Jet, Nancy and Adam very proud! Altogether now! 1...2...3...Bush Lied!... Blame America First!...Bush Lied!... Blame America First!...Bush Lied!... Blame America First!...
Wow! this Democrat Mantra is a great way to get started in the morning! Plus since all we Democrats have to do is keep repeating the same thing over and over again it saves so much time..all we have to do is cut and paste our blog posts over and over again!
Boys and girls make sure you remember Vals post when entering the election booth..this is what we Democrats truly believe!
From The Left...JustOneMan
23 - Maurice
I have not seen the Oreilly show because I got rid of my TV before FOX news. I did read his first book. I would not have guessed that he was considered a conservative. He came across as a moderate centrist in his book. It would make sense to me that he and Letterman would be in general agreement on most issues.
BTW support for Bush is not a conservative issue.
A true conservative issue would be balancing the budget. Eliminating the IRS and respecting States rights would also fall in the conservative column.
Bush does not do these things.
24 - Valery Dawe
Vote Right, and watch 'murka kick ass around the world.
Vote Left, and watch 'murka kick ass around the world.
Vote Center, and watch 'murka kick ass around the world.
Stay home, don't vote, keep chasing the almighty dollar and watch 'murka kick ass around the world.
25 - Plainavy
If America is such a terrible country, why oh why are so many people from around the world busting ass to get here?
Oh wait...just the bad people are trying to get here, the ones that want to make money and eat children.
Plainavy