Bill O’Reilly interviews Senator Barack Obama – Thursdsay
Written by Michael Vass
Well here is something that I’m sure will top the Nielsen ratings charts on Thursday. After months of waiting, Senator Barack Obama has finally come in for his interview with Bill O’Reilly. And it’s about time.
Now on the left, especially the far-left, Bill O’Reilly is seen as the fanatical face of the right. It’s an unfair accusation, based in the extremist views of those critics. That’s like saying the comments and actions of Code Pink or Moveon.org represent all Democrats, which I would say is equally unfair.
But there is no question that Fox News is the most watched news channel in the nation. It is also no question that throughout the Primaries and since Fox News has been noted as the most unbiased news agency. And it is also factual that Bill O’Reilly is the most popular commentator, reaching millions of Americans of all types of political beliefs.
So it will only be to Senator Obama’s benefit to appear on the program. His audience is so wide and politically beneficial that Senator Clinton appeared as she was regaining ground against Obama in the last few weeks of the Democratic Primaries. And while I dislike Senator Clinton and her policies, she did look good in the interview.
But how might Senator Obama fare?
Well in England we have these headlines on the subject –
Obama agrees to Murdoch’s Fox News grilling
Rupert Murdoch broked ‘truce’ between Fox and Barack Obama
In the U.S. the headline tones are:
The secret Obama-Fox News meeting
OBAMA AND FOX MAKE UP, PHELPS LENDS A HAND, RICH PEOPLE READ
According to those titles, which I think is a fair and popular representation of the way this is being presented to the world via most news media, Fox News has been seen as an enemy of Senator Obama, and involved in a feud. And Fox is supposed to be biased.
There is no question that some of the commentators on Fox are right-wing. There is no question that I have disagreed with the presentation of various events by Fox News in general. I firmly believe that Fox is prone to presenting African Americans in negative stereotypical tones. Shepard Smith is unquestionably biased in the manner in which he covers cases like OJ Simpson, or the Duke Rape case. Sean Hannity is unquestionably far-right.
But Bill O’Reilly isn’t the above people. In watching his program for years now I see that he is one of the least biased commentators on cable television today. There are issues where he is way off, like anyone, but in general these are subjects where he is as hostile to Whites as Blacks. Child safety is one such example. You just can’t question that O’Reilly is an advocate of all children.
But he is fair. His interview with Rev. Jesse Jackson was fair. His interview with Senator Clinton was informative and fair. His discussions with Rev. Al Sharpton are fair. And he has often covered news stories that I have highlighted that no other major news media, including the hard news of Fox, touch.
On the other hand it does seem obvious that he has a problem with the people Senator Obama knows. Which is not entirely wrong.
So I expect these questions to be asked:
- The association with Bill Ayers
- The association with Rev. Wright
- The association with Tony Rezco
- Senator Obama’s exact views on domestic drilling and alternative energy
- Senator Obama’s plans for taxing business, his definition of rich, and the economy
- If Senator Obama will finally admit that the Surge has worked
- How Senator Obama plans to pay for his nationalized healthcare and how it would be implemented
- Why a timetable for retreat would be in America’s best interest
- Whether Senator Obama will or will not speak with Iran and other anti-American governments without conditions
- The reversal Obama took when he selected a standard of ‘old’ politics – Sen. Joe Biden – as his Vice President
Each of the above items are questions that have existed since the Democratic Primaries and each has failed to be resolved fully.
If Senator Obama can answer these questions well, he should have a huge boost in his polling. If he fails to answer them, or does so poorly I expect to see him drop quickly.
