Bill O'Reilly Defends Obama, Slams Smears

Bill O'Reilly led off tonight's episode of The Factor with a pointed critique of the latest small-minded content of the news cycle, criticizing the McCain campaign both in terms of character and tactics, slagging the media for pressing the story senselessly, and largely absolving Obama - though perhaps with faint praise: his "Obama doesn't like confrontation" statement seems out of joint with last week's insistence that the Illinois Senator was "tough" and "not a wimp."

Nevertheless, O'Reilly very clearly stipulated that there was no evidence that Obama intended to make any sort of sexist remark.

This being Bill O'Reilly, the content naturally managed to slag Daily Kos and NBC News.

[WATCH.]

In related news, The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru isn't happy about the McCain campaign's tactics, either:

...there may have been good ways to take shots at Obama over the "lipstick on a pig" comment. But the Republicans are coming across as whiny grievance-mongers. Don't they realize that this harping on ambiguous slights is what people hate about political correctness? It was bad enough when liberals were trying to destroy Palin. Now Republicans are trashing her brand. They're undermining the basis of her appeal as a different, tougher kind of female politician. Today has been worse than wasted.

Comments

[LAThinker]

Bill defending Obama? This is not real Bill

Here is real Bill...http://www.ucubd.com/Index.aspx?id=778&cid=3151

[taoslvr]

I think it's time we boycott Fox "News" sponsors. FYI, here is a partial list of their national advertisers during “The Factor” as of 9/18/08: ADT, MatrixDirect.com, National Car Rental, Schlotzsky’s, ConocoPhillips, KIA, Touchstone Pictures, National Collectors Mint, Morgan Stanley, Best Buy, Suzuki, Hertz, CDW.com, AT&T, and Yoplait. I included this in my blog at www.mygreencard.com

[OdaNobunaga]

I think a pig just flew by my window.

[MAVoter]

This might be the closest we'll ever come to 'balanced' from FailRIley

[hotwire]

Iv'e always suspected Bill O of being a closet Liberal and Obama suporter.

[filo]

That loud cracking sound you just heard was hell freezing over.

[wilray]

OMG, Bill O' Reilly came to Barack Obama's defense. Just a sec. Just checking. Yup, hell just froze over.

[ListenPeople]

After rewatching the O'Reilly interview and subsequent commentaries made by Faux pundits afterwords, it doesn't surprise me that O'Reilly would defend Obama now and might again in the future. I now think Obama going on his show was a brilliant move in this respect and here's why: O'Reilly FIRMLY BELIEVES that he is a fair and balanced journalist, over any other Faux News anchor/journalist - I mean, he believes he is a journalist! To cut him down, ignore him and his ego, or goad him on like Olbermann does, that just feeds the fire in his belly to say the things he does. Dennis Miller came on O'Reilly after the Obama interview and made a comment like, "I don't know WHY Obama would come on NOW. He didn't think your audience was important before and it's not like your audience is REALLY his audience... it's laughable." O'Reilly tried to correct Miller and say that his audience was actually 33% independent, basically defending himself. Obama gave O'Reilly respect by going on his show, handling himself graciously, forthrightly, and intellectally (like he always does) and O'Reilly was impressed. He won't vote for him but he'll think twice about joining in on a smear attempt, even to the point of defending Obama. Brilliantly played, Obama!

[fruitonthevine]

100% correct!
Senator Barack Obama truly is bringing out the best in us.
Perfect President!

[LittleGirl]

I watched O'Reilly 's rerun from last night and he defended Obama again. I told hubby - O'Reilly is smitten! He is turning the page and nobody can say for sure...but I bet he votes for him now. Unbelieveable!
Obama 08

[BandH08]

FACT

THERE ARE 4 versions of the so called "Bush doctrine"

FACT

The originator of the term: "Bush Doctrine" says Charlie Gibbson's version is WRONG!

FACT

Obama, thinks that there are 57 states, according to an ABC interview he is Muslim [his words]

OBAMA, has flip-flopped on: Iraq, the surge, taxing the wealthy, FISA, NAFTA, Jerusalem, public campaign funding, and on and on and on...

OBAMA = CHANGE NO ONE SHOULD BELIEVE IN!

Hillary 2012

[Redbeard0504]

I don't know where you get your "facts" and you probably don't know they are not factual. But, having said that, if you cannot give someone a mistake of the number of states and do not realize the nuances behind the other issues you have listed then I would expect you to vote for McCain and not continue to beat the very dead and buried "Hillary" horse.

[omaro]

This is just so dumb. Obama was referring to the 57-contest strategy for victory in the primary season, and yes, there were a total of 57 contests (one of them consisting of two delegates only!) including the various territories, D. C., Americans Abroad, etc.

I just read the transcript of the ABC interview and he never stated that he is a Muslim--he was referring to others' comments that he is a Muslim.

Hillary Clinton deserves better support than lame-brained, bigoted statements like this. I'm not wasting my time trying to educate "BandHo8" but I am trying to counter the repetition of blatant lies, which can influence others who read them.

[themodernleader]

The repertoires of ignominous leadership are emulated. The repertoires of great leaders are also emulated. Bill O'Reilly is emulating the leadership of Obama when Obama's consistent behavior toward his opponents is of respect and honor whereas his opponent, McCain has consistently maligned Obama's character and "ability to lead." OReilly could have well praised and emulated McCain's ignominous leadership. But he did not. Why? Americans want to do what is right. They want to follow leaders who are thoughtful, honest and honorable. They will choose great over demigogic leaders everytime. So it is is with the respectful and honorable Bill O'Reilly

[ListenPeople]

Great comment!

[Rjchinook]

You know I watched the Faux O'Reily - Obama interviews several times and I think O'Reily actually really likes and respects him.

[Pennsylvanianne]

Whoa! What country am I in? O'Reilly AND Rove are critical of McCain's ads?
Is my country finally starting to turn the corner back toward decency?
Or is this just a temporary blip in the horrible current state of affairs?

[armyman72]

Temporary.

[RedWhiteandBlueState]

Don't you see, it justifies the lies. Its just strategy. Now you can't call it "Rovian" = McCain is way off the reservation from Bush. He's a "Maverick".

Please, please remember who we're dealing with here.

[Maezeppa]

LOL - I smell a rat (actually, two). I don't know what it is but I sure don't trust it!

[clipper291]

I think they want the Democrats in because they can blame all the chaos that coming down the pike in the next few years is going to be dumped on the Dem’s it’s going to get much worse before it turns around epically since the next president will have to get control of the budget with a tax increase, and all the mending that will be required with the rest of the world, lot of damage to fix. I don’t know why anyone would want to be the next president, Donald Trump was asked that question after 8 years of reganomics if he would run he said he wouldn’t want to be the next president after the mess we were in.

[hypnotoad72]

Agreed!

Not to mention the old adage "lipstick on a pig", which came about rather a long time ago.

It's easy to see how it would be spun into an attack, but in truth it's only a poor choice of words.

Time to find a better maxim, I should think...

[arthur2008]

When it falls to Bill O'Reilly and Karl Rove to point out what "mainstream media" is afraid to say -- that John McCain's persistent lies are over the top -- it reveals a sad state of affairs.

[clipper291]

There’s a big difference between smear and criticism, the attacks against Sarah Palin are criticism, and of course people will paint it whichever color their small minds desire to. Very difficult to face the facts sometimes.

[british18]

Was the rumor that Palin faked her pregnancy criticism?

[payos]

you said it, baby, it was a RUMOR, and stayed that way until she announced her daughter's pregnancy.