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

[Okieborn]

WILL NEVER TRUST THIS JERK !!!!

[divagirl]

Reilly maybe a clown and ruthless at times, however with the Palin pick he maybe nervous
with her becoming President. Is Reilly puttting COUNTRY FIRST?

[RJII]

I just passed out. my world is spinning.

[Yasmine]

I think we should applaud Mr. O'Reilly for defending Obama.
His comment that OBAMA does not like confrontation is also correct because Obama said from the start that he did not Like the Politics of TEARING OTHERS DOWN.
Also Mr. O'Reilly was correct saying that OBAMA 's reaction was JUSTLY TOUGH.
ENOUGH is ENOUGH

THANK YOU Mr. O"Reilley

[ShigityShank]

I can't believe Bill O'Reilly managed to raise my opinion of him from 0 to 1. Good thing the scale is out of a million.

[Gary47]

No worries. It'll go back to zero tomorrow.

[ShanniC]

LMAO @ the DailyKos and NBC comment!

[LITU]

I would rather Palin was an intelligent politician than a tough one. The world stage requires critical thought processes, not bluster.

[realpolitic]

Yes, conservatives value bluster over brain power. Very good observation!

[HeevenSteven]

Did ya catch that "Obama doesn't like confrontation" line. Translation is Obama isn't tough like McSame. Not clever Bill; you're totally transparent.

[zitlight73]

Especially the way McIsane stood up to Bush on the Military Commissions Act.

[260Parkway]

Who knew Lucifer had a conscience and a soul?

[Gary47]

Democrats - so easily fascinated by distractions.

[sklfcats]

Bill, throw some of Obama's lipstick on and go elsewhere.

[sunnydaz]

Why do I always feel like I need a shower after listening to this guy? Yuck. He really is pretty creepy.

[realpolitic]

O'Reilly is a SOB.

[The Keeper]

My guardian angel called - apparently hell just froze over.

Bill O'Reilly defends Obama...even in a small way, this is at least a sign of the Apocalypse.

[michael429]

It's called "Damning with faint praise"...don't be sucker punched....just because Bill O put on some lipstick....he still is what he is.....

[SwingVoter]

"There is supporting evidence that Obama CONSCIOUSLY compared Gov. Palin to a pig."

What in the F21C11's name is O'reilly talking about? There is absolutely no evidence Obama compared Gov. Palin to a pig is more accurate; not this, "well may be he didn't do it on purpose rubbish."

O'reilly is not honest--he pretends to defend Obama while character assassinating the man.

[rfa3232]

Nice shot at NBC there

[JohnnyRivers]

Oink oink.

[Richard22]

O'Reilly sees "media unfairness" toward Governor Palin? I guess that means that trying help Americans make an informed decision about an unknown politician with no foreign policy experience two months before an election is "unfair."

In fact, the corporate-owned media have done a TERRIBLE job of giving Americans a fair look at Palin's credentials and history of failed governance and abuse of power.

Palin is not qualified to be VP -- or President. She lies. She has abused her power. Her "pro-life" agenda includes making life harder (and more expensive) for rape victims and, of course, gleefully killing animals for sport. I'd like to hear how she, unlike our current "pro-life" President would have acted to stop the genocide in Darfur. To Palin, being "pro-life" is somehow also compatible with denying the reality of global warming -- and hastening the destruction of all the creatures in God's creation.

[realpolitic]

Yes, O'Reilly equates a perfectly legitimate discussion of Palin's credentials with an attack on her. He does not apply these rules to Obama.

You make good points! How does a fundamentalist, almost radical interpretation of Christianity come to be compatible with denying the reality of human induced global warming? When Republicans accuse Democrats of elitism, isn't it elitist to believe that humans do not cause warming when scientists insist we do? In other words, how can one, like Palin, dismiss all the scientific evidence without consideration? I am tired of cultural warriors, such as Palin, dumbing down the issues without being called on it by the media!

[Audrey704]

Elitism is when you have so many homes you forget to keep count and don't remember where they all are...
Elitism is when your outfit at the RNC convention is worth over $300,000 dollars (Cindi)
Elitism is when you think you are so much better than everybody else that you can lie right to your face and believe you can get away with it...