O'Reilly On His Way Out?

To the Driveby Liberal Media™, it might just look like Keith Olbermann's beating the TV Factor ratings -- on his Bill's birthday yet -- is getting to the Nospinster....

Like a former leader of the pride, the beaten old lion is losing his power -- and his sexual appeal to the under-65 year old lionesses -- to a younger, more virile young leader. But that's not what is driving the Nospinster bat-crazy.

It's more. Big time more. Big time "Al Franken will be doing an 'I'm good enough' back-flip in the Minnesota senatorial campaign snow" more.

The buzz around the watering hole is that the Big Cat may be losing his radio gig and it's got to be driving him off the deep end.

It's always rather pathetic when the lion becomes the wildebeest and drinking from the dried up Kool Aid waterhole makes him even more vulnerable...and sad.

The air, thick with inside-the-loop chatter telling of the Bill O'Reilly's Radio Factor's possible demise, Bill's patience, what little he had to begin with, is wearing as thin as his mane.

No longer the hunter, he knows all too well the prey's sorry plight as Bill's dropped all pretense of fair and balanceness, going whole warthog against the Democrats and any other group or person who has any connection to the left: Mediamatters, Moveon, Dailykos, Tim Robbins, Rosie O'Donnell, New York Times, Frank Rich, George Soros, et al. Hysterical, one-note scapegoating, similar to some columnist(s) I know who seems to have a sick infatuation with reporting every single hypocritical misrepresentation delivered by Bill. Attractive guy, the writer, but still, a bit neurotic.

But now Bill's also going after his own Fox consultants who refuse to kowtow to the lead he's fed them. Bill's outrage has been so over the top, the altitude has caused a dearth of oxygen to the brain, his exasperation with the rapid plunge into humiliating radio failure affecting common decency and respect -- even for his paid-for Fox News friends.

Like Geraldo...

Or co-host Lise Weihl for questioning Bill for being wrong again.

On Thursday Bill had spent an hour on the radio railing against The New York Times for giving MoveOn.org a "hateful-smear site" discount because the Times and MoveOn are in bed with each other. This before he had the journalistic civility to first speak with the Times advertising department; a call that would have revealed that what MoveOn got, any right wing advocacy group would have gotten the same rate or better.

By TV Factor showtime, Bill had found out his reporting boner, yet still found it necessary to begin his open salvo making the same erroneous claim. Only after building a good lather did he bring up the actual Times advertising policy.

His attempt to slam the left nearly lay waste to Fox consultant Jane Hall (and reminded her that he could turn off her microphone as he had done once before when she got out of hand) who refused to buy into Bill's fiction, reminding him that the Times policy had nothing to do with ideology.

His outrage grew, shouting her down as Hall had one of those, "I don't get paid enough to get humiliated like this" looks. Lately, out-of-control has become O'Reilly status quo

No matter how you feel about him, rarely does Fox News mate Sean Hannity ever lose his cool. He's a professional. He pitches his game, but knows it's going to last at least nine innings. Bill, might look strong in the first inning or two, firing 100 mph over the backstop, but he's thrown his arm out before he's gotten through the batting order once.

Like Joseph McCarthy, Bob Grant and Wally George before him, Bill's divisive histrionics along with an aversion to fact-based truth will soon leave him a flamed-out asterisk on the ass of broadcast infamy.

Yet while the possibility of losing his radio spot seems to signal an accelerating slide into broadcast past, the old lion won't give up easy. He'll continue to swing wildly at imagined enemies of mankind and Christmas, but, if I might milk the proverbial, feline-istic metaphor, Bill's claws are now as dangerous as a recently-neutered pussycat waving its anesthetized claw. It's cute but it won't be drawing any blood.

Disclaimer: Steve Young is author of "Great Failures of the Extremely Successful" (www.greatfailure.com)and his "All The News That's Fit To Spoof" appears in L.A. Daily News opeds every Sunday (www.dailynews.com/steveyoung), right next to Bill's...really

Comments

[GenericBlogger]

Our country would be better off if Bill O'Reilly retired and drifted into obscurity but that's a pipe dream.

He may lose his radio show and some standing but he is still a formidable figure to reckon with. He is a cash cow for Fox and they won't let him fall without promotions, program changes, etc.

BOR has a hard time handling opposition and his angry outbursts sometimes help his ratings. What he did to the Fox consultant when he turned off her microphone was demagogic censorship. I honestly don't feel sympathetic towards Geraldo Rivera, he is a pea from the same pod. BOR would have been history in past decades when the MSM still had sensibilities that kept demagogues from occupying a seat behind an anchor desk or an interviewer's chair. Now notoriety is one currency for ratings and success. If Tucker Carlson has a place and a time slot, it's a certainly BOR will have job security.

Realistically, BOR will be around for quite sometime. We won't and don't have to accept his dialog but we just have to accept his presence.

[protagonia]

Being aware of what's ACTUALLY going on is like having an immune system for your mind.

Bill-O is a virus in the Neo Con's head. He arms them with hate to face the day. Been so long, they've forgotten what hate looks like. To them, it's just another day.

[kroses98]

"Every dog has its day," even this mangy one! HA-HA! What an idiot! I never could stand this jerk! I used to see him on one of those 1/2 hour, local, "gossip" shows, and I didn't like him then, either. I am so glad that Keith is "taking him down!" It couldn't happen to a more deserving character! Although I would never watch that obnoxious network, because it's grossly "contaminated," I will look forward to learning about his demise from Keith and the HuffPost, and I will laugh out loud!!! HA-HA! HA-HA! HA-HA!

[FogBelter]

Yeah, O'Reilly, the deaf, dumb, and blind old lion is destined for the Tokyo Rose Wing of the Radio Hall of Fame.

[steamboat]

I hope your wrong because:

He's looking out for us

He's fair and balanced

His is a no-spin zone

[protagonia]

No amount of money...

[larry278]

What's the buzz on who will replace O'Really as KO's toilet paper mache target on the Worst person segment? Rush is feeling puny because of his jones fits when he can't get oxy-contin, wellbutrin & even valium; the synergestic effect of boot leg, ersatz, mail order viagra isn't helping Rush. Is Ann Coulter still alive? Seldom Sean has been missing too.
KO will be ok because he knows sports. If Mark Cuban buys the Cubs & Boss Geo Steinbrenner has to let somebody else run the Yankees-KO can give us the name of MLB's commissioner & the names of MLB's lawyers. The merger of the AL & NL won't take long after the involuntary bankrupcies of 10 to 16 of MLB's weaker clubs.
KO will also have the '08 primaries for POTUS till Presidents Day.
Back to O'Really there is writing for the NY POST & selling home improvments.

[cautionbug]

Wow, points to Geraldo.

Ew, i feel so dirty for saying that.

[CriminallySane]

1) From your keyboard to God's monitor!

2) Good riddance to bad rubbish!

[WHATEVER7]

Keep up the good work Steve. I know you're "watching out for us".

[19vikings63]

PLEASE LET THIS BE TRUE......­..........­.

so we don't have to read another inane, ridiculous, nothing post from Mr. Young.

Please seek help for this O'Reilly affliction.

19
There's always the TV Factor.
SY

[commonsenselives]

If you don't like Mr. Young's writing, why do you read it?

[SandScripts]

Stay tuned folks. Bill-0 on his way out radiowise? Was his roaring last Thursday about going to be on a new radio station in D.C. all about continuing his delusion of being relevant?

[FDRbyGodDemocrat]

"... a flamed-out asterisk on the ass of broadcast infamy."

It's a mixed metaphor, but what the hell, this is the best thing I've read all day.

[JerryWalden]

And I thought O'Reilly was self-destructing because of the frequent emails from me to him saying how much more interesting are reruns of The Nanny than his show.

[gopindrag]

I'm going to miss the No Fact Zone. I'm going to miss the hysterically breathless shriekings
and I just want Fox to stick with Bill O all
the way to the bottom of the ratings barrel. The lower he sinks the greater the unintended
hysterical hilarity. GO GO BILLO ASTRIDE YOUR LOUFAHDILLO.

[oogabooga]

I never watch his show.