I started watching his show the O’Reilly Factor about 8 years ago. At the time I was looking for answers to help justify my position politically while constantly being bombarded with a liberal outlook from my teachers at school. I remember having daily debates on whether we should even retaliate against Al Qaeda. What I found listening to Bill’s Radio Factor and watching his TV shows was a bold and independent thinker taking on all the toughest issues. I was drawn to his level-headed conclusions and appreciated how he always had in mind the best interest of the “folks”.
Over the years, I have witnessed all of Bill’s attributes. He is arrogant. He can be smug, rude, loud, and insensitive. But he is also sincere, honest, real, and unique. Most of all he has what you don’t see in the media anymore – cojones. When he feels passionately about a topic or an issue he won’t rest until he is to the bottom of it. This is when you see the funny youtube videos of him yelling at people. The incredible run of 107 consecutive of months of being the number 1 cable news show is more than just yelling and name calling. It has to be or Olbermann/Maddow or Hannity/Beck would be at least close in TV ratings. 
But they’re not and there are three reasons I see for the big difference between their shows and the O’Reilly Factor. First, is the open debate and differing opinions that O’Reilly has on most segments. Second, is Bill’s understandable, respectable, and backed up opinion on every issue at hand, especially the ones that most people avoid. Third, and most important in my mind, is his knack for rooting out and confronting all types of evil and corruption in our country.
I know plenty of people who don’t like O’Reilly’s ambush journalism. But the fact is he ambushes people who have done something terribly wrong and refuse to comment on it. More times than I can count he has put cameras on judges in the parking lot or at store and asked them the uncomfortable questions. These judges make decisions that put people’s lives in jeopardy and Bill will make sure America knows about it.
This was the case in 2005 with the horrific rape and murder of nine year old Jessica Lunsford. John Couey had an extensive criminal record that included 24 arrests including a 10 year sentence for fondling a five year old but he was let out early on parole. Couey would eventually admit to the crime and the events that unfolded. He snuck into her house at three in the morning kidnapped her and raped her in his bedroom. Lunsford would be kept in Couey’s bed that evening, where he raped her again in the morning. Couey put her in his closet and ordered her to remain there, which she did as he reported for work. Three days after he abducted her, Couey tricked Jessica into getting into two garbage bags by saying he was going to ‘take her home’. He instead buried her alive as he decided he could do nothing else with the girl.
O’Reilly reported on this story daily and called out the judge, attorney general, and the governor for the lenient laws that allowed this to happen. He eventually got Florida Governor Bush to appear on the show and pushed him until Bush assured the arrests of Couey’s roommates who failed to act while the unspeakable acts were being committed in their trailer.
Since 2005, the O’Reilly Factor has continued the crusade to push for mandatory minimum sentences for child molesters in honor of Jessica Lunsford. He does this by relentlessly putting pressure on public officials to pass Jessica’s Law. His own website categorizes the progress and warns people of the predator friendly states and media.
This pursuit of justice for innocent victims has poured over into every issue, not just child abuse. He fights tirelessly against sanctuary cities, drug trafficking, and Human Rights violations. Monday he helped the public understand the events that led to the murder of four police officers in Washington State. He confronted the former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee on why he commuted the felon’s sentence. Finally he vowed to get answers from the judges who decided to give him 15,000$ dollar bail when charged with rape and assaulting an officer along with a long rap sheet.
He provides us the type of journalism/commentary that works for our country. The public gets the answers they need, the victims receive answers, the responsible are held accountable, and the viewers become alert to every problem uncovered. O’Reilly might not share the same opinion as everyone in America – but he should be applauded for allowing differing opinions on his show for fair debate, rather than censoring them. Most hatred for O’Reilly stems from his success on a right-wing cable news network. Unfortunately many people would rather spew liberal talking points that O’Reilly is evil rather than listen to the content. He has his conservative lean, but he is far from partisan. Opinion shows need to have a greater focus on debate so that every American gets a fair representation of national sentiment, and like him or not – Bill leads the way.
3conservativebros
MacGregor
Johnny M
Timmy K
Here is an article that might interest you.
http://tinyurl.com/yfcgyun
thanks for the site… i didn’t realize Al Gore was president.
I watch Bill O solidly for ten years. Then I began doing research on a certain topic, but in the process, I discovered that Bill O was the biggest promoter of fear and hate out there. Of course the other networks do the same thing because they care more about ratings than people.
Now, I keep my TV off and use the computer to get facts.
It’s good to be free from and think for myself.
what certain topic was that?
do you have examples of the fear and hate he promotes?
you should use your computer to find better facts…
Wow LGW. I suppose everything on the internet is true.
Its funny that Timmy said, “Most hatred for O’Reilly stems from his success on a right-wing cable news network. Unfortunately many people would rather spew liberal talking points that O’Reilly is evil rather than listen to the content.”
And you go and prove his point.
Everyone,
If you listened to Bill O in the year coming up to election, he did an amazing job positioning himself away from partisan politics, even to the point that many of his conservative fans were getting angry. Especially on his Radio Factor, he lowered his tone and reported more of the news, and since the election he has garnered even more favor from both sides as his ratings have gone up even further.
I believe Oreilly is fairly representative of FNC, obviously he has a tradtional bent, but does a good job giving both sides equal time. I do wish FNC would put on more distinguished liberal commentators, authors, and politicians, but lets be honest, that probably wouldnt matter anyway, as MANY people like to compare Olbermann who is shockingly smug and partisan to Oreilly, who presents both sides on a nightly basis. That my friends is proof that media bias is true and does work.
Timmy,
Do you have any critiques of Oreilly? Things you wish he would do? I personally hate the ambush journalism, only in the MOST egregious of situations, and have often times felt he was in the wrong, especially considering he beats the drum to privacy a lot. I also cant stand the fact that about 20% of his show is purely ratings driven, i feel it marginalizes the incredible good that he does. But then again i understand that most folks arent political news junkies like i am.
Dan,
what bothers me about his show….
Like you said his show is ratings driven. In some cases he will have to cut short a debate because of time constraints, and rarely carries them over. I think he can be petty in the way he attacks some bloggers or journalists about their bogus writings, he should be above most of that. He almost never leads with a liberal commentator on his talking points… I suppose that is because their are only a few out their worth it. I think Marc Lamont Hill should get a lot more time on his show.
Other than that, I record his show nightly so I usually just fast forward through the stuff I don’t care for.
I cant stand the ambush stuff. I think it takes away and distracts from his point — rather than putting the focus on the subject, it becomes about “look at O’Reilly’s journalistic ethics”. It might have more emphasis than saying, “Judge X refused to comment” – but still I dont think its worth it.
I respect any opinion host willing to debate the opposition position. Its why I can stand Chris Matthews and even Ed Shultz when I see him to a greater extent than an Olbermann, Maddow, or even Hannity (although Hannity will usually have 1 Democrat on his panel). I get a lot more from these type of discussion than the 1-way hammer strikes of ideological rhetoric.
A lot of the hatred for O’Reilly comes plain and simple from his success. It has little to do with his political ideals….how often do you find someone with vitrol hatred for him that actually watches him. America loves to hate on success. Whether its a sports dynasty, a business leader or a successful talk host – society feels they need to bring them down a peg. Jealousy is the purest evil.
I also love Bill. Watching him spout his infantile ignorance is even more fun than going to the zoo to watch chimpanzees masturbate and throw feces. May he reign over the rage-a-holic media landscape of The Real America for many, many years to come!
Thanks Mack,
We appreciate the graphic comment. Although I don’t think O Reilly has “many many” years left in him.
You’re welcome, Timmy K! And I am certain that Mr. O’Reilly has many years left in him, if not many, many. The man’s attitudes and opinions are virtually impervious to the inevitable senility and intellectual decay of old age!
Your right, he probably is. Giving up the Radio Factor may have saved him a few years. Is there any infantile ignorance you want to talk about specifically?
No, no particular infantile ignorance that I’d like to discuss. Thank you, though. It’s like the some Supreme Court justice or something said about pornography, “I may not be able to define it, but I know what I like!”