Opinion: Say the name Bill….
I had thought that ICN would have a quiet evening once all the 2006 ratings data flood was over with. But then I happened to listen to Bill O’Reilly’s Talking Points Memo tonight and there went the quiet evening. The subject was “Blaming America for Saddam’s execution” and one of the targets was “NBC News”. But was it really NBC News? Let’s examine…
The attack on NBC News started with this graphic…
Elements at NBC News led the way, calling the execution a PR disaster for the U.S.
Followed by this graphic…
An NBC commentator says President Bush is putting troops in harm’s way for money. That’s insane.
Elements at NBC News? An NBC commentator? Pretty vague. Fits a familiar pattern though, doesn’t it? Here we go again. Perhaps the putting troops in harm’s way for money comment refers to this part of Keith Olbermann’s special comment from last night…
And the war’s second accomplishment — your second accomplishment, sir — is to have taken money out of the pockets of every American, even out of the pockets of the dead soldiers on the battlefield, and their families, and to have given that money to the war profiteers.
Because if you sell the Army a thousand Humvees, you can’t sell them any more until the first thousand have been destroyed.
But is it really? Only O’Reilly knows and true to form for the feud he’s being deliberately vague. When O’Reilly wants to blast someone he doesn’t mess around when he knows the person’s identity…he names them. We’ve seen it over and over and over again. But not in this case. In this case it’s “Elements at NBC News” and an “NBC Commentator” even though NBC doesn’t have commentators on its nightly news broadcast. I wonder why? Well, actually I don’t. I know why. And so does anyone who’s been watching this feud for the past year.
Now we can expect a “Factor Fiction” or WPITW segment on Countdown soon. Real soon. And it will be far nastier than anything O’Reilly uttered tonight on the Memo. It’s standard operating procedure. O’Reilly re-engages Olbermann by using NBC as a proxy. Olbermann responds ten times harder. O’Reilly will never learn…
And I know there will be people out there asking themselves, “Why is ICN always going after O’Reilly and not Olbermann?” Well technically I’m not. I took on Olbermann for his personal abuse of Roger Ailes and his miguided insulting attack on Chris Wallace. I’ve even defended O’Reilly when he was improperly put on the WPITW list. But as far as the feud between O’Reilly and Olbermann goes, it’s O’Reilly who is the one who is more to blame for keeping this thing going. Every time he responds he adds new life to it. Nobody really cares if O’Reilly is nominated for WPITW. I’ve stopped following it. But by continuing to respond, O’Reilly keeps the feud alive in the press. It’s not a feud when it’s just Olbermann launching over the top attack after over the top attack and nobody outside of the true believer left press is interested. But it’s another story when the attacks go both ways. That gets the mainstream press interested. But don’t bother telling that to O’Reilly. He’s not listening…
UPDATE: While the MSNBC commentator is probably Olbermann, an astute commentor has noted that the “elements at NBC News” is likely a reference to a piece Richard Engel did on the Sunday edition of Nightly News. However this “revelation” actually undermines O’Reilly’s argument because the PR disaster Engel was referring to was not Hussein’s execution, as O’Reilly claimed, but the existence of that cell phone video with the audio of people in the chamber chanting for Sadr which has inflamed tensions for Sunni muslims.
Completely agree with you, Spud… Most times, the best way to beat a bully for good is just to ignore him completely.
Comment by Charles — January 4, 2007 @ 12:59 am
Spud, you came up with the goods on this one. O’Reilly loves to take pot shots as well but pretends to take the high-road by not mentioning names. He likes to mask it with false indignation and patriotism and the drones eat it up.
Comment by elmonica — January 4, 2007 @ 1:09 am
Why should O’Reilly say the name? Everyone knows who it is and it would give free p.r. to a buffoon that most of the sane world ignores, as evidenced by the 2006 ratings (25th place).
Comment by bigred — January 4, 2007 @ 1:37 am
I think the “element at NBC news” that called it a PR disaster, is in reference to Richard Engel’s comments on NBC Nightly News:
http://newsbusters.org/node/9902
I agree that the “NBC commentator” was a reference to KO. Actually, I’d like to see O’Reilly take off the gloves and really go after Olbermann. Keith’s been slinging mud for a long time. It’d be good to see him get a taste of his own medicine.
Comment by TBDave — January 4, 2007 @ 1:54 am
#3:
That’s what KO wants. He’s begging for BOR to say his name, so that he can then use it in the PR campaigns and special comments others write for him.
Yet on the flip side, KO really doesn’t profit from attacking BOR. He gets much of his love from the blue blogs over his conspiracy theories involving the Bushes.
Comment by eddiebear — January 4, 2007 @ 1:57 am
Spud, I think you got this one wrong. KO is like a hornet flying around Bill’s head. He can ignore it, and hope it stops stinging him… He can swat at it, and hope that it flies away, but will probably just start attacking stronger… or he can shout about it, but then people are only going to make people turn and watch.
Bill has to respond every once in a while, especially when KO say something really wacky. He doesn’t have to respond when KO attack BOR personally… and he doesn’t… only when he says something politically insane or blatantly false. Otherwise, he’ll just keep getting stung, looking like he’s decided to accept his fate, and backing away from controversy… and we all know, that ain’t Bill’s style.
Comment by ImNotBlue — January 4, 2007 @ 2:36 am
Thanks Spud for bringing some balance back to ICN. I agree that KO’s WPITW is just a lighthearted segment I hardly think it is a serious attack forum. We must remember Countdown is lighthearted allot of the time and does not take its self so seriously unlike O’Reilly who will not loose his ego for ten minutes. I watch O’Reilly almost every night and mostly just to see him make an ass of himself again and again.
Nice article again Spud.
Comment by Mike Beckham — January 4, 2007 @ 2:43 am
This is hilarious…it’s the stuff of Wile E. Coyote/Roadrunner cartoons. Billo goes to his ACME handbag for a new secret assault on Olberman, and each time he swings and misses. It’s got to get frustrating for him because he takes swings at Ko all the time and comes up empty…and whether he’s a factor or not (pardon the pun) Keith’s number are slowly inching up. The coyote’s getting madder.
Comment by Jeff — January 4, 2007 @ 2:49 am
I appreciate the analysis, but I totally disagree with the conclusions. The feud is old. O’Reilly will never mention his name, because that would be a personal attack. He mentions names when he is criticizing someone’s actions, but never when he is critical of someone’s words.
Olbermann’s new thing is the special comments; and he’s aiming at his real nemesis now: the President. Sure he might go after O’Reilly, but very few will watch because of that.
And O’Reilly is back to his old self. Olbermann had him running scared for a long time. But his confidence and demeanor have returned along with his numbers; he regularly has over 2 million total viewers with over 500 thousand of them in the demo. No one else has ever come close to that. And that leaves Olbermann fighting Zahn and Grace for #2, 3, and 4.
Comment by erljr — January 4, 2007 @ 2:58 am
#7 said, “We must remember Countdown is lighthearted allot of the time and does not take its self so seriously unlike O’Reilly”. Are you freaking kidding me?
Watch one of his ridiculous ’special comments’ and tell me how lighthearted it is. It’s a 15 minute hate-spewing, lie-filled, distorted rant that he tries to pass off as serious commentary.
Comment by bigred — January 4, 2007 @ 3:25 am
Non story, Why should BOR say someone’s name? Chrissy has him as a despot = absolute power. He can do whatever he wants and he thinks so lowly of Dobermann that he doesn’t even say his name hahahaha.
Comment by Lurker — January 4, 2007 @ 6:26 am
#11:
I have a feeling this is not a coincidence that Matthews and Olbermann are on the warpath against BOR. I have a feeling Scarborough will join in as well.
Comment by eddiebear — January 4, 2007 @ 9:43 am
Hey spud, why dont just let Johnny dollar do your blogging for you since we all know thats where all the bo/ko info comes from. And I ask, who really cares?
Comment by Big Dave — January 4, 2007 @ 9:51 am
O’Reilly wishes not to use KO’s name because when the fued began and he had, people learned to watch Keith for the response. This fued is bad for O’Reilly and FOX and it’s good for KO and the ratings reflect that.
Comment by Andy Marquis — January 4, 2007 @ 10:25 am
Big Red, you are absolutely right on. To call Countdown lighthearted is like calling the Iraq war a dustup. KO almost has a stroke every night while delivering his latest spew against the Bush Administration and he does take himself seriously if no one else does. How No.7 could make such a ridiculous statement I do not know. Lighthearted? Laughable!
When I watched those comments Bill was referring to I absolutely thought the same thing Bill O articulated, especially the references to waging a war for money. What a stupid assertion. I personally cannot stand either one of these people but BO has every right to say what he said and he was totally right.
Sometimes you look at the people at NBC, MSNBC such as Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman, Tom Brokaw, Don Imus, and their predictable guests and you almost believe they hope we lose this war. They more often than not come across as actually hating this country that has made them successful. How can America win a war like this when media is out to berate every single thing the government does. Be careful what you wish for, media stars, cause you have done a good job making this country so bipartisan there is no way we can win this thing.
Comment by sophia — January 4, 2007 @ 10:59 am
He mentions names when he is criticizing someone’s actions, but never when he is critical of someone’s words
Wrong. He singled out a columnist by name over words he wrote in that very same Talking Points Memo…
Hey spud, why dont just let Johnny dollar do your blogging for you since we all know thats where all the bo/ko info comes from.
Mr. Dollar has been rather quiet the past few weeks. Haven’t seen much of him. Nice try though…
Comment by Spud — January 4, 2007 @ 11:14 am
I get the feeling that O’Reilly is deliberately attempting to tweak Olbermann. He knows it drives Olbermann crazy when he criticizes him without mentioning his name. He also knows that all this will elicit a predictable reaction. On his show tonight, Olbermann will almost certainly have an over-the-top, screeching criticism, full of name calling, sarcasm, and self righteousness.
I think O’Reilly wants it this way. I almost can’t blame him. Sometimes it seems that the people at MSNBC (Olby in particular) spend more time talking about him than they do about themselves. Surely this helps O’Reilly’s ratings.
Comment by William — January 4, 2007 @ 11:17 am
Didnt see the BOR bust up but cant wait to see KO come out firing all guns.
He’s good at it, but it gets boring when he brings on people who always play ball.
BOR pushing KO will invariably result in KO spewing back, which will just either make BOR look justified and gain sympathy or KO look like a sore loser.
Either way some good action ensues.
As for “Special Comments” , its got the smell of the occasional opening the lid of a dustbin.
Comment by Macjoubert — January 4, 2007 @ 11:25 am
Has everyone forgotten? K.O. was a nobody until Bill mentioned him by name! Bill has learned his lesson and will not use K.O.’s name again. Trust me!
Comment by cella — January 4, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
KO has said why Bill won’t say his name. He can’t pronounce it.
Comment by redtoots — January 4, 2007 @ 2:02 pm
Spud: As I read this thread, I’m listening to O’Reilly’s monologue in the second hour of “The Radio Factor.”
His animas of MSNBC/NBC goes far beyond KO. Bill is not exactly a big fan of Tom Brokaw.
BTW, O’Reilly mentioned that MSNBC fired Monica Crowley. Is that true?
Comment by Ira — January 4, 2007 @ 2:15 pm
Update: Bill indirectly called Keith “a nut” referring to his commentary of making profits in Iraq.
Comment by Ira — January 4, 2007 @ 2:19 pm
Hey Dollar! I know you’re really busy writing my blog for me and all but I’m going to have to start relying on Ira for my Radio Factor updates if you keep sleeping at the switch like that… :P
Comment by Spud — January 4, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
Let me see if I get this straight. According to KO, War Profits are bad things. But him asking for a $3 million a year raise while others at the NBC-Universal brands are being laid off in massive number is good? Yeah, good for him. Seems to me he’s being a huge hypocrite in calling out war profiteers (which we’ve had with us since the beginning of time, face it, war is big business) yet seems to think he’s perfectly justified in asking for an obscene salary hike. This guy has zero credibility because of stuff just like this. And Bill O is right for NOT saying he’s name. Not that Bill is any better than Ko but hey, at least he has real best-selling books and the number one tv show in his time-slot. That’s more than Olbermann will EVER have.
Comment by Alison — January 4, 2007 @ 3:24 pm
BOR taking on KO and vice versa is getting really old. So did he bash Tom Brokaw? If he did that is laughable.Tom Brokaw has more class and journalistic talent than BOR could ever hope for.
Comment by Anon — January 4, 2007 @ 3:28 pm
Of course it has serious moments but is usually quite lighthearted. Do you even watch the show red stater?
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