Fox News Channel (FNC) host Bill O’Reilly slammed the liberal media on Monday’s O’Reilly Factor for distorting conservatives and Republican presidential candidates in what he referred to as “tough times for social conservatives in America” thanks to a press that is “overwhelmingly left” and thus “simpatico, generally speaking, with the uber-liberal thought.”
As part of the “Talking Points Memo” segment, O’Reilly led off with the grim declaration that social conservatives are having a difficult time due to “scores of vicious political websites that try to destroy people with whom they disagree” with those residing on the left placing both declared and possible 2016 GOP presidential candidates “in the smear zone, especially if they speak out against liberal causes.”
After a soundbite from possible presidential candidate and Republican Governor Scott Walker (Wisc.) on the subject of abortion, O’Reilly showed a headline from the John Podesta-founded and George Soros-funded Think Progress blog that read: “Scott Walker: Doctors Should Lie to Pregnant Women to Prevent Abortions.”
With Walker having said nothing even close to that, O’Reilly blasted this assertion: “Now, Governor Walker never said anything close to that, but the Podesta crew doesn't care. It's all about marginalizing Walker.”
Similarly, O’Reilly aired a clip of declared GOP candidate Mike Huckabee warning of an America where Christians could face persecution and then quoted portions a post from the Daily Kos that described Huckabee as “a spittle-flecked idiot doing his best” to push “delusional anti-gay conspiracy theories.”
O’Reilly played a final soundbite from Republican candidate and Florida Senator Marco Rubio on climate change before showing a deceiving headline from The Los Angeles Times before making a few broader points about the way conservatives are being portrayed in the liberal media.
At the surface, O’Reilly noted that such smear campaigns “have changed politics because the websites know few readers will fact check the headline” and have retained a series of steps to try and discredit social conservatives with the first step seeming to be fairly basic: “Somebody says or does something, a web site distorts the words or actions, takes them out of context.”
Once the seed is planted, The O’Reilly Factor host described the next move: “A bigger web site like Yahoo, for example, picks it up with a provocative headline. Then, the mainstream press grabs it and, again, context and content almost always ignored. Just the accusation is played up.”
O’Reilly then made a point to expose the double standard in the media when it comes to Democrats [emphasis mine]:
So, it's very easy to marginalize anyone with strong opinions and since the press is overwhelmingly left, it's the press cooks and extremists. Listen, they don't come any more extreme that Senator Elizabeth Warren. She’s a socialist. If she gained power, our whole capitalistic system would be attacked by the federal government. Yet, Senator Warren is in demand a woman stature, but if a political candidate is pro-life, skeptical of climate change, against gay marriage, or calling for welfare reform, that person is brutally assaulted, branded a bigot, anti-woman, anti-gay, against the poor and this image stays with them because the news and entertainment industry is simpatico, generally speaking, with the uber-liberal thought.
Once he reminded viewers that he has been facing this problem for 19 years, he closed with one final observation in that these phenomena have become “revolting situation that has affected our republic in a major way.”
O’Reilly’s comments come three days after Media Research Center President Brent Bozell joined the Fox Business Network’s Cavuto and ruled that state of the news media was grim as it has become “radicalized” and “marginalized” under the Obama administration.
The relevant portion of the transcript from FNC’s The O’Reilly Factor on May 12 is transcribed below.
FNC’s The O’Reilly Factor
May 11, 2015
8:01 p.m. Eastern
BILL O’REILLY: Tough times for social conservatives in America. That is the subject of this evening's talking points memo. In cyberspace, there are scores, scores of vicious political websites that try to destroy people with whom they disagree. Both sides participate, but there are many more left wing smear sites than right wing. Enter the presidential race of 2016. Republican candidates are in the smear zone, especially if they speak out against liberal causes. Let me give you three examples. Here is Governor Scott Walker talking about abortion.
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER (Wisc.)(on Fox News Sunday): When I think of the ultrasound picture that Tonette, my wife and I saw of our first son who’s now going to be 21 this June. It's indistinguishable not to recognize that that's a human life. That's why I'm pro-life.
O’REILLY: Now, certainly, that is a reasonable position. It's a matter conscience. Yet, the vicious Think Progress website, founded by top Hillary Clinton adviser John Podesta ran a headline that said, quote: “Scott Walker: Doctors Should lie to Pregnant Women to Prevent Abortions.” Now, Governor Walker never said anything close to that, but the Podesta crew doesn't care. It's all about marginalizing Walker. Recently, Governor Huckabee said this:
FORMER ARKANSAS REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR MIKE HUCKABEE: I think it's fair to say that Christian convictions are under attack as never before, not just in our lifetime, but ever before in the history of this great republic. We are moving rapidly toward the criminalization of Christianity.
O’REILLY: Well, that's very provocative. The governor referring to merchants being forced to do things by the federal government that might run counterproductive to religious beliefs. In response, the despicable Daily Kos called Huckabee “a spittle-flecked idiot doing his best” to promote “delusional anti-gay conspiracy theories.” Finally, there is Senator Marco Rubio.
REPUBLICAN SENATOR MARCO RUBIO (Fla.): I don't agree with the notion that some are putting out there, including scientists that somehow will there are actions we can take today that would actually have an impact what's happening in climate. Our climate is always changing.
O’REILLY: That same day, the Los Angeles Times ran a headline that said, quote: “Marco Rubio says human activity isn't causing climate change.” Now, these kinds of attacks have changed politics because the websites know few readers will fact check the headline. The pipeline works like this. Somebody says or does something, a web site distorts the words or actions, takes them out of context. A bigger web site like Yahoo, for example, picks it up with a provocative headline. Then, the mainstream press grabs it and, again, context and content almost always ignored. Just the accusation is played up. So, it's very easy to marginalize anyone with strong opinions and since the press is overwhelmingly left, it's the press cooks and extremists. Listen, they don't come any more extreme that Senator Elizabeth Warren. She’s a socialist. If she gained power, our whole capitalistic system would be attacked by the federal government. Yet, Senator Warren is in demand a woman stature, but if a political candidate is pro-life, skeptical of climate change, against gay marriage, or calling for welfare reform, that person is brutally assaulted, branded a bigot, anti-woman, anti-gay, against the poor and this image stays with them because the news and entertainment industry is simpatico, generally speaking, with the uber-liberal thought. Believe me, I have experienced this for 19 years. I know how vicious the game is, but I can fight back. Others who are smeared cannot. Revolting situation that has affected our republic in a major way and that's the memo.
