# An easy pit. O'Reilly. He has lost it, you better be scared **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 3, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976 "2006-03-03T23:45:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/41 "2006-03-05T07:10:38Z")
> [@Apos](#): > > Did Zogby release the demographics? Of course. Hewitt’s excuse: he released them in a format requiring the latest version of Adobe reader (which Hewitt’s staff didn’t have and had to, get this, DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL!!!). Well, this is extremely annoying. And sometimes, it is a bit more difficult than simply ‘downloading and installing’ some software, especially if you’ve missed the last few Tributes to the OS Gods and aren’t running the bleeding-edge latest patch of the latest revision of the latest variant of the latest version of the latest OS. And, at base, it’s stupid: There’s no reason to distribute PDFs that require (or say they require) a specific version of any PDF-readable format. PDF has been stable and usable for over a decade now. What’s wrong with using a version that will work with 99.999% of all PDF readers out there? I’m not defending Hewitt’s reaction to Zogby’s unprofessional behavior, but the situation is hardly one-sided. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@The\_Hook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hook)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/42 "2006-03-05T07:16:22Z")
I believe O’Reilly finally realized this was a prank. At least I think it’s a prank, having callers mention Keith Olberman, based on this: > [@callingallwingnuts.com](#): > > We got him today. One mention of Keith Olberman and Bill wet his pants. After a week of pinpricks (about 3-5 mentions of Olberman), this one finally got to Bill… Could it be that? Callers determined to mention Olberman? I don’t watch O’Reilly with regularity, so I wouldn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/43 "2006-03-05T07:21:15Z")
> [@Apos](#): > > Hewitt’s excuse: he released them in a format requiring the latest version of Adobe reader (which Hewitt’s staff didn’t have and had to, get this, DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL!!!). Apparently, in wingnuttia, that’s tantamount to “withholding” the demographics, as Hewitt still refuses to apologize for being wrong, giving this excuse as cover to simply pass over the admission that Zogby was right. Heh. Your anecdotes reminds me of [_this_ anecdote](http://jameswolcott.com/archives/2006/03/o_for_2_on_plan.php) – looks like the latest Zogby poll has the wingnuts all a-twitter… > [@James Wolcott](#): > > Seems that the excitable hostess of this (neo-con blogger) site did an entire post lambasting James Zogby for his recent poll revealing that a majority of American military personnel in Iraq favor withdrawal. On and on she went. Oh the ugly accusations she puked like Linda Blair pea soup. > > As soon as I read the item, I recognized her fundamental confusion. > > **She had committed a major lapse of political literacy, mixing up James Zogby with his brother John.** ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/44 "2006-03-05T13:32:26Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > And, at base, it’s stupid: There’s no reason to distribute PDFs that require (or say they require) a specific version of any PDF-readable format. PDF has been stable and usable for over a decade now. There may have been a very good reason; perhaps a feature was added in that version that was very useful for displaying the particular data they wanted to distribute. Or maybe there was a bug in some feature of their PDF creation software that they needed to use, which forced them to upgrade to the latest version. Regardless of how they got to the situation where their docs needed the latest version, it’s no great burdon installing the latest Adobe Reader for the vast majority of users. If my 63 year old mother on dial-up can do it, I’m sure Hewitt could have found somebody to help him or his staffers with this very basic task of downloading and running an install program. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/45 "2006-03-05T17:15:09Z")
You can see [name removed due to legal threats]'s response [here.](http://go.fark.com/cgi/fark/go.pl?IDLink=1944159&location=http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/03/03.html%3Fa7384) I like the part at the end where he makes up an O’Reilly-esque response. Especially the “I told you I’d shoot! But you didn’t believe me! WHY DIDN’T YOU BELIEVE ME!” part. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/46 "2006-03-05T17:27:46Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Well, this is extremely annoying. And sometimes, it is a bit more difficult than simply ‘downloading and installing’ some software, especially if you’ve missed the last few Tributes to the OS Gods and aren’t running the bleeding-edge latest patch of the latest revision of the latest variant of the latest version of the latest OS. And, at base, it’s stupid: There’s no reason to distribute PDFs that require (or say they require) a specific version of any PDF-readable format. PDF has been stable and usable for over a decade now. What’s wrong with using a version that will work with 99.999% of all PDF readers out there? > > I’m not defending Hewitt’s reaction to Zogby’s unprofessional behavior, but the situation is hardly one-sided. Meh. Releasing the document in the latest version of Adobe may be somewhat unwise (I don’t know, personally I don’t have any problem with it). But in anycase, Hewitt was accusing Zogby of withholding the demographics to the poll inorder to hide some flaw with the data, not for bad office management skills. I think we can agree that Zogby didn’t release the demographics in the latest version in some insidious plot to keep the data hidden from the public. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/47 "2006-03-06T17:28:56Z")
Perhaps Zogby and his organization actually clicks on the “OK” button when Adobe Acrobat Reader prompts them with the “Check for updates?” dialoug box. In my experience, this happens every damned time I open any .pdf document. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/48 "2006-03-06T20:14:24Z")
> **[O'Reilly Sends FOX Security -- Threatens Police Action for Mentioning Keith...](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/oreilly-sends-fox-securit_b_16772)** > > O'Reilly now won't let callers to his radio program even mention Keith Olbermann's name without cutting them off and calling security. transcript of the call.: > [@](#): > > O’REILLY: Orlando, Florida, Mike, go. > > CALLER: Hey Bill, I appreciate you taking my call. > > O’REILLY: Sure. > > CALLER: I like to listen to you during the day, I think Keith Olbermann’s show – > > O’REILLY: There ya go, Mike is – he’s a gone guy. You know, we have his – we have your phone numbers, by the way. So, if you’re listening, Mike, we have your phone number, and we’re going to turn it over to Fox security, and you’ll be getting a little visit. > > HILL: Maybe Mike is from the mothership. > > O’REILLY: No, Maybe Mike is going to get into big trouble, because we’re not going to play around. When you call us, ladies and gentleman, just so you know, we do have your phone number, and if you say anything untoward, obscene, or anything like that, Fox security then will contact your local authorities, and you will be held accountable. Fair? > > HILL: That’s fair. > > O’REILLY: So, just – all you guys who do this kind of a thing, you know, I know some shock jocks. Whatever. You will be held accountable. Believe it. > > Soon after a few callers received phone messages from the head of security at FOX – threatening them: > > "I got the call on the phone I used to call him from the head of Fox News security. He said that harassing phone calls were coming from my phone. I asked him how many? He did not know. I asked him what was said that was harassing? He said that he did not know but that it did not have to be what was said, but how many calls were being made. He tried to make like I made 20 phone calls instead of one, and that I cursed O’Reilly out. All I said was that I was grateful to O’Reilly for turning me on to Olbermann. > > Then he hung up." ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/49 "2006-03-06T20:47:45Z")
Well, **John** , done giving benefit of the doubt to someone who has never given anyone else any? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/50 "2006-03-06T21:04:10Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Well, **John** , done giving benefit of the doubt to someone who has never given anyone else any? > > -Joe Meh. That post (which is just another blog, btw) still doesn’t produce the missing audio. And the guy’s description of what he said doesn’t match the auido we have of what he actually said. I’ll repeat: We still don’t know what got cut off. And while O’Reilly isn’t the most credible person in the world, neither is some partisan blogger who admits to making crank phone calls in order to irritate people. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/51 "2006-03-06T21:13:48Z")
That’s all there is out there. make of it what you will. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/52 "2006-03-06T21:32:10Z")
[quote] Soon after a few callers received phone messages from the head of security at FOX – threatening them: "I got the call on the phone I used to call him from the head of Fox News security. He said that harassing phone calls were coming from my phone. I asked him how many? He did not know. I asked him what was said that was harassing? He said that he did not know but that it did not have to be what was said, but how many calls were being made. He tried to make like I made 20 phone calls instead of one, and that I cursed O’Reilly out. All I said was that I was grateful to O’Reilly for turning me on to Olbermann. Then he hung up."He’s an idiot for not recording his side of the conversation, and even more of an idiot for not recording this. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/53 "2006-03-07T00:57:39Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > We still don’t know what got cut off. And while O’Reilly isn’t the most credible person in the world, neither is some partisan blogger who admits to making crank phone calls in order to irritate people. Because, after all, _everyone_ knows Bill O’Reilly is an even-tempered person who’d never lie, exaggerate, shout down, or simply misrepresent anyone to score his own points… \ ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/54 "2006-03-07T08:43:59Z")
(_Riinngg, Riinng, Riin_-) – **Good evening and thanks for calling _The O’Reilly Factor_. What would you like to discuss?** –I’d like to take on Mr. O’Reilly’s challenge to start addressing what’s _right_ about America. Specifically, sports announcers, American whiskey, fish and game, pretty girls and recycling fur coats. – **Great. Hold for Mr. O’Reilly**. (_Long pause_) – **Hi, welcome to the no-spin zone!** –Mr. O’Reilly? – **Yes, what have you got to say?** –Well I just called up to talk about some of my favorite things, and they’re all American. – **Fine. Go ahead.** –Well first of all, there’s ESPN. I love that little fat guy who’s been there forever, Chris is his name, I think? Anyway, I just can’t get enough of OL’ BERMAN and I don’t care who knows it! – **Uh, what was –** –Oh, and my favorite drink while I’m listening to OL’ BERMAN is to sip at a glass of aged Wild Turkey, ‘cause OLD BOURBON is just the best thing ever next to OL’ BERMAN, don’t you agree? – **Wait a minute, are you –** –‘Course I’m not a complete couch potato, at least not when OL’ BERMAN and OLD BOURBON aren’t around. I like to go ice fishing. Last week, though, I put my boot though a thin spot near shore, and let me tell you, that water was COLD! BRR, MAN! – **Okay, just a –** –And nobody beats American girls. I used to cut quite a swath in my day, and thank God there’s still a few out there who appreciate an OLDER MAN, that’s all I have to say. A young girl out there who might like a pre-owned fur wrap, like a fine OLD ERMINE. – **All right, I’ve heard about –** –I just needed to get that off my chest, Mr. O’Reilly. Thanks for having the courage to let me discuss what’s\* right \* with America for a change. (_Click_) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/55 "2006-03-07T15:06:01Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Meh. That post (which is just another blog, btw) still doesn’t produce the missing audio. … > > I’ll repeat: We still don’t know what got cut off. The only logical presumption here is that there is no missing audio and nothing got cut off. If you want to take this position, it’s up to you to present evidence that there was anything cut off. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/56 "2006-03-07T15:27:47Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > The only logical presumption here is that there is no missing audio and nothing got cut off. If you want to take this position, it’s up to you to present evidence that there was anything cut off. I don’t think **John** does that anymore. He just tries to argue nuance till people throw their hands up in the air and give up. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/57 "2006-03-07T16:21:15Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > The only logical presumption here is that there is no missing audio and nothing got cut off. If you want to take this position, it’s up to you to present evidence that there was anything cut off. Are you drawing that “presumption” from the transcript or from the actual audio (the OP has a link)? In the audio it sure sounds like he was cut off mid-sentence to me. Unless, that is, the caller (Mike) only speaks in half-sentences. Knowing that there is a 5-7 second delay on radio broadcast, if that’s all the caller said and O’Reilly didn’t want to air the name of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned, then why even air anything that Mike said? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/58 "2006-03-07T17:12:51Z")
Actually, I’ll have to take that back. Reading Mike’s blog and listening to the Olberman show’s piece on that point, it seems that there was some bit of unaired conversation. However, I see absolutely no reason to believe that any of it was obscene or threatening as O’Reilly implied. Mike’s given his side in pretty good detail. His intent (to annoy O’Reilly with mentions Olberman) and his methods are pretty well known. The burden of the proof there lies on O’Reilly if he wants to give anyone a reason to think that Mike did something illegal. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/59 "2006-03-07T17:26:41Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > The burden of the proof there lies on O’Reilly if he wants to give anyone a reason to think that Mike did something illegal. I agree. Especially since it would be a trivial thing for him to do, even if he has to bleep out any offensive words. I think even a bleeped out version would allow us to make a pretty good determination of whether any profanity was used or if any non-obscene but threatening remarks were made (if the latter, no bleeping would be necessary). ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976/60 "2006-03-07T18:12:50Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned, Lord Voldemnort? Yeah, tired joke but it’s all I’ve got. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-easy-pit-oreilly-he-has-lost-it-you-better-be-scared/346976.md?page=4)