In a jaw-dropping interview, Bill O’Reilly, he of the bombast and common-man schtick, the no-spin-zone conservative commentator has dropped his mask!
Apparently, he’s a true conservative – that is, one with actual beliefs and not just a complete corporate shill, and one of those core beliefs is Gays have Rights! Who woulda figured? Check out this leak of an upcoming advocate article, where he states unequivocally his support for a range of Gay Rights, and bashes the Religous Kooks! No foolin!
There’s four more pages, and it’s can’t miss stuff.
Bill O’Reilly, we scarecely knew ye. For having courage and convictions, you are my Conservative of the Week. Next week we’ll reveal Chris Matthews – Liberal-turned-Conservative-Whore-turned-Liberal! Stay tuned!
Good for you, Ace. It may surprise you, but a lot of us Conservatives have deep-seated beliefs and principles.
I refer you to my favorite Conservative, Mr. Barry Goldwater who had a lot to do with the racial integration of our armed services, was a civil rights advocate long before it became fashionable, and up to his death lobbied extensively for the rights of the gay military man.
Not at all – I believe you’d be suprised about whom I respect, for instance, a certain Republican ex-speech writer.
No, I have a deep appreciation for the Conservatives who aren’t idiots, hypocrites, or selfish jackasses. Even if I don’t always agree with them, one can at least have a rational argument and respect their views. I only wish there were more of them and less of Ann Coulter.
Would it really be accurate to call Abe Lincoln a conservative? He was a republican, but really it seems to me that for the longest time the Democrats were the conservatives and the Republicans were liberal.
This is the same Bill O’Reilly who a few nights ago went semi-ballistic on a woman who was for the NYT’s plan to feature gay/lesbian “unions/weddings” alongside the “regular” weddings, right?
They didn’t bring in a stunt double or do a hell of a good makeup job on Jesse Helms?
O’Reilly is quite possibly the most egotistical news personality on tb these days, and that’s tough, especially with Geraldo still being around.
Plus, what is the deal with comparing his numbers with Larry King’s? They are on at different times for Chrissake!!!
This is the same Bill O’Reilly who changed his registered voting status from Republican to Independent very convieniently a week before a major expose about him was due to start.
Right… thing is, O’Reilly’s own statements in his TV show up to a few months back, for the longest time, had been to the effect that he believes gays should have fully protected human rights… BUT should lie low and avoid the mainstream’s radar …"I don’t want to have to explain to my children() what homosexuality is about"* is a good paraphrase of something he often during the first half of 2002. And others of his TV statements could be understood in the direction that gays should not expect to be given acceptance by the mainstream, that as long as the prevailing culture disapproves, they have to just live with the disapproval.
Anyway, Bill over the last year had undergone a very disturbing Geraldization: he had become too full of himself, so it’s been a couple of months since I last followed him closely. But from what little I saw in these later period, he still affected an image of a moralizer on unconventional sexuality issues. I might have to start watching again to see how this plays out (oh, he’ll declare himself right in the end, of course, but hey, so does McLaughlin and nobody freaks out over him)
(*) (He seems to be a staunch, sometimes shrill, follower of the doctrine that “But think of the CHIIILLDREEEN!!!” trumps any argument.)
I can’t say I much like O’Reily, regardless of whether he suddenly supports views I like or not. I don’t think he is a man of honesty. He seems to have no idea that “spin” reffers to particular tactics for distorting facts and arguements (since he uses these sorts of tactics all the time): he seems to believe that it involves him not getting enough time to state his opinions (which he sometimes even remedies by going in and adding extra voice-overs to his own debates and interviews after the fact so that he can get in extra jibes at people without them having any chance to hear or respond to the final product).
and if you say it’s Peggy Noonan, I’ll slap you silly.
But seriously, O’Reilly’s comments appear to simply follow what many other Catholics probably would also hold in regards to gay rights (like his “pro-life” beliefs - he opposes abortion AND the death penalty, IIRC). Supporting what are rather pithy rights doesn’t make him a Gay rights advocate IMO, just further evidence to me that, although still clearly on the right, he’s not as far to the right as Hannity or Coulter.
Peggy Noonan? The Maureen Dowd of the Right? The Straight Norah Vincent? Please! That bathetic strumpet isn’t fit to carry Anna Quindlen’s tampons.
The fact that Coulter, who is, IMSHO, a complete Christmas fruitcake, is embraced by ANY on the Right, is just more evidence of the right wing’s descent into insanity.
Again, that’s why I celebrate those few sensible conservatives. Perhaps a few more ratings whores, will admit it was all an sham. (Paging Chris Matthews…)
<<Again, that’s why I celebrate those few sensible conservatives. Perhaps a few more ratings whores, will admit it was all an sham. (Paging Chris Matthews…)>>
The poetic imagery here eludes my pedestrian mind. However, for those who might read it to imply that Matthews is some kind of conservative, we should remember that Matthews is a Democrat who worked as an assistant to Tip O’Neill.
