I claim to be an independent, but I am registered as a Democrat. Does that make me a liar and a radical liberal? I think not. It is the only way I can vote in the primaries, except registering as a Republican. which would then make me a liar and a radical conservative. Maybe I should do what so many people do and not vote. 
knoz:
O’Reilly specifically claimed that he was not registered with either party and that he was a registered independent. He made this claim multiple times. He lied multiple times.
He also claims that he was “stunned” to find out the he had registered as a Republican and that he had no memory of doing it.
Yeah, right. :rolleyes:
I have heard him make anti-mj statements on air, and also make the circular argument “it ruins lives because you get locked up, etc, so you shouldn’t do it, because it could get you in jail and ruin your life.” Basically it’s bad because it’s illegal, and illegal because it’s bad.
If I remember in the Terri Gross interview, which I heard, he plainly says he’s always been for the decriminalization or whatever of marijuana, a complete flip-flop of his views I’ve heard him spout on his TV show numerous times.
The man is truly nuts, you can tell just watching him.
I must disagree with this, at least on principle in this debate. All European countries have, because of colonial histories and more recent labour immigrant histories, considerable “non-native” populations. And they don’t all live in the bigger cities. Sure, it’s true that the big cities show more diversity than the small towns, but that’s no different than the US: is it easier to find a good Thai restaurant in NYC, or in Assboink, TN?
Whether or not the US is more diverse or not: that may very well be, in hard figures. But in my personal experience, it certainly isn’t “a lot more diverse” as you say, and European societies sure as HELL aren’t “homogenous” by any stretch of the imagination, as O’Reilly claims.
Of course. There are vast differences between sex ed in the US and in Europe, and I personally happen to think the “European” way (simplifying as that statement is, as there is a lot of variety within Europe as well) of educating children, rather than keeping them ignorant with abstinence as their only tool (and yes, I realise that’s a bit of a generalisation), is plain better, and more effective (well, that last part is pretty much proven by the statistics). Others may disagree, and that’s fine. We both agree that O’Reilly (and in this case, his guest) deliberately polarises the issue by creating this black-and-white scenario where no policy in the US is backed up by research, and all European policy is conveived without any ideological influence whatsoever. It’s a nice radical standpoint to base a debate on I’m sure, but it’s simply untrue.
jinwicked:
I’ve heard O’Reilly discuss drugs on his show, and recall several instances where he clearly distinguished between pot and “hard” drugs in terms of ciriminalization. He has absolutely said, paraphrasing, “I have no problem with people smoking pot in the privacy if their homes”.
I don’t have a cite, just my memory. At any rate, I belive you are mistaken on this issue.
Franken also pointed out that O’Reilly lies about where he was born.
As if we cared about whether he was born in a blue collor town or an afluent town…
Just remember, approximately 3x as many people watch WWE Monday Night Raw as watch O’Really.
I would no more base my vote and/or belief on what O’Really says than I would on what Triple H says.
As I read once, “Bill, your show is slipping.”
Then perhaps my memory is prior to him making those statements, because I quite distinctly remember the letter he read on air was written regarding the private use of marijuana, and I think he even drudged up the old “gateway drug” argument. I remember this because I got in a very long involved argument with my dad afterwards about how mj is not a “gateway drug” and that it actually does less harm than alcohol in the grand scheme of things – all of that was in response to Bill’s comments on the air. Granted, that was at least three years ago, but I remember it quite distinctly.
Regarding Bill vs. Al Franken and his new book… (I just remembered I did this):
Yes, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December… and each seperate dying ember wrought its gho… oh, sorry. It’s late.
blassie (Classie freddie reference?)
At least the WWE does more to encourage people to vote, as opposed to idiots like O’Reilly who would turn people off politics.
Well, yeah. But do we really want people voting for Jesse Ventura? 
Well, yeah. If they hadn’t in 1998, then Norm Coleman would have won the governorship of Minnesota and wouldn’t have stood for Senator in 2002, and though another candidate would certainly have replaced him, it’s possible that Mondale would have won and the precarious balance of power in the Senate would have shifted.
And, of course, it’s possible that monkeys may fly out of my ass.
I also remember O’Reilly for decriminalization of pot. I saw it within the last week, while flipping channels.
Let me tell you, seeing the Election Victory party with the Governor-Elect partying in a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt, a porno-pink feather boa and a multicolored headband was almost worth it.
Keep in mind, the State of Minnesota was founded by a coalition of people with a native distrust of governance, and especially power concentrated in an executive. The Gov. of Minn. has the irrevocable power to sign the proclamation declaring the Rutabaga Festival ( don’t ask) open, and thats about it.
He’s likable enough, for a lout. Still a lout.
God! That’s it! Why didn’t I think of it before?!
Jesse Ventura vs Bill O’Reilly, Steel Cage Death Match!
I’ll pursue this one irrelevant point to the bitter end. :dubious:
Maybe it’s my neighborhood, or my whole state, but I’m right. 
US pop stats, available by race, 2000. I’m against keeping statistics by race unless it’s a write-in ballot. We have the whole Hispanic/Latino race/ethnicity/culture controversy here in Florida. There is a whole article on that particular issue.
Right now I look like a tank driver in NA – for either side – circa 1942, don’t ask me. Me “cracker.”
OTOH, some people swear keeping racial data is useful for a number of things, including public health. It does make it hard to find firm numbers for Europe, France in particular. The demographics of Europe and the US are in a state of flux. We could argue trends, when I already conceded that O’Reilly is a knob.
…if you use race as the criterion… O’Reilly is still a knob.
THAT is worth the price of the ticket!
I’m glad old Bill’s around if only for the fact that he gets Al Franken on such a roll. I’m looking forward to Al’s next book, which he mentioned in “Lies” would be called I Fucking Hate Those Right-Wing Motherfuckers!
As I recall, they’ve had pretend political debates on Raw, and I remember, although they end in fistfights(duh) they still backed up what they said with quotes and stats.
Come on, O’Reilly. If a scripted fighting show holds itself to higher standards, something’s wrong.