# Brian Williams is a Conservative??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 16, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-williams-is-a-conservative/441511 "2008-03-16T01:08:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-williams-is-a-conservative/441511/1 "2008-03-16T01:08:44Z")
So it is a couple of weeks ago, and I am channel surfing. Just by chance, I happen to channel surf by the Tonight Show, and Brian Williams of NBC news is the guest. I just catch the last few words Williams says. I catch “…but I am a conservative, just like you…” or words to that effect. Is that true? Is Mr. Williams really a conservative? The reason why I am surprised is because Bill O’Reilly of Fox News claims NBC news is a news show with a far-leftwing bias and agenda. Do people realize that O’Reilly might be lying to them? That Mr. Williams, the news anchor, is in fact conservative like him? I don’t generally believe what Mr. O’Reily has to say anyways. I just never knew he somehow skipped over the fact NBC news has an apparent conservative like Williams in it. Who else on these boards knew O’Reilly had it wrong and Williams is conservative? And has O’Reilly had anything to say about this so far? Thank you in advance to all who reply:) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-williams-is-a-conservative/441511/2 "2008-03-16T01:19:28Z")
[QUOTE=Jim B.] So it is a couple of weeks ago, and I am channel surfing. Just by chance, I happen to channel surf by the Tonight Show, and Brian Williams of NBC news is the guest. I just catch the last few words Williams says. I catch “…but I am a conservative, just like you…” or words to that effect. Is that true? Is Mr. Williams really a conservative? [/QUOTE] I did not see it. But if he was saying he is a conservative like Jay Leno then that means he is not a conservative at all. You know, a joke. I don’t know how Brian Williams votes but I do know he has a pretty good sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-williams-is-a-conservative/441511/3 "2008-03-16T01:26:42Z")
[QUOTE=Jim B.] Do people realize that O’Reilly might be lying to them? That Mr. Williams, the news anchor, is in fact conservative like him? [/QUOTE] O’Reilly claims [he is not a conservative](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Bill_O%27Reilly#Political_affiliation): > [@](#): > > On his January 10, 2000 show, O’Reilly claimed to be an Independent. In his book The O’Reilly Factor, he described his political affiliation. > > “You might be wondering if whether I’m conservative, liberal, libertarian, or exactly what… See, I don’t want to fit any of those labels, because I believe that the truth doesn’t have labels. When I see corruption, I try to expose it. When I see exploitation, I try to fight it. That’s my political position.” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-williams-is-a-conservative/441511/4 "2008-03-16T01:42:00Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] But if he was saying he is a conservative like Jay Leno then that means he is not a conservative at all. [/QUOTE] Do you have some reason to believe Leno is not a conservative? ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-williams-is-a-conservative/441511/5 "2008-03-16T01:56:14Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Do you have some reason to believe Leno is not a conservative? [/QUOTE] Leno’s an outspoken Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-williams-is-a-conservative/441511/6 "2008-03-16T01:58:59Z")
But he doesn’t play one on TV. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-williams-is-a-conservative/441511/7 "2008-03-16T05:06:39Z")
No, he plays a person who sees a joke where one can be found. A good jester, like a good civil servant, survives, whatever the changes at the top of the list.