I think my recent posts explain it better. It's not necessarily inclusive of right-leaners, I don't think, but more exclusive of left. I believe non-biased non-partisans(Like I hope I am myself) find the show excellent entertainment, even if it is because of the controversy Bill artificially creates. Also, despite how evil people think he is for whatever reasons, he's the kind of guy I'd like to have a beer with. Anderson 360 isn't, lol.

Another great reporter that I loved was Tim Russert, God rest his soul, he was fantastic, and he certainly wasn't right leaning, so I guess that I'm saying I just love great news personalities and their interviews, and really could care less about their politics. I don't judge people based on if they have a R or a D after their name, which tends to make me controversial on both sides of the isle.

So... you like the O'Reily factor because whie it's propanda it's entertaining propoganda.

That's a werid angle. Me... I generally find actual debates more interesting where the free exchange of ideas can be had without someone covering their ears, ending interviews and such when they start to lose.

Considering how you usually seem to hate fanboys it's a surprise you actually don't like some of the crazierr fanboys around here.

That's the fun part about MSNBC. They have both liberal and conservative guys who usually get fair and equal timing on most issues.

I'm definitly not a partisian.  Actually a registered republican... and the man is just the equivlent of a SDF... but serious.

You can go on for a while by just pissing people off, but eventually it wears thin.  As evidenced by him being beaten in the ratings lately by Keith Olbermann of all people, who is just as bad on the liberal side.  I suppose you like Olbermann too if you prefer entertainment that is out their just to get under people's skin.

NEW YORK - June 10, 2008 - MSNBC continued its ratings surge last week, with viewers flocking out of the “No Spin Zone” and to “The Place for Politics.” For the first time ever, MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” was the #1 show at 8 p.m., out-drawing Fox News’s “O’Reilly Factor” head-to-head among Adults 25-54. This is the first time since June 2001 that MSNBC has out-rated “The O’Reilly Factor” at 8 p.m.

I like O'Reilly, he's entertaining, and some (not all) of the debates they have are good.
I find the rest of Fox to be a little too sensationalist for my tastes, but that doesn't mean I go and watch MSNBC or CNN either....

Also, a "right leaning" news station would be considered "niche"??
Since when would the "right leaning" segment of the population be considered small enough to be niche? Methinks you are forgetting that internet political demographics != real life political demographics.

Funny thing is... I used to watch Countdown in that timespot... well actually usually the later 2am showing... but stopped as he got more and more insane.  He went from defending democrats from O'reily misquoting them.... to blatantly misquoting McCain in the same exact ways. 

Really lame.  All and all it looks like the left is really gearing up to lose any moral highground it had media and election wise.

I don't fit into the left right definitions of politicians (D or R) or political scientists (I'm an objective-pragmatist).  O'Reilly isn't far right (Which is Religious Radicals, Fascist, etc.).  He is conservative (which is middle right). Conservatives like things the way they are or were.  He lives in a fantasy world where the world was once purer than it is now.  The only thing that has changed about morality is the ability to record moral transgressions.  Not all conservatives live in this fantasy world.

He excludes anyone who wants to actually see answers to the questions. He rarely has real guests on, he has fox news analysts and party officials not politicians.  That is why I do not enjoy his show.

He does some good work.  He promotes tolerance (the left accuses him of the reverse).  Discourages the death penalty because of his religion, I am on the same side but for a different reason (you can never be 100% certain of a persons guilt, so what is the government to take away the right to live from a citizen who might be innocent).

I guess the biggest problem I have with Oreilly and Faux news in general is that, unlike Zen, a lot of people don't take them for entertainment and actually think it is news. I've experienced it myself.

If you want political entertainment, why not watch Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert. They are FAR more entertaining than Oreilly and don't pretend to be something else.

Actually, lol, and I know this cause I've seen O'Reilly a lot, Bill says that he's not news and his show isn't news either. His show, as he describes it, is "political commentary and debate," which is exactly what those other two shows are, but instead of comedy, Bill uses his personality to draw in viewers.

That said, I do watch the Colbert report, but not Stewart. He's funny, but just not as funny, imho, and I tend to watch very little TV.

I think what's being discussed is exactly what's wrong with the media. It's entertainment, not news. And it's not just o'reilley and rush limbah, it's just about everything. It's natural selection at it's finest. Entertainment such as a wack job presenting sensationalist ideas and scolding everyone that disagrees with him generates profits, unbiased reporting of the fact sand their possible implications is boring and thus generates nothing. Which one survives? The one that provides money to those involved.

All the major news networks are more interesting in playing up controversial sountbites that in reality are meaningless or taken out of context than actually reporting important world events. It was shown by focus groups that americans care more about what ridiculous things jesse jackson says about Obama's genitals than they do about Mougabe slaughtering everyone that doesn't want him to be president. Trump up minor stories about a polygamist ranch, downplay serious human rights issues because they don't draw in the money.

I don't learn jack shit about the presidential candidates stands on issues, philosophical leanings, or plans from watching the news, I have to learn about their views and stances from debates on videogame websites or random blogs. But I can tell you exactly what Jeremiah Wright thinks. The American media sucks it's a joke. John Stewart has more journalistic integrity than all of them and he openly admits his show is a comedy for entertainment purposes.

Sorry there are some typos, I've been drinking.

Nice post, I actually pretty much agree with it despite the fact that I am happily part of the problem.