Bill O'Reilly For Debate Moderator

MarketWatch Media Columnist Jon Friedman Is Bored Of Presidential Debates; Spice It Up, He Says

(MarketWatch)  Presidential debates are such anticlimactic affairs, in which ultra-cautious candidates invariably fail to connect with millions of American voters watching at home.

I don't know about you, but I had more questions about what John McCain and Barack Obama stood for AFTER their first debate than I did beforehand.

Want to give the whole debate process -- not to mention the politicians themselves -- a much-needed kick in the pants? How about letting Bill O'Reilly anchor one of these snoozers?

O'Reilly is the host of Fox News Channel's long-running "The O'Reilly Factor," the perennially top-rated show in cable news. (Fox, like MarketWatch, the publisher of this column, is a unit of News Corp. .)

"I'd love to host the debates," O'Reilly said Wednesday afternoon at the Fox News headquarters. "A lot of people would watch."

O'Reilly respects the journalists who have served as moderators, but carps (as I do) that they "are too nice." He grinned and said with characteristic bluster, "I'd be, 'What do you mean?!'"

Whether you love O'Reilly's brand of in-your-face interviewing or think he's way over the top, he has an undeniable presence on TV. O'Reilly insists on doing it his way. He said he'd stress "close-quarter questioning" and wouldn't let the candidates "give rehearsed answers."

It's an intriguing scenario: O'Reilly pushing the circumspect candidates to speak their minds.

"I think you'd double the audience," he said.

Chutzpah

That's vintage O'Reilly: challenging conventional wisdom and trying to help viewers connect with a larger world outside their living rooms.

If you wonder where his confidence -- or is it chutzpah? -- comes from, check out his interesting new book, "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity." The title stems from something an exasperated teacher at St. Brigid's parochial school in Westbury, N.Y., once said about a very young O'Reilly. (And he's still obstreperous after all these years.)

One of the shrewdest people in the TV business, he knows people tune in to his show to be entertained as much as informed.

"I want to tap into the emotion of the day," he said. "That's No.1. I'm giving people a look at the day in America."

The pacing of the show is significant, too. "It's quick," he observed. "We move it along."

Naturally, many of his rivals on other news shows have tried, with no success, to get better ratings by ripping off his aggressive approach to broadcasting.

Some say the reason for O'Reilly's popularity is his ability to galvanize conservative viewers. I don't see it exactly that way. I'd counter by saying that the keys to his success are his show's freshness and originality.

Sure, he loves to stick his finger in the eye of the establishment, but so did Mike Wallace in his glory days at "60 Minutes," whose network, CBS , has faced countless charges of having a liberal bias.

When I asked him to comment on his notorious feuds with other journalists, he said the media don't "want to be held accountable by some punk named O'Reilly."

It's really all about giving the news a little pizzazz as a way to find and keep an audience and boost ratings. O'Reilly cites the show's commitment to "straight talk" and stresses that "The Factor" is "not ideological."

O'Reilly also has little patience for people who insist he's a bully who gets his kicks by cutting down his guests. "I'm not here to try to humiliate people," he said.

It's an accomplishment to be No. 1 in the television ratings -- but it's remarkable to stay there year after year. As O'Reilly points out in "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity," he has always stayed true to his modest Levittown, N.Y., roots and the traditional values he learned there.

O'Reilly also said:

"I don't watch [MSNBC nemesis Keith Olbermann]. It's like the New York Yankees paying attention to the Pawtucke Red Sox."

Journalism schools "are too ideological now."

He'd like to interview the Pope someday, owing in part to "the good Catholic boy" that he is.

It took him "six years to feel comfortable" on TV.

Critics' charges that Fox is a tool of the right wing are "garbage" and an "excuse for failure" by less successful journalists.

If Katie Couric had Oprah Winfrey as a lead-in for her evening news show, Couric would "be No. 1" in her time slot

When Obama defeated Sen. Hillary Clinton, "I was shocked."

Now, the million-dollar question: Will O'Reilly vote for Obama or McCain?

He smiled: "I vote for the person who I feel will do the least amount of damage."

[hvisualc]

That''s almost as ridiculous as Sarah Palin running for VP. Let''s just let Republican''s in power put their supporters in positions to push their agenda. Oh, I forgot...that already happens. Well, just look where it has gotten us.

Bill O''Reilly advocates promotes hatred and division in our country through his narrow-minded propaganda. He''s the last person we need to moderate a debate between the candidates who are running for the office of the presidency in the UNITED States of America.

[benabdem]

You must be kidding! The guy is a pure idiot and arrogant! Only people with a Palin''s brain can stand the guy! The Jerk is responsible for what the state is going through because of his lies....

[jsalern3]

I''d rather see him interview people in neighborhoods that used to be redlined, and ask them why they think they deserve a chance to own a house just because they have a job. Or maybe ask unemployed people why they deserve a job, or health care, and just don''t go jump off a bridge. I''d watch those interviews, but he''s a bully and a coward who hits when he thinks he cant be hit back. He and the rest of the FOX news morons bear a lot of responsibility for misleading the country for years, never more than over the last year.

[love123451]

you know I see things like this if you went on job interview and submitted your resume, when your resume is reviewed it should be based on the fact of experience palin has experience but she don''t have the experience that''s needed to run our states, that don''t make her a bad person it just mean that she''s under qualified for the postion we learned that by the interviews that she had, I am a woman and would love to see woman have such a wonderful postion but she don''t have the experience that''s neccesary last but not least fox news is the worst with the Republicans that they have hosting the show it shows as a source of prejudice and i don''t like it Thank you

[bbyn]

Please!!! we are in the toilet already. Please, while our heads are barley above water, DON''T FLUSH!!!!! Do not the questions presented so far,and the "non-answers" given to them, offend you? They should. We should all be ashamed for allowing a tabloid presidential race. Where a "wink" can effect what should be a very serious matter. What a JOKE. Why not Jerry Springer then? We deserve it!

[Kilz]

Bill O''Reilly does have a right leaning. But I have a feeling that he would be a good person to choose as a Debate Moderator. His interviews of Hillary and Obama show he can be fair and ask good questions.

[stopkidding]

Just what America needs, MORE stupid up on the stage.

[kwigster05]

Come on ya''ll! Ya''ll actually afraid that Oreilly will tear your own party down. Americans need to go more into details, and no one is better than Oreilly on doing that. He knows all the facts, and both parties are afraid of him. Not mature enough. PLEASE!! He won''t let anyone get away with lying, like your all used to hearing.

[kansas1946]

Want to give the whole debate process -- not to mention the politicians themselves -- a much-needed kick in the pants? How about letting Bill O''Reilly anchor one of these snoozers?

O''Reilly is the host of Fox News Channel''s long-running "The O''Reilly Factor," the perennially top-rated show in cable news. (Fox, like MarketWatch, the publisher of this column, is a unit of News Corp. .)
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This is precisely what is wrong in America right now. Mr. Friedman is bored with civility and serious debate. He is apparently of the Jerry Springer generation where unless someone is screaming and throwing chairs at one another, where disagreements become fist-fights, and truth takes a back seat to theatrics, then he is bored and fidgity. Well, Mr. Friedman, take your ADD rearend to the play-ground and let the adults watch the debates.

I am so sick of the hateful, nastiness, coming from some of these "journalists" who are really just carnival barkers for the right that I could puke. They are doing it for entertainment, but because they on TV everyday, it lowers the bar all across the country for good mannerers and civility. For being able to listen to someone you disagree with, without turning into a foaming at the mouth animal. No, I''ll take Gwen Ifil and Jim Lerhrer any day thank you.

[o_nolan1]

Bill O''Reilly and journalism go together like milk and lemon juice. This guy would love to host the debates and be the centre of attention as usual. I''d like to see the opinions of his journalism teachers on how he listened to what he was taught. I bet fair and balanced wasn''t a slogan over there. To let this fake anchor the debate would give legitimacy to Fox News that it should never have.

[r2ar2000]

Billo is an entertainer. He has one view (a strong view at that). For this article and him to say he wants to be a moderator.. is beyond me or any rational human being who believes in fair and balanced ideology

[holalanemeir]

Bill O Reilly had to settle out of court for harrassing female co-workers. Yep, that sums up Republicon values.

[downtowner97]

Bring him on!

[grandblancbob]

Come on, O''Reilly? He''s on Republican 24 hour news channel. Wonder which side he''d favor! Debates are supposed to be impartial and substantive, not making others look and feel stupid. I think someone like Charlie Rose or Tavis Smiley would be great. I know the writerwanys a Jerry Springer like debate, but our presidential debates shouldn''t be. Our citizens are ignorant enough on politics and government, we shouldn''t dumb down the process further.

[chamberray]

Why not get Soupy Sales, it would be just as appropriate only funnier.

[chamberray]

Why not get Soupy Sales, it would be just as appropriate only funnier.

[chamberray]

Why not get Soupy Sales, it would be just as appropriate only funnier.

[chamberray]

Why not get Soupy Sales, it would be just as appropriate only funnier.

[chamberray]

Why not get Soupy Sales, it would be just as appropriate only funnier.

[chamberray]

Why not get Soupy Sales, it would be just as appropriate only funnier.