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O’Reilly and Stewart: two sides of the same dime

Leo Shanahan

by Leo Shanahan

05 Feb 03:30pm

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Filed under: Barack Obama, Bill O Reilly, Democrats, Fox News, Jon Stewart, Republicans

24 comments

You may not have time to watch this whole interview between Jon Stewart and Bill O’Reilly but it’s worth a look if you get the chance.

Whether you’re actually interested in US politics or media or not, it’s a fascinating and civil exchange between two men who are arguably the two most influential commentators in America (assuming you take Oprah out of the equation).

One is a political satirist turned sometime serious political commentator and the other is political commentator who sometimes sounds pretty funny.

For all the ideological difference between the two they have a huge amount in common.

Besides the two both possessing a fantastic understanding of the medium in which they work, they’ve both become the first port of call for mainstream Democrats and Republicans into the political news of the day.

O’Reilly has the highest rating show out of all US news network programs, around 4.3 million viewers. And while Stewart’s ratings aren’t as huge, to get around 1.6 million views for his nightly program is extraordinary given he’s still on the Comedy Central.

It’s not the first time the two have spoken. They’ve sparred on each other’s shows a few times over the years, but it’s the first time since the election of Obama that they’ve talked.

Both have a grudging respect of each other, with mutual acknowledgment that neither is an apologist for the party that their associated with. Both regularly attack Republicans and Democrats, albeit often for very different reasons.

Stewart’s views on Obama show an increasing doubt about the way the President is handling the job:

“I can’t tell if he’s a Jedi Master playing on a three level chess board way ahead of us, or whether this is kicking his ass”.

His take on the success of Fox News (owned by News Corporation also owner of The Punch):

“You have been able to mainstream conservative radio.”

And this classic backhander to O’Reilly:

“You have become the voice of reason on Fox . . . which is like being told you’re the skinniest kid at fat camp.”

For his part O’Reilly successfully pointed out a few anomalies in Stewart’s on-going contention that there is unquestioning support at FOX for the GOP, pointing to the fact that both John McCain and Dick Cheney refused to appear on his program.

O’Reilly at one point describes Stewart’s audience as: “stoned out slackers who love Obama”.

But whatever you think of either of these two their approach and impact on the nation’s politics and media provides an insight into modern America in a way that no others presently can.

Part two of the interview is here:

Most commented

24 comments

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    • Zeta says:

      03:05pm | 05/02/10

      WHOA. Hive Mind! I was just about to send you guys that link because it was Relevant To Your Interests. We must use the same aggregators.

      That interview was the closest thing to Fair & Balanced on Fox since Hannity & Colmes became HANNITY - Republican Super Hero Kills Communists

      When Stewart admitted O’Reilly was the sanest person on Fox, I could hear Keith Olberman’s head explode.

      Reply

    • Ziggy says:

      02:35am | 06/02/10

      Olberman has about half a dozen viewers. Please at least refer to someone who has some relevance!

    • Simmo says:

      03:34pm | 05/02/10

      I personally think The Colbert Report is much better and Stephen Colbert is 10 times the political satirist that john Stewart is…

      As for Bill O’Reilly, I guess if you are a school bully for long enough people will just let you do whatever you want…

      Reply

    • Nafe says:

      03:44pm | 05/02/10

      I find Glen Beck way more entertaining and a better political comentator than Bill O’Riley. John Stewart is just a fool in my opinion. But being on American left wing television there isn’t much else to expect. John Stewart would fit in well on CNN, But Glen Beck should definatly be the No1 presenter and comentator on Fox news.

      Reply

    • Katea says:

      04:30am | 06/02/10

      Glen Beck - A better political comentator.
      He is all that is wrong with America.
      Shows that the dumbing down of the USA has worked.
      All sucked in by a snake oli salesnman.

    • bec says:

      10:15am | 06/02/10

      Katea, if you’re up for a laugh, you should check out Glen Beck’s children’s book. It is as amazing as “Battlefield Earth” - that is, so hilariously woeful and devoid of merit that it is a real *treasure*.

    • Radical Chick says:

      04:06pm | 05/02/10

      I really enjoyed Jon Stewart’s appearance on O’Reilly…both men were on the top of their game…they are excellent commentators in their own right.
      I agree with Mr. O that Stewart’s intention was to challenge Fox but O’Reilly gave him something to think about..
      As for his characterisation of Obama it is worrisome to Obama team because even the Washington Post recognized Stewart’s reference in the US politics…
      Overall it was a great show….but I still think that if Stewart’s was really game he’d go to the Beck’s show!! Now that would wake up the audience….the funny guy and the crackpot!!
      Cheers!

      Reply

    • BULMKT says:

      04:08pm | 05/02/10

      Leo said “who are arguably the two most influential commentators in America”

      You also forgot to mention Glenn Beck

      Reply

    • E says:

      04:19pm | 05/02/10

      Stewart is awesome

      Reply

    • AdamC says:

      04:21pm | 05/02/10

      Lefties (many of whom probably have not watched his show) always accuse O’Reilly of being a bombastic bully. As a semi-regular viewer of his show, he clearly isn’t: he is actually affable and self-deprecating. Most of his guests quite clearly enjoy visiting the ‘No spin zone’.

      To paraphrase Simmo, if people assert something often enough, people may just start to believe it is true ...

      As an infrequent watcher of the Daily show, I don’t mind Jon Stewart, either. He’s as funny as you can expect and he’s not a brain-dead group-thinker either. Having said that, Stewart is first-and-foremost a variety/comedy/light entertainment show presenter, not a political commentator. O’Reilly and Stewart are not the same beast.

      Reply

    • Bob says:

      04:23pm | 05/02/10

      The Daily Show and Colbert Report are two different animals. Colbert runs to the extreme end of parody whereas Stewart goes for the middle ground. Colbert is playing a character whereas Stewart is himself. I like both shows for what they are.

      Stewart is one of the few people I’ve seen who can conduct a civilised interview with strongly conservative views. His interviews with Huckabee on issues like abortion and gay rights put so called serious news services to shame.

      But when it comes to taking the piss Colbert reigns supreme. But even his satire has softened a bit since he did his show in Iraq for a week and he is aiming for a more mainstream audience now.

      Both are really nice guys from the interviews I’ve seen of them. Colbert is really a big softie under all that mania.

      Reply

    • Josh says:

      04:31pm | 05/02/10

      Jon Stewart is brilliant, naturally funny and really clued in. Bill O’Reilly is just a condescending bully who lacks any sort of sense of humour. He’s an ideal example of how conservatives have no sense of humour and then belittle others as compensation (i.e. labeling Stewart’s audience as slack-jawed stoners)

      Reply

    • Bob says:

      04:55pm | 05/02/10

      Never thought I’d hear myself defending Bill O’Reilly but the stoner jab was typical of the jousting he and Stewart engage in when they appear on each others show.

    • AM Jensen says:

      08:07pm | 05/02/10

      C’mon Josh, the slack stoners line was pretty funny and no more belittling than most of Stewarts Sarah Palin jokes. Bill O’Reilly is at times frustrating, but always entertaining and is an excellent interveiwer. ‘
      Jon is brilliant as well, although like some other commenters I prefer Colbert.
      Great article by the way!

    • Sam de Brito says:

      04:39pm | 05/02/10

      Great piece mate.

      Reply

    • Joe says:

      06:31pm | 05/02/10

      The full and unedited interview has been posted on Fox today and is even better than what aired, which was arguably edited to favor O’Reilly.

      Reply

    • Brendan says:

      12:24pm | 06/02/10

      I cannot believe that there are people in this forum, in this country who think that Beck and O’Reilly are anything but biased, ignorant, wind bags.  Fox News is an oxymoron.  It is the most slanted crap in the western world and is symbolic of the small minded, scary USA that seriously promotes Palin as a potential President.

      Reply

    • Dingo_aus says:

      03:26pm | 06/02/10

      Yeah, I think Glenn Beck is far more informative than O’Reilly.  I would love to see Stewart and Beck having a chat-fest.

      Reply

    • gubbaboy says:

      05:58pm | 06/02/10

      I think that interview highlights all that is wrong with the Aussie political debate.

      Fox news is an intellectual version of Cage Fighting / World Championship Wrestling while all we get is a press gallery sitting in a circle singing Kumbia and occasionally being very cross with an interloper who stumbles into their presence who doesn’t know the tune.

      So boring,  so rigged.

      Sack the lot of them and start again.

      Of course not meaning you Leo, you are OK in a young and cheeky kind of way.

      Reply

    • omegaman says:

      06:26pm | 07/02/10

      Jon Stewart’s entire life is a lie. His real name is Jon Liebowitz. What’s going in in his head?
      On the upside, like colbert and family guy, JS can be cited to support the proposition that liberals and women aren’t funny. Because I’ve watched his show. He isn’t funny.

      Reply

    • Michael says:

      11:55am | 08/02/10

      Omegaman= Glenn Beck?

      Reply

    • The Watcher says:

      02:13pm | 08/02/10

      I endorse Oreilly to anybody who has a shred of common sense in them. Obviously, left wing loons will attack him personally and they probably dont watch his show regularly to know his views. If you want to talk about dumbing down, what would you say about us in Aus? We hav all the TV stations skewed to the left and cheerleading for Kev, and there is no fair coverage of the opposition. Those who cannot realise that simple fact are the fruits of “dumbing down”. Its even dumber to think that its okay and not do anything about it, i.e read alternative opinions and then make a decision instead of lapping up the trash from sky news and the rest of the left wing parrots. I personally dont believe in the human caused global warming, but it seems that the majority of the population has been hoodwinked into blindly following this new religion.  The politicians always thought the mass public were stupid, and boy have they been vindicated.

      Reply

    • Matt says:

      10:05pm | 08/02/10

      when you reside on the far right everything is apparently skewed left (much like how everything is apparently skewed right if you reside on the far left)

    • Ryan says:

      02:04pm | 20/03/10

      O’Reilly for (as interesting as he can be) is a bully who just cant stand the slightest attack on him even though he sits at that perch firing off smears and personal attacks which he claims he never does, “pinheads”, left- wing loons” “bombthrowers”.

      Fox News isn’t really hard news it has some shows on that are straight up news show but every other show during the day is an opinion piece program. It constantly blurrs the line between opinion and news, and right wing ideologues no matter how much you show them will bury the head even further in the sand.

      Bill O’Reilly is probably the most sane person over there but he also is the one I like the least cause he claims to be a non-partisan looking out for the folks, “traditionalist” but he also violates so many basic principles of journalism. Hannity I like to watch cause you know what yo uare getting and people on here who like Glenn Beck well, thats your prerogative but this is a man who said “We are heading towards socialism, totalitarianism beyond your wildest imaginations”. But apparently not beyond his…

      If this cable news thing comes to Australia I’m outta here cause its terrible in the US, the MSNBC isnt much better just people telling you how to feel and think same as Fox.

      Fair & Balanced hey yea and I’m Elvis

      Reply
 
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