Kerry Spot    [ jim geraghty reporting ]
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Has Bill O'Reilly jumped the shark?

Judging from the e-mailbox reaction to this observation, Kerry Spot readers (yes, we will change the name eventually, folks — that decision isn’t made by me alone) are getting a little tired of Bill O’Reilly. His ratings are still pretty darn high, but I’m receiving a lot of comments in this vein:

From Joe: “As a former CBS News guy himself (who is not in Siberia like Bernie
Goldberg) Bill O'Reilly is not going to join in the piñata beating of Rather and CBS. For example, O'Reilly spoke out how shocked and surprised CBS management was during the Superbowl halftime fiasco last year (not one to turn down a freebee, O'Reilly was in the CBS corporate booth for the game). Of course there is no quid pro quo at Blackrock, but CBS returned the favor with a complementary 60 Minutes piece on O'Reilly this summer. O'Reilly's recent legal and staffing problems have further directed him onto a new soapbox regarding celebrities and the forces trying to take them down (which also plays well with Rather's perceived inequities and pajama clad forces that went after him). Bill will never admit it (and will never get it either), but Bill, in his heart of hearts wants Rather's job.”

From James: “For some bizarre reason, even before his own "difficulties", Bill O'Reilly has had a problem with the Internet. For a couple years now, I think he has seen it as overall a very bad thing. The Rather episode just lets him climb up on that soapbox one more time. Odd, and I've never understood his fixation, but it is nothing new.

From Doug: “Dan got what he dished out for years. He was caught not searching for the truth. The arrogance set in years ago - it was palpable. O'Reilly is too removed from the common man to notice it.

From John: “The technical, psychological term for this is ‘projection.’”

My take: I don't mind O'Reilly challenging Republicans or conservatives on issues. I just can't figure out what his criteria is for dissenting from conservative orthodoxy, or how he decides to start criticizing the thinking on the right. It seems like he rolls the dice every morning and if he comes up with a certain number, he decides to critique GOP or conservative targets that afternoon/evening.

And standing with Rather against his critics on the Internet... I just don't get how O'Reilly can say that fits with his mantra of looking out for the little guy.

[Posted 11/30 12:50 PM]