Bill OReilly
It may seem strange but a cornerstone of the liberal media in America is The Daily Show starring Jon Stewart. Younger Americans in particular love him and his sarcastic cool wit delights left-wingers from coast to coast.
Thats because his barbs are overwhelmingly directed at conservatives although from time to time he will mock some far-left loons who are simply too stupid to ignore.
Stewarts current jihad is against Fox News Channel which he considers to be in the tank for the right wing. Often the comedian will point out hypocrisy at FNC mainly objecting to criticisms leveled at the Obama administration which is almost revered on The Daily Show.
But do you know what? I think Stewart actually likes Fox News.
While it is true that he has called FNC terrible cynical disingenuous and an autoimmune disorder he admits that he and his legion of writers watch often. And while he has told Fox News personnel to go F themselves about 600 times he seems to do that affectionately.
My theory is that Stewart has a crush on Fox News and if you think about it the speculation makes sense. I simply cant imagine Stewart and his minions sitting there watching the boring stuff that CNN and MSNBC put out there. But I can envision them lapping up the vibrant debates seen daily on FNC. What kind of material could Stewart get from Wolf Blitzer? Believe me he gets plenty from Glenn Beck and me.
Of course for Stewart to tell his audience (some of whom are in various states of altered consciousness) that he is a big Fox News fan would break many hearts in San Francisco. Thus the standard-bearer of liberal TV comedy must fight the good fight against Fox News even though he may really really like us.
By the way why are there not any conservative comedians with TV shows? Surely the overwhelming success of the non-liberal Fox News Channel proves there is an audience looking for more traditional presentations. I dont want to sound racist but is there a blacklist?
Lets get back to Stewart who recently called FNC the lupus of news. I will concede that at times the man seems to be genuinely upset when ObamaCare is compared to socialism. And he gets a bit riled up when global warming is challenged as well. After Fox News reported that ice masses in the Arctic are actually increasing Stewart looked ashen. Or maybe it was the lighting.
I will admit that I like Jon Stewart and perhaps thats why I am rooting for him to like Fox News. He is a great talent and my sparring with him on TV brings us both great rewards. There is no way I would ever call him a lupus or lumpen or even Lumpy Rutherford.
And Id never tell him to go F himself either.
Bill OReilly is host of the Fox News show The OReilly Factor and author of Whos Looking Out For You? and A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity.