Does Beck want O'Reilly's slot? Is O'Reilly tending a bit toward the moderate

[skip fox]

believing Ailes will see Beck as too wacked out for prime time?

I certainly see tension between the two when Beck is on O'Reilly's show. Mostly in Bill's tone and (excuse me) body language.

If they are in contention now or in the future, will the clash have good benefits in terms of the public becoming "disaffected" with Fox, or will it make Beck even get wilder?

Hmmm.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

1. Flame me if you will....

And I'm not saying that I don't deserve it.

But if O'Reilly would pull his head out of his ass, he could be somebody. Before you scoff, remember that the world is full of liberals who used to be conservative and conservatives who used to be liberal.

Will it happen? I doubt it, unless Ailes gives away him time slot...

[skip fox]

2. I'll bet he'll laugh about "the liberal blogs" speculating as to him tending liberal.

I'll be watching for it.

Or maybe he'll take back his "public option" talk after the powers crash down on him? At any rate, he will be fun to watch.

[Johonny]

8. Yah Huffington changed her tune

it does happen. I think Billo just sees his golden boy days done at FAUX. Insanity and Beck go places he can't go. He's personally an * and is unliked at Faux sans his ratings. You knew eventually the egos of the BIG three were going to clash some.

It's also important to remember Faux does totally planned stuff. Apparently this week was token Republican criticism week to prove you're balanced. Even Beck ranted about two Republicans who were already leaving to leave. Epic stuff. Billo's endorsement of a public option might just be part of the same campaign. With no real meaning. Remember 41 % of Democrats think Faux is balanced. So this scam tokenism works on someone.

[mwb970]

9. Frankly, I'd prefer that he be on our side.

As he already is on at least a few issues (e.g. public option). I can't read the Fox "News" tea leaves as confidently as some here, so I don't know what to make of his recent uptick in semi-reasonableness.

BillO blasters should try watching his entire show (I know, ugh) and see if you don't agree with at least 25% of the points he makes (be honest here). Then try the same thing with Hannity and see if you agree with even one of the points he makes in the whole hour. (The Beckster is, of course, simply beyond the pale.) There is a difference there, maybe we can work with it.

As much as I dislike BillO's "do it live" side, his more affable side is not entirely unwatchable.

[skip fox]

11. I take your meaning, but I would put the percentage lower: 12-14%

in terms of Billo's sanity on positions (which we might subscribe to).

I've watched many shows (usually flipping between him and Obermann) and DO agree it is sometimes very difficult to stand that much sludge at once.

[mwb970]

12. You may be right about the percentage.

Maybe hearing something sensible said on Fox "News" is so unusual that it makes me forget about all of the crap in between.

I really like KO, but I must admit I like Rachel's show better. (Does Keith ever interview anyone he disagrees with?) During Countdown, I sometimes peek in on BillO. During Rachel's show, I never peek in on Hannity!

While we're in the Fox weeds, what about Shep Smith? He has a news & features show at 7 that I sometimes watch instead of the Hardball repeat. I have not had any problem with Smith that I can recall.

[TxRider]

13. Shep is the news guy, Hann and Reilly are opinion shows.

He tends to report more, and comment less.

[skip fox]

15. Smith's bias is harder to detect, but still there. I agree on Maddow

and like your reasoning on O'Reilly seeming more moderate than he is due to the viewer's expectations of Fox.

[burning rain]

3. Bring in Billo's body language expert!

lulz. (The stupidest part of his show!)

[rvablue]

4. In the few instances, I've caught Crybaby and O'Lielley on at the same time, it is obvious

there is bad blood between the two. Or, at minimum, jealousy and competition. They are constantly throwing jabs/insults at each other, followed by, "Oh!....I'm just kidding!"

And per the case of Tweety and Olbermann, who was the only MSNBC personality to finally make Tweety share the anchor chair on BIG political nights, Tweety had to move left (putting him in the uncommitted, wishy-washy, ass-kissing center) in order to keep an audience, O'Lielley might be doing the same thing. While he still "wins" that time slot, he's losing the demographic that goes out and SPENDS money to Countdown and is trying to come up with some strategy to keep his time slot from Beck.

[peace frog]

5. Don't read too much into O'Lielly's sudden 'moderate' bent

Probably no more than a feint to draw in unwary viewers, much as Lou Dobbs was once "moderate" until he went off into Cloud Coo-Coo Land over the "illegals".

[burning rain]

14. I dunno...

Dobbs has become such a rageboy, with canine snarls and rancor, that I think his fury is genuine. He's not that much of an actor to put it on for show all the time. He lost it over immigration a long time ago, as you said, but then he lost whatever remained once Obama got elected. What's weird is, prior to that, he'd been more-or-less left-populist on economics, interested in the wellbeing of working folks and positive about Western European-style social protections for workers, but since Obama's gotten into office, Dobbs has gone hard anti-government right. Given that he's also touted birtherism, one has to suspect he's gone rabid with racial animosity toward Obama.

[skip fox]

16. Yes. I agree. Some people seem to "lose it" and not be able to get it back.

It's as though they lose the strings to their own lives and dance to the whims of a deranged puppet-master.

Nothing new, historically, it's just odd and distrubing to see. And with so many like this these days, it can only mean trouble.

(Unless a great leader can confront it, look it in the eye, etc.)

[UTUSN]

6. Neh. BecKKK is giving COVER to O'LOOFAH. BecKKK is so whacked he makes O'LOOFAH look "normal". n/t

[tularetom]

7. Whatever happens it'll be great for popcorn sales

It's heading for a blowup of some sort, probably by O'Reilly. Anybody who watches Glen Beck can figure out that the whole thing is an act with him, and he doesn't really believe any of the shit he puts out. He's found a way to get money out of the booger eaters and he's making the most of it. O'Reilly is a bit more of a true believer. He has convinced himself that he really was a poor kid that made good and that he is in fact looking out for middle class and poor Americans. He also probably has figured out that Beck is a huckster and he isn't going to be able to hold back forever.

There will be a meltdown soon. I hope maybe a physical altercation. It would make for great entertainment.

[skip fox]

10. I look at Beck and wonder. Sometimes I feel you're right.

Beck is a con-man, not believing any of it.

At other times (as when I see him merge his narrative with the country's . . . needing to 'hit bottom and sober up' from is spending spree, as he did with booze, for instance) and see the cold fire in his clammy eyes . . . I wonder.

Herzog has the figure Woyzeck, in the movie of that title, say: "Human beings are an abyss. You get dizzy when you look down."

[skip fox]

17. Beck is getting stranger. Tonight he was shooting down anything

and anyone (esp. John Bolton) which didn't fit his narrative.

You could see Bolton amazed that this airhead would confront him, the statescraft intellectual par excellence.

People are going to start blowing op on him or refusing to go on his show.

Can't wait to see O'Reilly in about 20 mins.

[skip fox]

18. Beck coming on O'Reilly soon (before 9 pm EDT).

We can watch.

I think he's already setting up Beck with a black attorney talking against the fringe and O'Reilly agrees.

[skip fox]

19. So far, a love fest.

n/t

[Kingofalldems]

20. I would bet that Beck wants that slot

These neocons are a treacherous lot.

[LatteLibertine]

21. Beck is definitely a con man

He says he's all about the constitution yet he supported the Patriot Act. He's helping the wealthy/ruling class divide us with racist rhetoric.

[MrScorpio]

22. Billo is only invested in his own ego

That's his driving force, his staff of life.

He may be a swaggering douche nozzle with an ego the size of the Grand Canyon, but he's not a psychotic ass whistle like Glenn Beck.

Since beck is getting all the attention these days, it's definitely a blow to O'Reilly's ratings and his overblown self-esteem.

There might be some jealousy perhaps?