If you are not a devoted blogaholic you may not even know that Bill O'Reilly is facing criticism for having lied about his journalistic combat experience. His lies rivaled if not surpassed Brian Williams wildest fantasies, claiming, for instance, that while covering the Falklands War hundreds of miles away from the Falklands someone pointed an M16 at his head. . And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Needless to say, none of it is true. It isn't even truthy.
But the world is different for Fox news types, or, I should say, for right wingers generally. Right wing politicians are all deeply religious, which, for some reason, means they can keep their offices after getting caught with their pants down and diapers on with prostitutes, while Democrats like Eliot Spitzer have no choice but to resign. The mainstream media hasn't totally ignored the story, but if it's been in the Times, for instance, it hasn't exactly commanded the space they devoted to Brian Williams.
But, who knows, had Brian Williams followed the O'Reilly playbook, he might not be sitting out a suspension. There are only two rules. First, never admit that you lied, regardless of the evidence. Simply repeat over and over that everything you said was true. A corollary to this is to avoid talking to anyone who will actually follow up and confront you with the facts. Second, attack your attackers. Now, this playbook is a little easier to follow if your audience consists of Fox viewers, who are more than ready to believe that they are being victimized by the same forces of liberalism that O'Reilly is attacking. But it is an effective strategy even when you don't have the benefit of a brain dead base. Williams should have at least tried it.
So you heard it here first, or maybe first. O'Reilly will sail through this. And if he doesn't then I never said he would and anyone who says different is a right wing ideologue bent on destroying all that is good in the world.
Post a Comment