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Bill O'Reilly v. Barack Obama
Obama appeared on the O'Reilly show last Thursday during the last night of the RNC convention. It was just a short appearance and only a portion of a longer interview that O'Reilly planned to air this week. I missed this week's segments until arodb's analysis of the interview brought it back to my attention.
After watching the video clips in sequence, it must be said that Obama did well. Based on his comments introducing each segment and a wrap-up interview that he did with Shepard Smith, O'Reilly seems to have been impressed with Obama. Arodb put it this way:
Although the interview took place over one half hour period, its being spread over a period of six days gives an illusion of a developing .....friendship, is the only word that comes to mind. [...]
Obama went toe to toe with O'Reilly. When he saw a mis-perception he pointed it out and O'Reilly listened. "No, you are wrong when you say I oppose nuclear power." "No, it's not true that I will raise taxes." and, "I have acknowledged that the surge has lessened violence." [...]
Let me confess something here. I am not one of the greatest fans of Obama on this site. ... However, watching how he interacted with O'Reilly impressed me greatly. Of course he had his facts down cold, but any policy wonk can do that. What he was able to do was interact with someone who had a different political ideology with firmness that never even approached hostility. His skills were enough to interface with the man, so that he never really felt he had to demonstrate his toughness. It was self evident.
At the end there was a little impromptu tease that O'Reilly initiated, asking, "on a game of one on one basketball, what will you spot me?" Barack, lawyer that he is, made sure the terms were clear asking, "How many points?" When they agreed they would play to eleven, Obama thought for a second and seriously said, "I'll spot you ten."
It was a mock put down that was as skillful as any basketball play or negotiation with a world leader. They connected "man to man, which is close to "boy to boy." I had a strong sense that both of them had enjoyed the interaction, the bantering; and had gained some mutual respect.
I don't know whether there were any in The Factor audience whose votes were changed, but I'd be surprised if there weren't quite a few. For me, it was a demonstration of the type of personal skills that got him elected to the Presidency of the Harvard Law Review. It's a rare combination of personality and intellect, which is the ultimate quality needed in a President of the United States.
Another blogger put up a post with all of the video clips and a narrative of what's covered in each of the clips if you're interested in seeing it for yourself.
Obama's appearance on O'Reilly's show did illustrate his personal skills, his knowledge, and his ability to connect. It would be interesting to find out how O'Reilly's viewers perceived the interview series. It was a wise move from a campaign perspective in that it allowed Obama to demonstrate his abilities in front of an audience that would not otherwise seek him out. It will be interesting to see if his rapprochement with Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes lead to any other appearances on Fox News or other News Corporation entities.
