Clinton and O’Reilly: Unexpectedly Worthwhile

Posted on May 1, 2008 by Gary Hornseth

I’ll admit it. I tuned in for what seemed to be the vast entertainment potential.

But then Sen. Clinton and Bill O’Reilly, the spoilsports, turned in one of the more substantive and useful exchanges of the campaign last night, in my view. A relatively freewheeling, candid, semi-wonky back-and-forth (witness their Percentage-Off on federal income tax rates, of all things). It reflected well on both sides, Clinton’s in particular. She was at ease, agile, in command of her positioning, and, well, charming. 

Sure. O’Reilly’s a showman, a provocateur, yes, and that was in evidence. Clinton’s responses had their usual share of wearisome, talking point recitation. And maybe the Senator is starting to show the resigned candor that politicians tend to adopt when they start to realize it’s probably not going to happen for them.

But contrast what O’Reilly’s style elicited versus the grave, weighty sobriety of the 50 zillion proper debates we’ve seen. Regardless of what one thinks of Clinton’s positions, this interview served as a better channel to understanding several of them than most. I felt I got a better sense of what a Hillary Clinton presidency might look like last night than in all of the debates combined.

May wonders never cease.

– Hornseth

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One Response to “Clinton and O’Reilly: Unexpectedly Worthwhile”

  1. H Dean, on May 2nd, 2008 at 7:02 am Said:

    The nation’s top Democrats are suddenly rushing to appear on the Fox News Channel, which they once had shunned as enemy territory as the nemesis of liberal bloggers.

    The detente with Fox has provoked a backlash from progressive bloggers, who contend the party’s leaders are turning their backs on the base — and lending credibility and legitimacy to the network liberals love to hate — in a quest for a few swing votes.

    In a span of eight days, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY.) and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean are all taking their seats with the network that calls itself “fair and balanced” but is widely viewed as skewing conservative.

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