Bill O'Reilly Says He'd Consider Presidential Run

NewsMax ^ | 11/13/03 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

"I may take a look, certainly the option is open if I want it," the Fox News star told Long Island's liberal Newsday. "But what I want to do over the next few years here is clean up the process. We have the bad guys on the run - no question about that."

But all that's way off in the future, he said, noting that, "the country's not interested in an independent candidacy. Maybe in 10 years they will be, but right now, you have 50 percent of Americans who don't know anything - they're totally disengaged from the process, the 'Mall People.' They don't know anything, don't watch the news or listen to radio or read the newspapers. The other 50 percent - and there was a recent poll on this - are a third crazy left and a third crazy right and third in the middle. So the pie you're going for is a very narrow pie."

Though O'Reilly's many liberal critics say he is one of the most outspoken voices of the "crazy right," O'Reilly steadfastly declines to identify himself as a conservative.

It's possible, he told Newsday, that he "could mobilize a certain number of independent thinkers who think, 'This guy could be a ... Teddy Roosevelt kind of guy, who could come in and clean up the garbage...'"

But, O'Reilly quickly adds "I'm not a vanity player, I'm not gonna go out like Al Sharpton, to get on 'Saturday Night Live' to run for president, so unless I'm convinced I could pull it off, I wouldn't do it."

In the immediate future, O'Reilly has been urged to take on Sen. Hillary Clinton when she comes up for re-election in 2006.

O'Reilly has shots down that speculation by predicting that it would be a lost cause. "I'd lose.... It'd be a fun race [and] I'd drive her crazy, but she would ultimately win," he said. Besides, adds Newsday, he has no interest in the Senate: "I'm not a quid pro guy" who'd have to play at pork-barrel politics to bring "goodies" back to the state.

Fueling talk that O'Reilly may have political ambitions is O'Reilly's lastest new book "Who's Looking Out for You?" which Newsday calls "(at times) a political reformist's manifesto."

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[Sabretooth]

Oh ya, thats a good idea.

Mr. Anti-big government who wants the govt. to solve all of our problems. I wish he would make up his mind.

I quit watching O'Reilly a long long time ago.

[cricket]

Can only say. . .Pullllleeeeze! He must be kidding, or. . .drunk on his book sales; or something. . .

Would suggest that he remember 'Murphy's Law' or somesuch; but he probably would rewrite them.

That said, I like him. . .and he means well.

[gdani]

O'Reilly steadfastly declines to identify himself as a conservative.

With good reason.

[Zavien Doombringer]

O'Reilly steadfastly declines to identify himself as a conservative.

This one of the reasons I don't think he could make it.

The no-spin zone...yeah right. Listen when he talks about abortion!

[Constitution Day]

He is a populist blowhard. Not a conservative.

[exile]

O'Reilly has a good show, but come on. He's in love with himself.

[cars for sale]

I would trust him and his in my house for a month
but not my vote.

[SBprone]

I don't know what it is about this guy, but every time I've tried to listen to him I have to switch the station after about 10 seconds. My BS detector gets tripped big time when he talks.

[Zavien Doombringer]

He is swayed by the popular opinion. He is an entertainer not presidential material.

[kellynla]

O'Reilly has a pretty good program on FOX but I doubt if he is POUS material...hey, Bill ya might want to try running for Mayor of NYC and then governor of NY just to get your feet wet...these talking heads sure have illusions of grandeur... I hear there's an opportunity in NYC for a real conservative mayor...since Bloomberg's liberal slip is showing...

[isthisnickcool]

OK. I might as well run too. But I'm not announcing that here! OK. This is not a formal announcement! So don't get excited. No calls, no media please. Just a trial balloon.

[Constitution Day]

Yeah, don't get me wrong, I do agree with him SOME of the time.
I think he's probably a well-meaning guy, too.

but, Presidential material? Puhleeze.

[Constitution Day]

Precisely.

[cars for sale]

simply, ditto.

[Zavien Doombringer]

How've you been CD? Haven't heard from you in a while :)

[Scenic Sounds]

I think he should go for it. What's he got to lose?

[Sloth]

O'Reilly is a loud-mouthed jerk, and nothing more.

[brewcrew]

God help us all.

[Petronski]

He could put Jerry Springer on the ticket as veep.