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."

Editor's Note: Get Bill O'Reilly's new book at a great price - Click Here. Also check out our FREE offer - Click Here.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Crazy right?

I'll accept the crazy.

When does Larouche get out of prison?
They'd make a good team.

[Killborn]

"No passport required, no Rush bashing allowed."

Joe rocks. He's a great man and if he is POTUS, he will curb big fat Guvment rapidly.

[blaze]

The first one, who is willing to put troops on the borders, and deport illegals, has my vote. I wouldn't care what party he or she comes from. I think the odds of him being a liberal are pretty slim.

[crv16]

I'd love to see him in a presidential debate :)

[petercooper]

he'd lose

[Conspiracy Guy]

Bill is too full of Bill for my liking. I call it the, "Me Show". He takes credit for too manny things he didn't do.

[itsahoot]

'Reilly steadfastly declines to identify himself as a conservative.

And he is exactly right, he has more Luny Left positions, than he does right wing issuies

[johnb838]

He's not as bad as Chrissie. I can't watch Chrissie. I still like to watch O'Reilly, though I disagree with him a lot and understand he's not a conservative. President? Ha!

[auboy]

You are correct. Bill has gotten better about letting people respond, and not talking over them. Chris will never stop his talking over… nor his machine-gun, 90 mph speech pattern. He should teach Speed Talking.:-)

I know their shows have time restraints, and that sometimes some folks need cutting off. OTOH, if you ask a question, you should allow a reasonable time for a response. If you're not going to allow a response, why ask the question - why schedule the guest?

[zip]

ping

[oldcomputerguy]

He is simply not smart enough to be President.

[Protagoras]

This has to be the yawner of the day. (on a very slow day)

[johnb838]

I've been impressed lately a few times with him telling someone firmly and clearly that he thinks they are dangerously wrong yet letting that person tell their story. Like on the Ludacris thing.

[nutmeg]

FoxFan ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my FoxFan list. *Warning: This can be a high-volume ping list at times.

[Hildy]

I guess he thinks that if he's President he'd sell more coffee mugs.

[nutmeg]

He's a great guy but I want Joe Scarborough for Pres.

I agree. By the way, Scarborough Country is the only reason to watch MSNBC.

I agree with both of your statements! Scarborough Country is fast becoming one of our favorite shows. The heck with Greta on Fox News (in the same time slot), sitting in front of that Modesto courthouse night after night, like some kind of ghoulish carnival barker... "Step right up, folks! We've got all the latest news on the Laci Peterson trial coming up - On The Record!" Yeesh...

[bjcintennessee]

In Wednesday night's talking points O'Reilly made the statement that the Bush administration sold the country a quick war based on imminent threat.

Because I tape his shows and don't watch 'til the next day, I doubt my e-mail to him will be acknowledged due to the time lapse. But I pointed out that he was wrong, and that he needed to quit getting his talking points from the democrats' talking points. I then gave him the exact quote from President Bush's state of the union address from 1-28-03.

He keeps hammering Bush on the WMD's and now this. He has become so determined not to be labeled a conservative, that he is often the Democrats best Bush-basher.

If he continues in this direction, he will loose the audience that made him famous -- myself included.

[RottiBiz]

He has become so determined not to be labeled a conservative, that he is often the Democrats best Bush-basher.

My sentiments exactly!

It also irritates me that he doesn't prepare adequately for his shows and very often has his facts wrong. He has way too many irons in the fire.

I'll never forget the segment where he had a "pro-choice" (it was obvious that he he thought that term meant anti-abortion) woman and a "pro-abortion" woman discussing "both sides" of the issue. It was ludicrous.

[freeangel]

Bill can be fun at times, sort of like an amusement park ride and some of his musings have a kernel of brilliance. However, one must appeal to a great deal of people to be elected anything, and I'm afraid that wouldn't be in the cards for him. This must have been one of those delusional moments to which he is prone.

[LTCJ]

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

Well, what a coincidence; I decline to identify him as a conservative, too

Another moderate president?
< Franco Knight Accent > No thanks, we already got one, you see. < /FKA >