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And his incessant, annoying self-promotion has coincided with the shifting approach, which has lead me to my conclusions about his reasons for doing so.

Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, Laura Schlessinger....all are self-promoters. They talk about their books, their appearances, just like O'Reilly.

You don't like O'Reilly. Fine. Don't watch him.

If you watch him, then he could care less what you think of him.

"If you watch him, he could care less what you think of him."

I think you just made my point. Guys like Limbaugh, Hannity, and Savage do care what the listener thinks. They have a firm idea about right/wrong, and where this country is going and where it should be going. It matters to them, and they don't compromise their positions on issues just to be more popular, to pursue ratings increases, or to give the impression that they are "fair" and "above it all", "non-partisan", etc. They tell it straight. Being fair and balanced doesn't mean you agree with the left and the right on a 50-50 basis. It means you tell the truth on a 100% basis. Limbaugh, Hannity and Savage pursue the truth. O'Reilly now pursues ratings, popular acceptance, and merchandise sales. He's no different from a politician who gets into office saying one thing, and then sells out the constituency that put him there once he gets in.