Limbaugh vs. O'Reilly

Rush Limbaugh: There are no pretenses about neutrality with Rush Limbaugh. He espouses the Conservative Viewpoint, not party affiliation. Although the Republican Party is the largest of the national political parties with a conservative bent, Rush does not hesitate to passionately decry any departure from Conservatism. Reminiscent of William Buckley's articulate style of deductive reasoning, Rush drives home his point(s) using logical reasoning. He reinforces his point(s) with demonstrably accurate research.

Optimistic: Rush is never dour. His optimism and well-articulated views acts as both foil and shield for his listeners to use against the endless stream of pessimism from the left. The listening audience feeds off of Rush's optimism and humor.

Not a Crusader: Crusades are not for Rush. He believes that empowerment of the people with reason and knowledge will accomplish more than emotional tirades. Emotionalism is the tool of the left that brings together unreasoned mobs to demonstrate for causes about which they have little real understanding. Rush realizes that demonstrations are fodder for the "drive-by media" (A Rush Limbaugh coined phrase.) to exploit.

Uses Reason: Rush has painted a bull's-eye on the intellect of the American people. His decision to inform by reason rather than incite with clichés and unfounded declarations is what endears him to the millions that tune in everyday to listen.

Braggadocio: Although I find his name-dropping and bragging a bit boring, the substance of his shows overcomes these negatives. The perception of his being a person needing the center stage to brag about his acquaintances or that exclusive golf outing may be just his way of saying "I have arrived". I am certainly no psychoanalyst, but these excursions of braggadocio are so minor that overlooking them comes easy. If I were in the same position as Rush, I'm sure I would want to crow about it.

Bill O'Reilly: Bill O'Reilly is an independent commentator, adroit at fence straddling for feigning neutrality. He is a crusader for populist ideas with a real knack at ferreting out those occurrences that support his crusade du jour.

Pot Stirrer: O'Reilly puts the spotlight on the outrageous events of our society. He is the consummate pot stirrer. His research staff occasionally leaves him out on a limb without any depth of understanding about the subject he is debating. At times, he is brilliant in the one-on-ones with guest, and at other times, clearly demonstrates a lack of preparation for such encounters.

Still a Fan: That being said, I do not want to give the impression that I am not a fan of O'Reilly. Bill takes up many subjects that need airing. And for this, I give kudos to O'Reilly. Where we part company and profoundly disagree with Bill is with his declarations. Declarations based on nothing more than Bill's interpretation of "what-ought-to-be" and assume that whatever Bill O'Reilly thinks is the end of the discussion. Often his declarations are emotional and derived in part on Bill's feel for what his audience wants to hear. Bill does not make his declarations in a vacuum. He gets a lot of feedback and knows what works and what does not. This feedback gives Bill insight as to the thinking of his audience and he often shapes his delivery to play to his listeners.

Flying High: Bill O'Reilly does not have the same talent for articulating an issue when compared to a Rush Limbaugh. It is far easier to make declarations than to justify them. Bill's ratings and stature are high at Fox News. It is my belief that O'Reilly has let his importance inflate his ego. Some of the pronouncements made by Bill assume that he believes he has power beyond being a commentator. But who knows, maybe the fires he lights will actually result in helping our society.