The O'Reilly Factor
A daily summary of segments aired on The O'Reilly Factor. A preview of the evening's rundown is posted before the show airs each weeknight.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
The Factor Rundown
Talking Points Memo
Impact Segment
Impact Segment
Factor Followup
Miller Time
What the Heck Just Happened?
Factor Mail
Tip of the Day
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Comments
Victory for Cruz & Sanders
"Both Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders have new momentum after winning by wide margins in Wisconsin. The media is running wild with speculation about what the vote really means, but let's calm down. Bernie Sanders will not defeat Hillary Clinton for the presidential nomination. Wisconsin is a largely white state and minority voters are breaking big for Mrs. Clinton, who will win the New York primary with room to spare. On the Republican side, Donald Trump remains the frontrunner and will also do well in New York. But after losing in Wisconsin, Mr. Trump issued a statement calling Ted Cruz names. Not presidential, not a smart move. We were hoping Donald Trump would appear on The Factor this evening. We negotiated with his team for days, but he declined. Apparently there is angst because Charles Krauthammer in particular sometimes hammers the candidate on The Factor. But each time Charles addresses Mr. Trump, I put on someone like Newt Gingrich, who has been kind to Trump. We have been very fair to Donald Trump, but that does not mean we will not critique him or cancel guests who have a dim view of him. The more tough questions Mr. Trump faces directly, the more voters may be persuaded to back him. His current level of support is not enough to secure the White House. On the other side, we are also awaiting Bernie Sanders entering the No Spin Zone. He used to chat with us all the time before he became famous. Last night I watched the senator's victory speech. He basically gives the same speech every time, listing a litany of imperfections that working-class folks face. Sanders is tapping into the same anger as Trump, only from a different place. He promises to make life better for working people by slapping around corporations and rich Americans. He promises an endless series of entitlements, most of which would be free for those not making much money. The problem is Bernie Sanders does not have solutions to vexing problems that are far more important than giveaways. Islamic terrorism? Bernie says Sunni Muslims should take care of it. Putin? Bernie has nothing. Iran? Nothing. Illegal immigration? Looks like Bernie supports the open border policy espoused by many on the far left. Crime? Bernie laments that so many criminals are in prison even though violent crime in the USA has dramatically fallen since tough felony sentencing was put into place. A national debt of $20 trillion? Bernie has no problem adding to it. On the plus side, Senator Sanders is perhaps the most sincere politician in the race. He walks the walk, although the walk leads nowhere as serious problems mount. Finally, a bold prediction: Ted Cruz will offer John Kasich the vice president slot before the Republican convention begins. It's a delegate and Ohio play."
Reaction to Talking Points
The Factor invited reaction from Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens. "Trump's campaign is damaged," Stephens averred, "but not broken. He will be very strong in New York and, even after two very bad weeks for him, he still manages to get 35% of the Republican electorate. But something like 65% of the Republican electorate doesn't want him." Turning to the Democrats, Stephens looked ahead to a possible surprise in New York, where Hillary Clinton is heavily favored. "Bernie Sanders defied expectations in Wisconsin, New York is his home state, and Hillary Clinton has been weaker in all states outside of the South." The Factor reminded Stephens that Hillary Clinton has some major advantages in New York: "Just like Trump's 'angry' white guys are loyal to him, African Americans are loyal to her. I think Hillary Clinton will win by 15 points in New York."
How is Hillary Handling Defeat?
Fox News correspondent Ed Henry reported on the mood in the Clinton campaign now that the Democratic favorite has lost seven of the last eight primaries and caucuses. "This was the first primary night where she did not give a speech," Henry said, "although she sent out a tweet congratulating Sanders. She knows she has work to do in New York and in Pennsylvania, two states with more than 200 delegates each. We've seen a pattern in a lot of battleground states where Hillary Clinton has a double-digit lead, then a single-digit lead, and then Bernie Sanders closes. There are real problems and danger signs, but right now she is still in command." The Factor predicted, "Unless there is an indictment, Hillary Clinton will waltz into the convention with the nomination."
Undercover Sting Targeting Pro-Life Activist?
California law enforcement officials raided the home of the anti-abortion activist who surreptitiously taped conversations showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of fetal body parts. Monica Crowley and Eboni Williams elaborated on the story. "Eleven agents went into the home," Williams said, "to confiscated hard drives and other information. They were looking for very low-level stuff, so this seemed very aggressive." Crowley was incensed by the raid and its possible political motivations. "These eleven agents rifled through all his material and confiscated his laptop and flash drives. This was a harassment move on the part of California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is running for Senate in a very liberal state."
Miller Takes Bill to the Woodshed
Dennis Miller, not usually a travel critic, took issue with The Factor for vacationing in Cuba. "I won't go to Cuba until the Castro brothers die," he declared, " and I think they're bad guys. I heard you had a bad hotel experience down there, you should have stayed over in the prison quarters at Gitmo, which is the last nice place on the island." Miller also weighed in on the Wisconsin primaries. "It was another big night for John Kasich, who is the poster boy for the 'triumphant loser.' If he hadn't won Ohio, he'd probably be president by now, using the inverse prism that he uses. And Hillary supporters must deaden their sympathetic nervous systems to not blush when that crap is being shoveled."
The Boys Take On Trump
Greg Gutfeld tried to rationalize his incessant criticism of Donald Trump. "Criticism is the engine of truth," he stated, "and yes-men and sycophants are the worst things that can happen to someone. Trump is like a rope bridge in a hurricane, people are afraid to cross him. And he is less popular among women than leaving the seat up!" But Bernard McGuirk expressed unbridled enthusiasm for Trump. "There is a lot of animosity towards Mr. Trump, but I love the guy. I love his attitude and his smash-mouth politically incorrect approach to his opponents and our enemies. In the general election, he will take this pugnacious attitude to Hillary Clinton."
Viewers Sound Off
Factor Words of the Day
Orlando Ortega, Fullerton, CA: "Bill O'Reilly's report on his trip to Cuba is the first time in 55 years that I heard a report that tells it like it is."

Dinorah Ortiz, Miami, FL: "I am from Cuba, and most Americans have no idea what the socialist regime is all about. The Factor reaches many millions, and now the true message will get out."

Wolf Anderson, Chicago, IL: "O'Reilly, you say Bernie Sanders is misguided because socialism has never worked and cite Cuba as an example. But this is not the type of government that Sanders espouses, and I think you know that."
Polls Apart
Many political pollsters were way off this week, but none was worse that the American Research Group, which actually predicted Trump and Clinton victories in Wisconsin. Be skeptical of political polling, even though some outfits are much better than others.