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.
Friday, January 2, 2015
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Eric Bolling hosts Friday's Factor
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Is America More Racially Divided Today Than 2008?
Eric began Friday's show by welcoming black conservative Deneen Borelli and white liberal Simon Rosenberg, who examined the state of race relations in the USA. Rosenberg defended President Obama's claim that race relations have improved during his tenure. "I'm going to agree with the president on that," he declared. "The U.S. is going from being an overwhelming white country to one that will be majority-minority by the time my kids are my age. There are going to be bumps in the road on this transition, but on balance our first minority president has done a pretty good job." In contrast, Borelli argued that race relations have deteriorated and that President Obama is partly to blame. "When you look at Ferguson, President Obama inserted himself into that and he is part of the problem. There is also Al Sharpton, a race-baiter who has the ear of top officials in the White House, which is absolutely outrageous. We have a president who is pushing the narrative that racism is rampant, which is just not true. That is adding to social unrest."
Police Officers Assassinated
It has been two weeks since two New York City cops were gunned down after demonstrators spewed anti-police rhetoric. Eric discussed the ongoing protests with political science professor Jeanne Zaino and Republican strategist Mercedes Schlapp. "New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has made some missteps," Zaino conceded, "but to blame him for what is going on here is utterly wrong. We should blame the terrible person who committed those murders. There is a divide between black and white and Mayor de Blasio has acknowledged that." But Schlapp denounced Mayor de Blasio for not supporting his police department. "Bill de Blasio has a history of anti-cop rhetoric, then he showed sympathy towards these protesters. This is not a man who has been able to bring together this community and I don't know how he can govern if he doesn't have the trust and respect of the police department. There is a vacuum of leadership." Eric agreed, saying, "Mayor de Blasio had the opportunity to tone down the rhetoric but he ratcheted it up."
Looking Toward 2016
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has strongly hinted that he will run for the White House next year. Political strategists Mark Hannah and Lisa Boothe examined the younger Bush's prospective candidacy. "There's good and bad with Jeb Bush," the Republican Boothe said. "He definitely has the experience to be president, but conservatives have some real cause for concern with his stances on Common Core and immigration. His ability to explain those issues to primary voters will make or break his candidacy." Hannah, a Democrat, added that Bush is a skilled fund raiser. "I have a lot of friends in the conservative movement and they are all putting their money on Jeb Bush, and you need to be able to bring in big money to win the nomination. This is going to be a royal rumble on the Republican side, but right now I'd say Jeb Bush will win the nomination and then lose the general election to Hillary Clinton."
American's Biggest Problems
According to a new Gallup poll, Americans see government incompetence as the biggest problem facing the country today. "Lack of leadership is the biggest problem we're facing," agreed Republican strategist Adam Goodman, "because it breeds a loss of confidence. Belief in the presidency is at an all-time low, and the biggest headline of the president's tenure has been 'lie of the year,' referring to his misstatements on ObamaCare. That gets people shaken up and they start to lose confidence across the board." Political strategist Nomiki Konst reported that Americans have lost trust in government across the board. "It's not just the president, it's also Congress. Everybody is looking to get the quick approval of the public and no one wants to tell the truth anymore. No one is passing legislation, no one is working with one another, all they're doing is going back to their districts to raise money." Elaborating on the Gallup survey, Eric reported that many Americans are also concerned about jobs and the economy, but not especially troubled by terrorism, race relations, or income inequality.
Immigration in America
A Houston TV station reports that many thousands of illegal immigrant children, rather than show up for scheduled court hearings, have simply vanished. Eric examined the issue with Democratic strategist Jessica Ehrlich. "This is a tragedy," she began, "and it's because of a bill that originally passed under George W. Bush that allowed these children in. Homeland Security and the welfare departments don't have enough resources to process these children and we are now in a situation that is untenable. We have these kids and families that we can't track, we don't know where they are. These children are in distress and they need our help." Dan Stein, head of an organization that opposes illegal immigration, placed the blame squarely on President Obama. "The president has established policies that say to an illegal alien, 'We're not interested in deporting you.' The unaccompanied minors and the families all understand that they'll never have to show up for their hearings, they just have to wait until Obama enacts another illegal and unconstitutional amnesty. He owns this train wreck because he has systematically undermined and sabotaged immigration controls and limitations. This will cost trillions of dollars in the coming decades."
Driver's Licenses to Non-Citizens
On the subject of immigration, California has become the 10th state to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Immigration advocate Enrique Morones explained why, in his opinion, California is doing the right thing. "There's no such thing as an 'illegal' human being," he stated. "These are undocumented people who are driving to work and dropping their kids at school. Now they'll have an opportunity to apply for a license after they take the test and get insurance. I want to know that the guy driving next to me has taken the driving test." Tea Party activist Mark Meckler laid out the other side of the argument. "It's a privilege to drive and that privilege requires an underlying citizenship. If you can't follow the basic laws then I don't think you should get the privilege to have a driver's license. This is a wave of undocumented immigrants like nothing we have seen before in American history." Eric concluded with a rhetorical question, asking, "Shouldn't they become legal citizens before they have the privilege to drive?"