Monday, February 8, 2016
On The O'Reilly Factor...
Segment Summaries
All content taken from The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News Channel. Each weeknight by 6 PM EST a preview of that evening's show will be posted and then updated with additional information the following weekday by noon EST.
Talking Points Memo & Top Story
How the Media is Covering the Presidential Race
"Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders actually have a lot in common. They are running renegade campaigns and calling for a complete overhaul of the political establishment. Yet they are being treated very differently by the press. It's safe to say most of the establishment media despises Mr. Trump. His populist approach, straight talk about stopping illegal immigration, and punishing those he believes are harming America are unsettling to many liberal people. Thus, when Trump is interviewed, there is usually a question designed to put him on the defensive. On the Bernie Sanders front, things are friendlier. He is rarely attacked by the press even though some of his proposals are so far out they would be impossible to achieve. The back and forth between Sanders and Hillary Clinton does get some coverage, but because Sanders often gets the upper hand it is played down. It was almost stunning that a moderator who works for NBC News actually hugged Sanders and Clinton after the Democratic debate last week. Can you imagine if Megyn Kelly had hugged the Republican contenders? The media would have run wild. And by the way, Megyn's questions to the Republicans were a thousand times tougher than those at the NBC-run Democrat debate. Finally, we established that CNN's reportage of Ben Carson's Iowa situation last week hurt Dr. Carson. We also told you that the Cruz campaign took advantage of the misinformation and that might have skewed the results. The liberal media did not come down on CNN, yet ripped Senator Cruz. Does that sound fair? Summing up, all Republicans should understand they will not get a fair shake in the presidential election of 2016."

The Factor invited Charles Krauthammer to evaluate the Talking Points. "I think you actually have gotten it right," Dr. K reluctantly conceded, "although you did leave one thing out. When the media question Democrats in the debates they never bring up their extremism on abortion. They're always asking Republicans about the rape and incest exception, but do you ever hear a Democrat being asked about the fact that Hillary essentially supports abortion until the second an infant is born? Generally speaking, the media have been left-wing and biased, but that's been true since the earth cooled." But The Factor insisted that the media corruption has grown worse, saying, "It's more than just bias now, it's active rooting."
Impact Segment
New Hampshire Update
Political analysts Adrianna Cohen and Jack Heath looked ahead to Tuesday's New Hampshire primary and the crowded Republican field. "Donald Trump has the most momentum right now," Cohen declared. "He is still dominating by double digits in most polls and many people I speak with are very excited about a Donald Trump presidency. John Kasich has a real shot at coming in second and Marco Rubio is still doing well." Heath agreed that Trump remains the prohibitive favorite. "I think he has genuine momentum but I would still keep an eye on Marco Rubio. And surprisingly, Jeb Bush and John Kasich are moving. I would also keep an eye on Carly Fiorina, who may finish ahead of Chris Christie."
Factor Followup
GOP Debate Winners and Losers
Juan Williams and Mary Katharine Ham summarized Saturday night's Republican debate in New Hampshire. Ham, who helped ABC interrogate the candidates, explained why she asked Donald Trump about ObamaCare. "Trump doesn't have a consistent ideology," she said, "and he says wildly different things. Sometimes he says the government is going to pay for it and everyone will be covered, which sounds a lot like universal health care. At other times he talks about free market reforms and he also talks about price-fixing with Medicare and prescription drug costs. His answer was still not totally clear to me." Williams contended that Marco Rubio incurred some real damage Saturday. "The news out of the debate was Rubio giving canned answers. Chris Christie hit him hard for being robotic and then the newspapers here in New England ridiculed him." The Factor pointed out, "They all say the same thing over and over."
Unresolved Problems
Sexist Super Bowl Ads?
Some self-proclaimed women's rights groups denounced a few Super Bowl commercials as "sexist." The Factor examined that accusation with Fox Business anchors Gerri Willis and Melissa Francis. One objectionable ad was the Doritos spot that showed a sonogram and a fetus. "This is not anti woman," Willis said, "it's anti-fella. The dad is the real schlub who is standing there eating Doritos." Francis turned to the Hyundai ad in which an overprotective dad follows his daughter on a date. "I thought this commercial was instructional because I have a daughter and two sons. I am marking this down as what my husband should be doing in the future. I know people involved in the women's movement and they are not all this insane."
Back of the Book
Hume on New Hampshire Primary
Fox News political analyst Brit Hume gave his election-eve take on the New Hampshire primary. "I think the only suspense is who will emerge as the alternative to Trump," he theorized. "Rubio, Bush, Kasich, and Cruz all seem to have a shot at that, and the polling has been all over the place. It does look like Rubio was damaged by the debate and it looks like Jeb Bush is rising. Also, it may be that Chris Christie's pugnacious manner is not helping him because people who want a pugnacious manner have gone to Donald Trump. On the other side, I can't find anyone who doesn't think Bernie Sanders will win." The Factor added that Jeb Bush, while currently rising in the polls, faces a nearly impossible uphill climb: "Bush has gotten better in the debates, but it's the wrong time in history for him."
Watters' World
PC Trouble in Oregon
Some students at the University of Oregon are objecting to a plaque inscribed with Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech because it deals with race but not gender. Jesse Watters paid visited to the school and confronted the madness. Here's what a few students told him: "I definitely think gender identity issues are important, but I don't think we need to remove a quote" ... "They should add an empowering feminist rights quote" ... "To remove it would be rude to African Americans, especially because we are still fighting that battle today." Jesse didn't make many friends when he suggested that, to even things up, the school could even things up by putting a quotation from Caitlyn Jenner next to the one from Martin Luther King, Jr.
Factor Mail
Viewers Sound Off
David Ross, Elma, NY: "O'Reilly, good interview with Trump on Friday. He didn't seem to understand debt reduction. And that should be a headline in the race."

David Murabito, Cape Haze, FL: "Trump was trying to explain that a growing economy and better paying jobs generate more tax revenue so the government can pay down the debt. Don't feel bad that you're a simple man."

John Wright, Yoakum, TX: "Chris Christie is proposing that anyone with an income of $200,000 will be denied Social Security payments. Why didn't you educate the governor by saying SS is not their money?"

Gina Alvarez, Escondido, CA: "Bill, that was pretty audacious of Christie to propose changing Social Security. Thanks for getting info to us about what these would-be presidents would do."
Tip of the Day
Work Hard, Reap Rewards
Congratulations to the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning, as well as defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. The Broncos proved once again that hard work pays off.