Apropos of my post yesterday, we have, via Media Matters the following transcript excerpt from Bill O’Reilly’s 12/2/05 radio show:

I am not going to let oppressive, totalitarian, anti-Christian forces in this country diminish and denigrate the holiday and the celebration. I am not going to let it happen. I’m gonna use all the power that I have on radio and television to bring horror into the world of people who are trying to do that. And we have succeeded. You know we’ve succeeded. They are on the run in corporations, in the media, everywhere. They are on the run, because I will put their face and their name on television, and I will talk about them on the radio if they do it. There is no reason on this earth that all of us cannot celebrate a public holiday devoted to generosity, peace, and love together. There is no reason on the earth that we can’t do that. So we are going to do it. And anyone who tries to stop us from doing it is gonna face me.

First off, this snippet underscores one of the many reasons I can’t take O’Reilly: the sheer egomania here is palpable. Yes, he has a top-rated cable news show, and there is some power to be associated with that many eyeballs and ears. However, the people he thinks he has “on the run” probably pay him very little attention. Meanwhile, he pumps up his viewers and listeners with all this bravado. Plus, his “me versus the powerful” shtick wears on me in a general sense.

Second, and more importantly, is this really the way to promote the values of “generosity, peace, and love”–by threatening to “bring horror” to those who don’t see your point of view? All this kind of talk does is harden positions and creates even more animosity towards Christianity by those predisposed to oppose it in the first place. Trying to bully people isn’t a very good method for changing their minds.

Clearly, this is about attention and ratings–not about promoting “generosity, peace, and love.”