A war is going on in this country, a struggle between those who embrace American traditionalist values and secular progressives, according to Bill O’Reilly, host of Fox News Channel’s The O’Reilly Factor.
“I set up this war, a culture war,” O’Reilly told a sold-out audience at the Quick Center on Sunday afternoon while promoting his new book, “Culture Warrior,” out September 25.
O’Reilly argued that there are two types of people within America: traditionalists who view America as a noble country and secular progressives who wish to set up a nanny state that coddles its citizens “from the cradle to the grave.”
It is a fight that has been around for decades but has become increasingly important in light of current events.
“It rises to a new level with the war on terror, now it’s life and death,” said O’Reilly, adding that secular progressives are a threat to the war on terror.
“If they were in charge, the terror in this world would be astronomical,” he said.
O’Reilly said 60 percent of Americans are traditionalists, but the secular progressives have two powerful allies: the media and the American Civil Liberties Union, which have turned America into a country where God is an unspeakable word and Christmas is an unmentionable holiday.
O’Reilly said it is his job to bring the truth and ask the questions he feels no one else is asking. This is why he is prone to character attacks.
“Why do people hate me? It’s because when I go up against their best I usually shred them because my argument is based on the facts,” said O’Reilly.
Politics professor John Orman asked O’Reilly if he believes the war in Iraq was a mistake. O’Reilly said Orman was “starting out on a fallacious point” and finished by saying he “wasn’t through scolding [Orman] yet.”
O’Reilly added to Orman, “If you think removing Saddam Hussein was wrong, then you’re misguided.”
Much of the opening lecture for this year’s Open VISIONS Forum was focused on politics, yet O’Reilly also gave words of advice for students looking to enter the broadcast journalism field.
“You’ve got to learn how to write. I would read and travel as much as I possibly could,” he said. “The more you know, the better you do.”
Raised on Long Island, O’Reilly received a bachelor’s degree in history from Marist College as well as a master’s in broadcast journalism from Boston University. He also received a second master’s in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
He began his career in Scranton, Pa. working around the country until he returned to New York City in 1980 to report national news for CBS and ABC News.
O’Reilly came to the Fox News Channel in 1996, creating The O’Reilly Factor, which has been the highest rated news broadcast for over 200 weeks. O’Reilly also hosts The Radio Factor, a two-hour broadcast on more than 400 stations.
O’Reilly authored five non-fiction adult books, which have all reached the top of The New York Times bestseller list.
While O’Reilly is a notably controversial figure, Academic Vice President Orin Grossman said it’s his strong political ideals that make him perfect for the Open VISIONS Series.
“The Open VISIONS lecture series is intended to bring a wide range of political and cultural figures to the campus to enrich the dialogue and public debate here at Fairfield,” Grossman said. “I thought the event went very well. His lecture was presented effectively, faculty and students asked interesting questions and there was a real sense of dialogue in exploring some of the issues we face as a nation.”
Audience response to the O’Reilly forum was mixed.
“It was a pleasure to have not just an opinionated media commentator but an intelligent one,” said Southport resident Stuart Baldwin.
James Houlihan of Fairfield said, “I was more pleased with his personality than on TV, and I couldn’t help but agree with his position.”
His son, John Houlihan, added, “I thought he got his point across well; he was less strident than on his show.”
Students were in awe of his character.
“I’m alarmed at how much support he receives from Fairfield County,” said Tim Rich ’08.
Though Marc Hansel ’08 agrees with O’Reilly’s thoughts, he said, “I disagree with the way he addresses the public; he can be pompous and overbearing.”
What would O’Reilly say to that?
“If you want civil, watch PBS,” he said.
The Open Visions series will also feature award-winning author and essayist Joan Didion, Democrat Katrina Vandehuevel and Republican William Kristol and Judea Pearl.
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