Dear President Obama: How to Survive a Bill O’Reilly Interview

[a kennedy]

Really enjoyed this article:

Brian Lowry
TV Columnist
@blowryontv

Dear President Obama:

You might not realize this, but ever since it was announced that Bill O’Reilly would interview you again on Super Bowl Sunday, he’s been strategizing – sometimes on air – about how best to conduct the conversation.

And while I suspect you have handlers who are charged with preparing you for these bouts, most of them probably aren’t as familiar with the tale of the tape on an unpredictable foe like O’Reilly as I am.

For starters, while this might be just another interview for you, it’s a major event for Bill, especially since this might be his last crack at you during your presidency, and almost certainly his last exposure on this sort of vast stage for several years.

Moreover, O’Reilly will relive this moment by chewing over, analyzing and running clips for days to come. (Just to make sure the reviews are good, he’ll enlist sycophants like Bernard Goldberg and Dennis Miller to reassure him how great he was.)

O’Reilly not only does this sort of thing every day, but he takes pride in presenting himself as the kind of hard-nosed reporter and surrogate for “the folks” who won’t give you a pass, unlike all those mainstream news outlets. And because he does have a way of interrupting and saying unexpected things, he can easily put even a skilled communicator off his game.

So if you want to survive an O’Reilly interview without him laying a glove on you — from the president on down to an ordinary guest — here are some steps to follow:

Flatter him. (Key phrase: “I respect what you do.”) Like a lot of news talent, O’Reilly has a healthy ego. He’s just a bigger, more exaggerated version – Papa Bear, as Stephen Colbert puts it. Getting an “atta boy” from the President of the United States can’t help but turn his head a little, even if many of his viewers see you as a socialist who is secretly trying to destroy America.

Establish rank early. (Key phrase: “Please let me finish my thought.” Repeat if necessary.) OK, this one obviously doesn’t apply to everyone. O’Reilly does a nice job keeping guests off balance by interrupting them. You’ll have to remind him – a few times, probably – that you are the President of the United States, not some professor from a liberal-arts college he booked as a straw man to slap around.

http://variety.com/2014/voices/opinion/dear-president-obama-how-to-survive-a-bill-oreilly-interview-1201076804/

[Auntie Bush]

1. Sounds good/easy but you will be interrupted 3 or 4 times before you can say...

" You’ll have to remind him – a few times, probably – that you are the President of the United States, not some professor from a liberal-arts college he booked as a straw man to slap around." Good luck Mr. president...you'll need it!

[TlalocW]

2. First thing first, if the interview is being recorded for later broadcast

Yell, "Fuck it! We'll do it live!" in his face.

TlalocW

[sharp_stick]

3. I'd drop the name

Andrea Mackris a few times as well just for good measure before yelling "Fuck it, we'll do it live!".

[a kennedy]

4. Dear Bill O'Reilly: Please Interrupt Barack Obama.....another's take on this interview:

Back in 2011, Bill O'Reilly interviewed President Obama before the Super Bowl. After the interview was over, the thing most people seemed to be talking about was not anything Obama said, but rather the fact that O'Reilly kept interrupting him so much.

"Here Are All 48 Times Bill O'Reilly Interrupted President Obama On Sunday," one headline read.

Bill Maher even called O'Reilly "unpatriotic" and "disrespectful" for the way he talked to the president.

Now, O'Reilly is set to interview Obama again on Sunday, and you can bet people will be watching to see how he handles himself. I hope he goes after the president with everything he's got.

Treating politicians with skepticism and letting them know that you're not awed by them is a good thing, not a bad thing. O'Reilly is, admittedly, an extremely, extremely imperfect vessel for that principle, but, on Sunday, he's what we've got. So I'll be happy if he challenges Obama a lot.

Obama is not a child, and he is not a fool. He is a very capable and intelligent adult who can handle tough questions. More importantly, he is not a god. He deserves tough questions from the press corps. If journalists have a responsibility to be tough on everyone, no matter how powerful, than surely that responsibility is heightened when they're talking to the president of the United States. So when people talk about "respecting the office" or get mad at journalists for cutting the president off, I just roll my eyes.

Too often, though, the more powerful you are, the fewer tough questions you get--and vice versa.

I vividly remember watching an episode of "Today" in 2011, and seeing David Gregory aggressively questioning a boat captain involved in the death of actress Natalie Wood. Gregory interrupted him repeatedly; his hostility towards the man was evident from the outset. There was none of the chumminess that all the Sunday hosts tend to display towards their political guests -- none of that air of complicity that telegraphs to viewers that, whatever the questions, everyone's in the same club.

The entire thing struck me as quite distasteful. Where was all of that contempt when people of real influence and importance were the guests?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-mirkinson/bill-oreilly-interrupt-obama_b_4697532.html?utm_hp_ref=media

[randome]

5. Two steps to ensure a smooth interview.

Step One: five minutes before the interview starts, kick O'Reilly in the balls.


Step Two:
In the middle of the interview, no matter what the conversation, stand up and yell, "Figaro!"


Done and done.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]