O'Reilly on "Creating Political Fear in America"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Creating Political Fear in America

Thursday, February 25, 2010

By Bill O'Reilly

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587416,00.html

Earlier this week, we had a lively discussion about whether or not President Obama is a socialist. You may remember radio guy Rush Limbaugh mocked me for not putting the s-word label on Mr. Obama. Also, Fox News analyst Newt Gingrich agreed with Mr. Limbaugh that the president is a socialist, at least philosophically.

We then spoke with Bernie Goldberg, who agreed with me that the socialist label might be very damaging to Barack Obama because it scares people.

Most Americans don't like socialism. If the s-word sticks to Mr. Obama, it will hurt him politically.

On the other side, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an admitted socialist, was ranting about the global warming situation the other day, actually comparing it to the Third Reich.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, I-VT.: The reason that this debate is so important is that it reminds me in some ways of the debate taking place in this country and around the world in the late 1930s. And during that period with Nazism and fascism growing, a real danger to the United States and democratic countries all over the world, there were people in this Congress, in the British Parliament, saying don't worry, Hitler is not real. It'll disappear. We don't have to be prepared to take it on. Global warming is real.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

I could be wrong, but I believe old Bernie is trying to scare us.



And then there is top presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett, who was asked about the Tea Party movement at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VALERIE JARRETT, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER: It's always a lot easier, again, to scare people and to get them angry when they're already scared and they're already uncertain.



I think that's what the Tea Party has tried to capture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

All right. Now, unlike the statement from Sanders, Ms. Jarrett may have a point. Many Americans are frightened.



They see the Obama administration spending record amounts of money, funds the country doesn't have. And there are controversies over terrorism, taxation and other things important to the folks. So yes, some Tea Party people are in the game because they're afraid. But "Talking Points" doesn't think that's a bad thing.

Fear is a tremendous motivator.



If you think your roof's going to collapse and you build a stronger roof, that's positive, is it not?

It is a rational and distorted fear that is damaging, that can lead to violence and heartbreak.



It can also paralyze people, making them incapable of correcting problems.



So fear is a double-edged sword, and there is no question it is being wielded all over the country these days.



And that's "The Memo."

[Faygo Kid]

1. One picture is worth a thousand words.

Or more.

O'Lielly is such a tool.