By Bill O'Reilly
As you may know we cover politics a bit differently here. We are not much on party propaganda or political bloviating. In fact we book very few politicians speaking about general issues.
Conversations on "The Factor" are always very specific about things that directly affect you.
Now, I'll be going down to Tampa on Wednesday and we will have heavy weight coverage all this week. But it will not be the Republicans are good and Democrats are bad or vice versa. We are not in the business of promoting any political party. My mandate is to watch all of the powerful so that they don't harm you. I've always believed that most folks are smart enough to decide for whom they want to vote.
But being smart means paying attention which is why you are watching "The Factor" right now. So we will give you a lot of inside stuff this week. And we begin tonight with what is really happening... really happening at the conventions. We have to start with the Democrats because the Republicans are largely reacting to what the President and his crew are doing.
For example speakers at the Republican convention have largely been selected to negate Democratic propaganda, while the speakers at the Democratic convention next week in Charlotte are largely on stage to inflame the liberal base.
The strategy for the Republicans is persuade the mind, right here. The strategy for the Democrats seems to be persuade the hearts. Hearts versus mind is the theme this year.
The GOP presentation is largely fact-based; President Obama screwing up the economy, gasoline prices through the roof, your economic future is shaky. On the Democratic side, they want you to believe that the Romney- Ryan ticket is extreme, that those guys want to hurt you by making the rich, richer and ignoring the plight of the working man.
So let's get real specific. The most powerful Democratic speaker will be Bill Clinton, who will try to persuade voters that his successful economic strategy has been embraced by President Obama who just needs a bit more time before happy days are here again. And that's really it as far as policy is concerned in Charlotte.
President Jimmy Carter will appear on videotape but with all due respect, who cares? The rest of the Democratic prime time line up is composed of zealots. Let's start with Sandra Fluke. She's a Georgetown Law School lady who believes the constitution mandates that the American people pay for her birth control. I can just picture James Madison and Thomas Jefferson hearing that. I mean, think about it Miss Fluke wants us to pick up her lifestyle expenses. And if you oppose doing that, Sandra will say you're anti-woman.
And then there is the president of NARAL, Nancy Keenan and the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Cecile Richards. These women are abortion extremists, are they not? Is there any abortion they would limit, any constraint at all? I don't think so.
And then there is Caroline Kennedy whose appearance is solely designed to link President Obama with the Kennedy legacy. Now we expect Miss Kennedy will tell everybody how good the President is for American women. And that will be echoed by actress Eva Longoria who is also on the dais primarily because she is a Latino. I don't know much about Miss Longoria's political philosophy because she does not appear in challenging forums.
Also speaking at the Democratic convention, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, a lesbian running for the Senate in Wisconsin, and Massachusetts senatorial Elizabeth Warren. You cannot get more liberal than this crew. It's impossible, you can't do it.
Now on the Republican side, Governor Romney has pretty much neutralized the far right. Sarah Palin, not been invited to speak in prime time although Rick Santorum will give an address. There are no local Tea Party leaders on the docket although Senator Rand Paul will speak and he's a big Tea Party guy.
Most of the GOP speakers are conservative but not far-right. John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Condoleezza Rice, Jeb Bush, John Kasich... all fairly flexible in their political thinking. So I think it's accurate to say that the Democratic Party is out there ideologically while the Republican Party is trying to be a bit more moderate.
Of course the national media will never report that because they are actively helping President Obama shape his message that the Romney-Ryan ticket is extreme.
Even when a guy like Todd Akin makes a dumb remark about rape that is condemned by the entire Republican Party, the Democrats refuse to accept the condemnation instead they are trying to link Akin to Romney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY: I think it was outrageous and offensive. I've asked him to get out of the race. I think I've distanced myself as far from the kind of thing he said as far as I possibly can. He was wrong and it -- it obviously is being used by Democrats to try and cast a shadow on our entire party and it's not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Now once again, it's not my job to represent either party. My analysis is designed to protect you from craziness.
There is no question America is in trouble economically, no question at all. No question that high gas prices are hurting working folks. No question, the $16 trillion national debt is a threat to your personal security and to my personal security.
But those questions, those questions are not being addressed by the President of the United States. Instead Mr. Obama is trying to put together a coalition of the willing; women who think Republicans want to hurt them; Hispanic voters who believe Republicans want to deport them; African-American voters who believe that Republicans are biased against them. Younger voters who are being told that the GOP does not want to lend them educational money and older Americans are being told that the Republicans will destroy their Medicare.
That's what's in play, rather than solving the economy, energy and the massive debt we have fear tactics all over the place.
Right now, Mitt Romney has a very good chance to defeat Barack Obama but before we get to the polling place on November 6th, the road will be very bumpy and the rhetoric very nasty on both sides and all Americans should consider one question above all. Who is best suited to solve the complex problems that are vexing this country?
And that's "The Memo."
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