Political Passions

Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly.  Thanks for watching us tonight.

Passions are  running high. That is the subject of this evening "Talking Points Memo."

Two new polls are out today. Rasmussen has Bush up by 3.  The Associated Press has Kerry up by three. I have a headache. And there is  no question that with 12 days left in the campaign, things are getting  intense.  And partisans on both sides are getting angry.

The mail poured in after last night's "Factor."  And it was smoking. George Seevey, who lives in Dunallen, Florida, writes, "Bill, your comments  have convinced me that you are a Kerry supporter."

Lea Davis from Pensacola, Florida says, "Mr. O., you have twice as many anti-Kerry guests on “The Factor” and when a pro-Kerry person comes on  you won't let him talk."

Brooks Clark from Billings, Montana opines "O'Reilly, you and your FOX News friends are supporting Kerry far more than Bush."

But Danny Dauers in Cicero, Indiana says, "Bill, of course you're  going to vote for Bush."

Now all of those folks watch the same broadcast.  So what's going on?   First of all, people often hear what they want to hear, rather than what is  actually said.  Any negative comment directed at either candidate is a hand  grenade, because some viewers are looking for slights.  If you aren't  rooting for their guy, then you're the enemy.

Secondly, when the passion rises to a certain level, reason  disappears. "The Factor" has been tough on both candidates, which is what  we do here.  No candidate is perfect.  And we are trying to bring you the  strengths and weaknesses of both men so you can make an informed decision.

But analyzing political candidates can be like analyzing somebody's  kids. You better not say anything bad.  And because the American media is  so partisan these days, independent analysis is almost unheard of. Thus, "Talking Points" is often labeled a conservative or a liberal, a Republican  or a Democrat, depending on the segment. The truth is that President Bush  does some things well and some things not so well. The same with Senator  Kerry.

Come on, these guys are human beings. They're fallible, just like  everyone is.  More than 150,000 folks have voted in our billoreilly.com  poll about who “The Factor” is favoring, if anyone.  Check it out. Thankfully, most of those who have voted think we're being fair.  And  that's the final thing. Some Americans don't want fair.  They want their  candidate advanced.  And we pinhead TV and radio commentators can make a  lot of money doing that.  But “The Factor” does not do it. Please don't hate  us.

That's the "Memo."

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

The  NRA doesn't like John Kerry because it says he has a 20-year anti-gun,  anti-hunting record.

So, today, the senator grabbed the gun and went out to shoot geese in  Ohio where every vote counts.  Although no one knows just how the goose  vote will go this year, that — those geese there — they can't vote  because they're dead.

Anyway, Kerry gunned down one goose, according to the Associated  Press, but there's no truth to the rumor that he fired indiscriminately at  a picture of Charlton Heston (search). That's not true because it would be  ridiculous if it were.

Now Kerry adviser Mike McCurry said the whole goose-shooting deal was  staged to "let the voters get a better sense of John Kerry, the guy."  I feel bad for the geese, you know.