When a guest argued a little too passionately that #BlackLivesMatter is not a radical, violent group akin to the Nazis, O’Reilly not only refused to listen, he cut the guest’s mic so that the viewers couldn’t hear, either.
O’Reilly’s whole purpose for the discussion was to smear the Democratic Party for agreeing to host a forum with #BlackLivesMatter and to suggest that the Democrats are in bed with a black version of skinheads.
“So you believe the Democratic Party is correct in embracing a radical group, a group that calls for police officers to be killed?” O’Reilly accusingly asked guest Keith Boykin, who served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton.
Boykin took exception right away. “I was there in December, in 2014, marching with those protesters. I was covering it at that time for BET… and I did not hear anyone talking about killing dead cops. …Has anybody in the leadership ever said that?”
Of course they haven’t and O’Reilly almost certainly knows that. So instead, he argued that the leadership must be culpable because they didn’t denounce the rhetoric – as far as O’Reilly knows. But first, he said, “Mr. Boykin, you’re either gonna stop talking or I’m gonna cut your mic off.” Classy.
“Did anybody in the #BlackLivesMatter movement repudiate ‘We want dead cops?’” O’Reilly demanded to know. When Boykin paused before answering, O’Reilly took that for a “no” and said, “Thank you.”
Boykin started to disagree, saying, “Yes, yes, yes,” as in yes, somebody had repudiated the rhetoric.
But O’Reilly didn’t want to hear it. “Your time is done, Mr. Boykin. Cut him down.” Boykin’s mic was cut even though he was still talking.
O’Reilly asked the other guest, David Goodfriend, former deputy staff secretary to President Clinton, “Would you be comfortable with the Republican Party bringing in the Stormfront—the Nazi people—and saying we would like our candidates to talk to you guys? Would you be comfortable with that?
Goodfriend said he would not.
“OK. But they are an extreme group, the Nazi Party,” O’Reilly said. “The Black Lives Matter is also an extreme group as you’ve heard, as we’ve proven.”
Later, O’Reilly allowed Boykin to speak again.
“The #BlackLivesMatter movement is not the Nazi Party. It’s an offensive suggestion to make that comparison, Bill,” Boykin told O’Reilly. “I’m outraged that you would say that.”
O’Reilly said dismissively, “I know. …I asked you to give me one name of repudiation and neither of you gentlemen can give me a name.”
“Can you name me one person who’s endorsed that?” Boykin shot back. “One leader in the #BlackLivesMatter movement who’s endorsed killing cops? Give me one, Bill. Give me one. …You can’t do it Because it didn’t happen, it’s not true and it’s a shame.”
“The group is judged by its behavior, gentlemen,” O’Reilly said condescendingly. “All America just saw the behavior on the video tape.”
All America saw, in 2014, Fox News promote racist, criminal rancher Cliven Bundy who didn't just talk about killing cops, he and his pals actually threatened law enforcers, with guns. To his credit, O'Reilly obviously took issue with it. But O'Reilly did not repudiate Fox News for that. No, he credited Fox for airing a "wide variety of opinion expressed in a vibrant way."
Maybe O'Reilly is counting on his elderly viewers not to remember Bundy. But Bundy's not the only one. Factor producer, Jesse Watters, also the managing editor of Fox Nation, permits readers to plot murder on the site. I’m not just talking an occasional post that gets by a moderator. I’m talking repeated offers of money to assassinate various people Fox demonizes. That's not counting the usual death wishes and threats we've reported to authorities over the years. I haven't heard a peep out of O'Reilly denouncing that, have you?
Or is it that only black threats matter to him?
Crossposted at Newshounds
