Keith Olbermann, Phil Donohue, MSNBC, FOXNews, O'Reilly Factor

O'REILLY: REHIRE DONOHUE!

FNC Host's Response To Olbermann's Attacks


Update: Leftist Response below


After enduring months of public attacks from an angry rival, what's the most clever and effective way to fight back?

For the FOX News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, waiting for MSNBC's Keith Olbermann to slowly hang himself may have been the best strategy. While Olbermann has never missed a chance to take a shot, the O'Reilly Factor host has ignored it all, until now.

Call it the art of war.

With Olbermann frequently calling O'Reilly "the worst person in the world", "Countdown" sometimes resembles an on-air anger venting session for Bill's enemies.

Now, just as Olbermann had likely written off the possibility of a two-way battle, the MSNBC host has suddenly received what he's always wanted: a response.

Be careful what you wish for.

Instead of attacking Olbermann personally, O'Reilly simply dug out his predecessor's ratings, revealing higher figures than the "Countdown" host has since been able to achieve.

Before Olbermann, do you remember who occupied MSNBC's 8pm timeslot?

Phil Donohue!

That's right, the ill-fated Donohue talk show had better numbers than his much-hyped successor has been able to achieve.


Kicking his return fire up a notch, O'Reilly has begun an online petition drive, calling for his longtime nemesis Donohue's MSNBC return. Collected signatures will be submitted to NBC programming suit Robert Wright.

From Thursday's Factor "Most Ridiculous Item" segment:

Time now for the most ridiculous item of the day.... bring back Phil!

Bring back Phil Donahue. It was three years ago this month that MSNBC fired Mr. Donahue for low ratings.

We felt bad for Phil. They didn't give him much of a chance. Phil actually said his firing was a mistake and he was right.

His successor, after three long years on the air, actually has fewer viewers now than Phil did when he left. Not good.

Bring back Phil!

So in the interest of fairness, we have a petition on Bill O'Reilly.com to bring Phil Donahue back, Marlo too if she wants. Kind of like the Maury-Connie show.

If enough of you sign a petition, we'll send it over to NBC and hopefully Phil will get the chance he deserves.

Let's all go to bat for our pal Mr. Donahue.

To not do so, would be ridiculous.

And here's the petition language:

Dear Mr. Wright:

We, the undersigned, are becoming increasingly concerned about the well-being of MSNBC and, in particular, note the continuing ratings failure of the program currently airing weeknights at 8:00 EST.

It is now apparent to everyone that a grave injustice has been done to the previous host in that time slot, Phil Donohue, whose ratings, at the time of his show's cancellation three years ago, were demonstrably stronger than those of the current host.

Therefore, in an effort to rescue MSNBC from the ratings basement and to restore the honor and dignity of Mr. Donohue, who was ignobly removed as host three years ago, we ask that you immediately bring Phil Donohue's show back at 8:00 EST, before any more damage is done.

Is it a gimmick? Of course, but a funny one.

After Donohue's last Factor appearance, where physical restraints seemed necessary to keep him from attacking the host, who would expect O'Reilly to push for his return?

Good blog find: OlbermannWatch.


UPDATE: liberals at Daily Kos can't take a joke, it seems: they're circulating a petition of their own to get O'Reilly fired. Take a look at their first grade playground-level O'Reilly reader "poll":

Poll

Bill O'Reilly Smells Like:

-- Falafel
-- Feet
-- A Teenaged Boy's Bedroom
-- Cat Puke
-- Dog Turds
-- Sulfer
-- Spoiled Milk
-- Serious BO
-- Onions
-- Viagara

What in the world is "sulfer" or "Viagara"?

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