Conservatives who defend O'Reilly - talk about an elite few!

In which a reader accuses a guy who watches TV for a living of being elitist.

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Last Sunday Aaron Barnhart was seemingly unable to tap down his bias against conservatives. He refers to "Bill O'Reilly and his fellow travelers" who would not possibly be caught watching the "Pinko Broadcasting Service". As an American conservative I was insulted. I frequently attend art house movies. I just finished reading a book by Annie Proulx, enjoy several plays a year at the Unicorn Theater and watch PBS. I dare say I am exposed to a broader array of thought than Mr. Barnhart. Elite liberals self righteously prop up diversity in the form of race, gender and sexual identity. However, no thought diversity is allowed. When was the last time Mr. Barnhart read a book by a conservative author? By the way, if Barnhart actually watched Fox news he would know that differing ideas are encouraged like those of NPR's Juan Williams. Barnhart's condescending attitude towards readers contributes to the Star's declining readership.

Rebecca Roeber, Lee's Summit, Mo.

My reply:

Hi Rebecca. You mean authors like Simon Schama and Andrew Sullivan ... or "authors" like Bill-O and Hannity? I am surprised that you would defend O'Reilly, even as he makes many conservatives, even other talk-show hosts, squirm. Also, if I were you, I'd stop recycling those empty labels and try for something slightly original, like I did. "Elite liberals" only tells the reader more about you than it does about me -- for one thing, I watch television for a living, not an elitist activity last I checked. For another, as more attentive readers already know, I edited a conservative paper at Northwestern (where I succeeded the future CEO of QVC, Mike George), worked for the Olin-funded funder of those papers afterward and am still tuned in to the right -- enough to know how many disillusioned conservatives there are praying for the sweet release of electoral defeat in November so they can have their movement back.

Comments

[Dave]

Aaron.

You have been overly critical of Drew Carry and have not been "fair and balanced" towards Howie Mandel.
THIS is important and the entire FOCUS of "tvbarn.com" should be directed to the analysis of "Drew's suit" and "Howie's hair".
...........

Geesh.

Bill O'Reilly and Keith Oberman are PRIME TIME TV PERSONALITIES.