What Would Happen If We Simply Ignored Bill O'Reilly?

Liberals (and even a few conservatives) will soon finish de-wadding their collective panties in the wake of this latest Bill O'Reilly debacle. The lull will hopefully create a window for us to ask an important question - one I pose to myself whenever confronted with the trembling jowls of that hate-osaurus rex: What would happen if we just stopped listening?

I know what you're thinking: "Stop listening!? It's not that simple! We can't let this madman's rants go unchecked! Without anyone to debate him (and prove him wrong) he will be left to infect the entire country with his message of racism and hate!"

To this, I respond: au contraire, my prickly pear. Robbing O'Reilly of dialogue means robbing him of legitimacy. It's the perfect maneuver, like reaching onto his plate and nabbing a juicy steak he had been waiting to eat.

Think about it this way: every time some liberal politician or pundit appears on his show, the implicit assumption is that ol' uncle Bill is a valid voice in the conversation - someone whose egregious viewpoints deserve serious attention. Though this is true to an extent - he's extremely popular among conservative audiences and his ratings continuously top those of the competitors - you've got to wonder what would happen if he had no one there to argue with.

My bet is that Billy-boy would shrivel and disappear like the wicked witch of the red states that he is. Though he'd never admit it, he needs liberals much more than they need him. His whole projection of power and intellect is, after all, measured by his ability to barf insults at those who disagree with him. Without a conflicting viewpoint, O'Reilly would disappear from the limelight and creep further toward that love/hateable David Duke lunatic fringe.