Just shows that cons like O’Reilly have no sense of humor nor appreciation for truth.

Actually, I’m not sure I was watching the same interview that I am hearing discussed here.

First, if Maher seemed “stilted,” it was not least because he is being interviewed remotely, which means that it takes a few seconds for him to hear what O’Reilly is saying.  Second, O’Reilly “stepped” on Maher nearly constantly, and wouldn’t let him get his thoughts out.  (And that is one huge difference between them: Maher is, at least, “thoughtful,” and therefore takes his time with answers.)

Maher was ultimately correct about the economy: Bush created the nightmare (taking the balanced budget and hundreds of billions of surplus that Clinton left him, and completely reversing it) and Obama was left to clean it up.  And if Obama did nothing more than prevent the economic downturn from becoming the second Great Depression (which he did), then that is an incredible achievement.  And, as Maher notes, it is only people’s impatience (understandable, given many of their economic situations) that prevents them from seeing and understanding that.  That is, they do not realize that if Obama had not been as successful as he was, they would be in even WORSE condition than they are now.

As well, if, as O’Reilly suggested, Obama has done little or nothing, it was largely the fault of the GOP, who became the party of No, cynically and selfishly stymied every attempt by Obama to do anything good, and used filibusters and other tactics to all but shut down the government.  I am surprised that Maher did not mention this.

I don’t care whether or not Maher was “funny enough” here: that is entirely beside the point.  He made good points in the time O’Reilly gave him between stepping on his answers, and would have shown O’Reilly for the blustering, bombastic, bloviating blowhard that he is had O’Reilly not spent so much time stepping on his answers.

Peace.

RayLan, - “Have you ever watched ‘Real Time’?”

-

Yes.  Countless times over the years.  That is precisely how I know him to be a an elitist, bigoted, condescending ass.

People are stupid for believing in God.
People are stupid for voting republican.
People are stupid for purchasing SUV’s.
People are stupid for not believing as he does on the causes of global warming.
People are stupid for not wanting their taxes raised. Yet again.
People are stupid for supporting Sarah Palin.
People are stupid (and racist) for being part of the Tea party protests.
Etc. etc. etc.

I don’t support several of the above positions but, I never tell people they’re stupid for disagreeing with me.

Maher is an condescending elitist ass.

Maher was smart, polite and funny.  O’Reilly was a condescending jerk.

GoRight
Have you ever watched ‘Real Time’? Maher makes a point of including Republicans on his panel. He doesn’t call people stupid simply for disagreeing- he has much better reasons - and articulates them - if you watched his program your opinion would be based on fact rather than simplistic characterization, namely bigotry.

Maher is an condescending elitist ass. 

Anyone who constantly feels the need to tell others how stupid they are when not agree with them is useless when it comes to actually getting things done.

The very definition of a bigot is one who is intolerant of other’s views. Ironically Maher appears to believe himself to be “open-mined” and inclusive.

Bill Maher is neither a homosexual (Coco Johnsen), nor Jewish. Technically, his Mother was Jewish, but she converted. He was raised Irish Catholic, although, his Father stopped attending church services.

It’s refreshing to see as much misinformation on Progressive sites as there is on Conservative sites. Well, maybe not quite as much.

Maher doesn’t do nearly as well with O’Reilly as Colbert did with Congress.  Why?  Manner, not content, quality of wit, or knowledge so much as manner.
Colbert leaned forward into the mike and went directly to his points, which the format allowed him to prepare ahead of time. Maher, going in more blind to an “interview” situation and person to person, could not, did not prepare enough in advance, was not forthright, posture was slack, facial expression blah, seemed intimidated.  Did not offer any resistance. A tough spot to put ourself in, especially if you have any political interest in the outcome of what you say.  Why did he put himself in that spot?

You have to be careful what you say or you won’t be given a voice.  Maher learned that lesson well as did many others who found themselves marginalized for asking the obvious and to this day unanswered questions surrounding 911, The War, the elections, the crash, the bailout.  Pick your subject.

hello. to me it was amusing that Mr. Maher would not
commit to being a closet liberal, in public persona,
until liberalism became mainstream. he also is unaware
that everyday human droids work in Republicant insane
asylums, because liberals will not give them jobs. he
helped make liberalism cool, and he should start
smoking cannabis on his program. as for the religious
barbs, it is refreshing to be questioned about one’s
own faith. his followers would be comfortable living in
Spaceport Hotel. somebody has to live there. build it
so they will go.

Maher only problem is his fixation against religion, not just organized religion. Otherwise, he provides intelligent humor and mostly objective views about all issues.

Let’s face it. If we couldn’t laugh about the idiocy of the right, knee-jerk, unthinking voter response, and the wimpishness of Democrats, it would all be tragedy.

True liberals have never considered Maher to be anything but a pot smoking, self loathing homosexual buffoon. (not that there is anything wrong with that, the homosexual part I mean.

Maher’s recent blind support for Israel has completely soured me on his show (It wasn’t exactly high art to begin with) He lost my viewership about 2 years ago when he permitted that neo-con scummbag Scarborough rant and rave about the un-american book title “American Facists” without challenging the fact that he had never read it. Bill is just another 2 issue jewish, cadillac liberal that would most likely vote republican if the neo-cons didn’t still hate the “beast” so much.

Keep in mind folks, he’s an entertainer only, who’s personal views run about as deep as a puddle on the sidewalk. His appearance for O’reilly just proved that you can indeed fit two pin-heads on the same screen.

First time I have seen Maher playing kiss up to Obama.  I mean to sit there and say the problem with Obama/Dems and the midterms is that only poor communication?  I guess he is thinking the Fox audience was a bunch of right wingnuts (true).  But that no reason put your morality and ethics in the closet.  It was a flat interview.  The same no fire in the belly we get everyday from these Corporate Dems.  That has to be the worst 10 minutes I have ever witnessed from Maher

O’Reilly was, is and will always be a fool.

Maher started off good but I have noticed his growing zionist stance, lionizing Israel and proffering that countrys views, his refusal to discuss 9/11 without acting like an asshole is equally as troubling.

He knows who controls his programs future and he cowtows to it.

I like Maher only because he represents the possibility of intellectual discourse in America - one possibility that is constantly being endangered by the wackos on the right which unforturnately are beginning to have wider and wider support. I am not a Rep, and am unhappy with Obama - hardly because of his social programs which are as non-revolutionary as he is himself, but of his hypocritical hawkish foreign policy - Actually Maher has called Obama a Republican on Real Time.

Hate to say it, but Maher came across again as a pretty ignorant tool here when it comes to glorifying Obama. O’Reilly is right on some points, but not for the reasons he thinks. Obama IS a bigger spender than Bush in the sense that he is increasing war budgets, Obama IS continuing rendition and torture programs.

Maher has no moral authority, he openly champions Israeli terror:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-v-_CyDSgE