O'Reilly Makes Another Meal of Hume
I continue to be astonished by the gusto in which cable news-talkers eat their own -- and just how willing some people are to become that meal.
Another Brit Hume video is making its way around all the likely stops on the Internet.
Once again, Hume, currently Fox News' senior political analyst, is seen recommending Christianity as Tiger Woods' best route toward fixing the mess that has become his personal, professional, and family life.
I won't speculate why Hume seems so intent on jeopardizing what up until the past month or so, has been an otherwise solid career in broadcast journalism. For what it's worth, I always thought Hume was a pretty authoritative guy, who had a solid command of the news business and whatever subject it was he was tackling. I blew neither hot nor cold for Brit, which is a compliment for somebody employed in what should be a straight-down-the-middle business.
Whether Bill O'Reilly has some understanding of why Hume has decided to take to these recent, public religious musings is unclear.
This much I will speculate on: He is absolutely delighted that Hume will wander down this curious road. O'Reilly knows he needs only to set Hume up, point him in the right direction, and watch him go ...
It's great TV, don't you know? Every time the cagey O'Reilly can get Hume to proselytize, not analyze, it's a sure-fire way to get attention. O'Reilly knows full well that Hume the newsman is damaging his career and reputation when he veers away from news analysis and toward his religious leanings.
This is why car chases, but better yet, wrecks, are great TV -- real ratings-grabbers, they are.
When Hume first brought up the subject of Tiger Woods and religion on a Fox News Sunday show in early-January, O'Reilly booked him for an appearance on his Factor program the very next day.
This was prudent, given the attention Hume's Sunday remarks were receiving. And, in my opinion, O'Reilly seemed to be offering Hume a platform to either retract or at least soften those comments.
When he didn't, the savvy O'Reilly knew instantly that he had a real attention-getter on his hands. Again, he knew Hume, the respected journalist, would be best not saying these things. He also knew that the next time he had the chance, he'd lure his big fish right back into those murky, controversial waters.
That came Friday, after Woods' apology to most of the free world.
So on Monday, O'Reilly had Hume on his show, set the hook, and after a little finessing got the fish to bite -- again.
I suppose that many Christians are heartened by Hume's willingness to trumpet their faith, and agree with him that Tiger is better off a Christian than a Buddhist.
But they should know that Hume is killing himself among the journalism community, and with many millions of viewers, I'm sure -- almost all of whom know that one's faith belongs at home and at the church, not openly touted in the newsroom or in front of some TV camera.
Yes, Hume is an analyst these days, and free to say just about whatever he wants, but what he is saying lately shades in dark colors everything he did in his past professional life as an alleged straight-down-the-middle journalist, and everything he will say in the future.
Frankly, it's hard and frustrating to watch him do this. But watch I am, and to Bill O'Reilly's great delight, I'm sure.
(Got a tip, a gripe, or some kudos? Send 'em along.)