Bill O'Reilly's 'Culture Warrior'
In his latest book, "Culture Warrior," top-rated Fox News talk show host Bill O'Reilly analyzes the competing philosophies of what he calls the "secular-progressives" and the "traditionalists," with whom he aligns.
The controversial book is his latest of four, all of which have hit No. 1 on the New York Times best seller's list.
In it, he argues that there's a strong nexus between the war on terror and the culture wars, because many "leftist" organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union object to anti-terror measures the Bush administration puts in place.
He also says there is a drastically different way of viewing the United States. O'Reilly argues secular progressives believe the U.S. is a flawed nation in need of a drastic overhaul.
"For example, that it's our fault a lot of the terrorism happens in the world because our corporations are corrupt and exploitive," he told The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm. "We need a big overhaul in every area. Those are secular progressives. ACLU is their vanguard. The Hollywood left is in on that. They're the people that want dramatic change.
"Traditionalists say, 'Yeah, we have flaws in this country and we have to be better, but fundamentally, the United States is a noble nation.' That's the culture war between those two groups. And it's vicious. Vicious."
The culture wars, O'Reilly said, are going to play out in the 2008 presidential election. According to polls, he said, traditionalists outnumber secular progressives three to one. The key for a Republican victory, he added, is to mobilize them.
"And the moderate Democrats … have to say, 'Look, if we're going to ally ourselves with Howard Dean on the far left, we're going to lose,' " he said. "So, a lot of the culture war is going to bleed over into the next presidential race."
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Barak Obama, D-Ill., both seem primed to run for president in two years and O'Reilly said Clinton is going to have a harder time than she thought.
"Obama has a following," she said. "He's moving around New Hampshire and I don't think he's skiing up there."
Before the election, Mr. Bush must confront the worsening situation in Iraq. Tomorrow the Iraq Study Group will announce it's recommendations and O'Reilly said he expects that the group will advocate increased negotiations with Middle Eastern nations such as Iran and Syria — something Mr. Bush has staunchly opposed.
"Sure, try it," O'Reilly said. "But if people think Iran's going to help us out, they live in a land of Oz, because they're not."
O'Reilly predicts there will be a realignment of troops and some will come home, but if America pulls out, Iran will go in.
"I mean, people who say, 'Well, the whole solution is just getting out,' are insane," he said. "We'll have to fight the Iranians one way or the other, and it's a matter of keeping the thing contained so it doesn't get into, you know, something that makes the Iraq situation now look Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. These are bad people. I don't know if people understand how bad they are."
To read an excerpt, click here.