> it's a good point. i think this is why jon stewart probably actually does
> watch o'reilly's show. i just wish bill-o's having them on actually meant
> or
> resulted in some kind of genuine engagement.
As Noam has suggested, and I think that O'R and others largely prove, inviting dissidents to appear on camera while maintaining existing media filters is an effective way to discredit dissent. O'R's not interested in "genuine engagement" -- he's tossing red meat to his audience, as any serious entertainer would. Watch some of Bob Hope's Vietnam shows to see a more extreme version of this.
Dennis