how the news broke on the New York Times which O'Reilly alternatively terms the "liberal" or "leftwing" mouthpiece.  http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/obama-to-appear-on-fox-on-thursday-night/?hp

A wonderful video clip which shows how abusive O'Reilly can actually be, the vid opens with archive footage of a younger him in the full blow of a psychotic episode because his telecaster didn't work in a studio. To today's eyes or social commentators his behaviour on that occasion seemed typical of a coke fiend on steroids. The vid then continues to show some of the near countless times the man has hectored and yelled his trademark "Shut up!" through his FOXnews career. Every night of every day of the week 7/7 and on radio too - Bill O'Reilly shouts for Americans.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWtfbISKd8U&feature=related

This vid shows how FOXnews began its smear campaign on Obama before most of us had heard of him. he's just "black". he's really "muslim". he's a "smoker". Cunningly illustrated with packets of Marlboro.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouKJixL--ms

& that is the real secret of FOXnews and its marketing of "fair & balanced" - because actually it is a fair & balanced mix of streamlined propaganda and indoctrination for rightwing consumption. You can watch the anchors, the guests or you can balance that fairly with the constant screen dressing changes of helpful FOXnews polls, the highest count of girlies in bikinis on any north American TV station outside of Larry Flint's empire and lashings of prayer.

The decision of Obama to sit down and speak to the wormtongue of America's right on at exactly the same night as John Mc Cain delivers his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention should interest even us who feign no interest in the US presidential charade.

There was no FOXnews and no US flag fluttering or studio rock music playing on the Black & White TV sets which brought JFK and Nixon together for their presidential debate. Nixon who had led on polls is widely held to have lost his election (but not by as many votes as is perhaps thought) on those shows. He sweated and hectored and sullenly turned dour and dull whilst Kennedy shone with the promise of change and youth.

Almost a decade later Nixon would return to a presidential campaign completely aware of the power of TV, the ramifications of a gesture, the reach of a smile & the rest as they say was history.

vid of the Nixon / JFK debate nixon kennedy  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur92R4Gvcj4

useful tips - watch the angle of neck to chin of both Obama & O'Reilly. & pray to Jesus that Bill has taken enough coke to let his cover slip and use the N word when Obama refuses to "shut up!".

If you don't have a TV you're missing little - but it is traditional to gather on the high street looking through display windows of providors and retailers of the box at special times. Or if you're lucky someone might "upload" the debate to Youtube and then you can see how the "opinion polls" which are the scientific method by which US presidents are selected change. Track 'em daily & know where we stand.

this is where you go
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_United_States_presidential_election,_2008#Two-way_contest:_Barack_Obama_vs_John_McCain