I'm gonna go ahead and take it as a compliment.

Preface: I try really hard not to talk about politics - mainly because it is nearly impossible for me to debate without becoming extremely heated, emotional, and frankly... irrational. If you don't believe me, ask Sarah Michel, who has had the opportunity to experience this firsthand. I'm also probably overly sensitive to the fact that for many people, opposing political viewpoints are difficult to overlook. So usually, I keep quiet. But don't let me fool you. I have strong opinions.

That being said, I have a confession to make...

When Matt was in Haiti, I started watching "The O'Reilly Factor" every night. Since then, I have become a dedicated viewer, and watch as often as I am able. Yes, I even read his most recent book, A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. (BTW, it was very funny, and I suggest it.) As you may know, most other media outlets do not portray O'Reilly or Fox news in a positive light, and many consider Fox to be slanted to the right. Indeed, many of my closest friends (ahem, candid communication) share this viewpoint as well.

So I was happy to learn about this article by Lawrence Solomon of the Canadian National Post, which I also suggest you read - that is, if you care.

Some of my favorite excerpts are:

• "But those who identify O'Reilly as a knee-jerk conservative have come to knee-jerk conclusions of their own. O'Reilly does not pigeon-hole easily. He campaigns against greed on Wall Street. He especially campaigns against Big Oil, believing the oil majors manipulate supply to gouge consumers. He wants government to be pro-active on the environment, calling people who deny global warming 'idiots.''
• "Watch him and you will come to realize why his show has been rated No. 1 in cable news for 97 consecutive months now."
• "Who watches O'Reilly? According to Pew Research Center, his viewers are the most knowledgeable on the air..." (Btw, that's the part I am taking as a compliment.)
  
• "FOX dominates not because it appeals to those on the political right -- only 38% of FOX viewers consider themselves Republicans -- but because it appeals to people across the political spectrum. More people who identify themselves as Democrats watch FOX than watch CNN, the No. 2 news channel. In fact, FOX's non-conservative viewership exceeds CNN's entire viewership."
• "My advice to FOX's critics: Try it before you slam it."

Couldn't have said it better myself. In case anyone out there still doesn't believe, I think they should check out this study on election coverage, by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. Let's just say the Fox results look fair and balanced to me.

I will shut up now.