Mr. Christmas, Bill O’Reilly, once again showed that for him, the reason for the season is often more about malice than Christ. In this case, O’Reilly and his off-screen staff got a good chuckle at the thought of giving an unwanted Christmas “gift” to New York City’s Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio.
I enjoy a pointed joke as much as anyone. But for Christmas Warrior Bill O’Reilly to use his sacred season as a comedic weapon against a political foe struck me as a bit unseemly, if not downright hypocritical. Especially as part of a segment about the true meaning of Christmas.
In his Tip of the Day segment last night, Bill O’Reilly reflected on the role of presents in the Christmas holiday. “Commercialism is not a bad thing,” O’Reilly opined. “Giving other people gifts is a positive, makes them happy. Jesus might like that, although I can’t speak for him.”
No, but O’Reilly can bully, badger and humiliate on Jesus' behalf.
O’Reilly went on to say that the “upside” to the commercialism of Christmas, “if you don’t overdo it,” is spending money. That “helps the American economy, which in turn helps the American worker,” O’Reilly said. “That’s a positive.”
OK, fine. But then O’Reilly used his “Christmas spirit” for a malicious dig at his latest foe, New York City Bill de Blasio. You may recall that O’Reilly’s producer Jesse Watters was recently thrown out of a de Blasio press conference for obnoxious and childish hectoring. Not only that, Watters’ claim that de Blasio had failed to respond to the O’Reilly Factor interview requests was proven false.
So here’s how Mr. Christmas used the season of good will toward men this time:
O’REILLY: And in the true spirit of Christmas, I think I’m going to give Mayor de Blasio a Bill O’Reilly dot com premium membership.
As a chorus of guffaws was heard off screen, O’Reilly smiled and continued.
You know, Mr. Mayor! I think he’d enjoy it. Maybe not.
You may recall that in 2012, O'Reilly urged his viewers to send Christmas cards with Jesus on them to Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee in retaliation for his state erecting a "Holiday tree" instead of a "Christmas tree."
Ho, ho, ho.
Watch it below.