Bill O'Reilly vs Matt Drudge

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I wondered why the Media Whore was whining about Drudge the other night, and then a friend sent this in:

 

Drudge Link #1

BOOK YEARENDER: O'REILLY TRAILS FRANKEN IN SCANNED SALES; 'SOUTH BEACH' TOP OF NONFIC LIST

 

FOXNEWS's top-rated host Bill O'Reilly recently claimed that he is "running against Hillary for most copies of nonfiction books sold this year!"

 

But numbers obtained by the DRUDGE REPORT show a dramatically different sales scene for 2003.

 

NIELSEN, the same company that ranks O'Reilly #1 on Cable TV, currently places O'Reilly at #6 for the year on the nonfiction charts -- trailing rival Al Franken by nearly 30%!

 

[O'Reilly ranks #63 on USA TODAY's 2003 sales chart.]

 

"We've outsold that guy [Franken] all over the place," O'Reilly claimed Monday on NBC's TODAY show. "We're running against Hillary for most copies of non-fiction books sold this year!"

 

With two weeks to go for 2003:

 

Nonfiction

 

1. South Beach Diet Dr. Arthur Agatston 2,304,608 [units scanned]

2. Purpose Driven Life Warren 1,507,902

3. Living History Clinton 1,084,520

4. Ultimate Weight Solution McGraw 836,043

5. Lies and The Lying Liars Franken 674,024

6. Who's Looking Out for You O'Reilly 430,407

7. Benjamin Franklin Isaacson 384,137

8. Dude, Where's My Country Moore 365,519

9. Treason Coulter 364,848

10. Fly Boys Bradley 222,685

11. Short History of Nearly Everything Bryson 217,591

12. Moneyball Lewis 210,108

13. Royal Duty Burrell 159,261

14. Who's Your Caddy? Reilly 151,978

15. Every Second Counts Armstrong 145,183

16. World According to Mr. Rogers 141,405

17. Madame Secretary Albright 122,167

18. New Cookbook, BH&G Better Homes & Gardens 118,230

19. Merriam Websters Dictionary 115,185

20. Bushwacked Ivans 110,000

 

As a comparison, Harry Potter fiction has scanned 7,908,391 units; DaVinci Code moved 3,023,336.

 

NIELSEN's BOOKSCAN numbers represents purchased, sold and bagged copies at AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE, BORDER'S, COSTCO and other outlets.

 

[bOOKSCAN is generally considered to capture about 70-80% of total sales in USA.]

 

And now, Drudge Link #2

HOST UNHINGED AFTER SALES FIGURES REVEALED; CALLS DRUDGE 'THREAT TO DEMOCRACY'

 

TalkerAuthor Bill O'Reilly lashed out against this space during his popular FOXNEWS O'REILLY FACTOR Wednesday night -- just hours after closely guarded book sales figures were splashed over the internet.

 

Sales figures show how, contrary to his claims, O'Reilly lags far behind rivals Al Franken and Sen. Hillary Clinton for nonfiction props!

 

Responding to an exclusive yearender DRUDGE dispatch, which presented NIELSEN's Top 20 BOOKSCAN list of 2003 sales, O'Reilly called the DRUDGE REPORT a "threat to democracy."

 

"I mean you can't believe a word Matt Drudge says," O'Reilly told the cameras. "Now you've got the Matt Drudges of the world and these other people, Michael Moore and all of these crazies, all right, no responsibility... that is a threat to democracy, I think." O'Reilly warned: "They'll just spin it and twist it and take it out of proportion every which way."

 

Last year, the host of Cable TVs most-watched newscast became unbuckled and turned unstable after this space first revealed how O'Reilly was plotting a new radio program to air opposite Rush Limbaugh [who had just lost his hearing] and how WOR-AM in New York would receive cash compensation from VIACOM to carry the program. [The broadcast launched several months later.]

 

"There is no other cure than to kill Matt Drudge," O'Reilly charged on the IMUS in the MORNING radio show.

 

"I just want to tell everybody that Matt Drudge is smoking crack - right now, in South Miami Beach on Washington Avenue... And the authorities should know it."

 

 

How did this guy turn into such a greedy, self-absorbed prick? I'm curious. It's like in the last year he just snapped.

[Guest JMA]

Hilarious. There's no other word to describe this situation.

 

I can't believe I'm saying this but...GO MATT DRUDGE!

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I think it's hilarious that you suddenly give Drudge any credibility. He's way overstating what O'Reilly said. In fact Drudge was very much not a big part of the segment as he was mentioned maybe twice. And it seems obvious he missed the whole point of the discussion which was internet sites can make anything up and that mainstream media sources are starting to use these "unofficial" news sites as sources.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Yawn.

 

These two don't like each other very much.

 

I remember Drudge printed something a while back showing that Bill wasn't doing well in some of his radio markets.

 

Seeing how both parties are supposed to be part of the Great Right-Wing Cabal, I'm surprised of this in-fighting. Perhaps one of them took the other's parking space in front of Scaife Headquarters...

[Art Sandusky 0]

The Franken book should be doing well. It's awesome.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I don't understand what the big deal is about whose book is selling more copies -- I'm pretty sure Bill's came out later than Al's or Hill's.

 

I cringe whenever I hear him talk about this on his show.

 

Then I laugh out loud...

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I don't understand what the big deal is about whose book is selling more copies -- I'm pretty sure Bill's came out later than Al's or Hill's.

 

I cringe whenever I hear him talk about this on his show.

 

Then I laugh out loud...

Exactly. Bill's book came out months after the other two so why is it even being talked about that it hasn't sold as many?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I don't understand what the big deal is about whose book is selling more copies -- I'm pretty sure Bill's came out later than Al's or Hill's.

 

I cringe whenever I hear him talk about this on his show.

 

Then I laugh out loud...

Exactly. Bill's book came out months after the other two so why is it even being talked about that it hasn't sold as many?

Problem is Bill's the one that's pissing into the wind on this issue...

[Jobber of the Week 0]

And it seems obvious he missed the whole point of the discussion which was internet sites can make anything up and that mainstream media sources are starting to use these "unofficial" news sites as sources.

O'Reilly's vendetta against the internet appeared when someone either misquoted him or said something he didn't like. His rant amounted to "Why, there should be someone who's job is to check all web pages for accuracy before they go online!" I never knew he was taking it this far.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Yeah but I think it's semi-dishonest of Drudge. What O'Reilly was quoted as saying was current sales were competitive. It's kind of stupid to bring the total sales into when his book hasn't been out as long as the other 2. In fact his book does seem to be gaining on Franken's when you consider it had a several month head start on his.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

And it seems obvious he missed the whole point of the discussion which was internet sites can make anything up and that mainstream media sources are starting to use these "unofficial" news sites as sources.

O'Reilly's vendetta against the internet appeared when someone either misquoted him or said something he didn't like. His rant amounted to "Why, there should be someone who's job is to check all web pages for accuracy before they go online!" I never knew he was taking it this far.

He was talking about that internet sites need to be held to the same standard as the rest of the media.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I don't understand what the big deal is about whose book is selling more copies -- I'm pretty sure Bill's came out later than Al's or Hill's.

Hillary's came out in June, so I can understand that. Franken's book came out less than a month before O'Reilly. 2-3 weeks max.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I thought Franken's came out mid-August and O'Reilly's was late-September/early-October.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

He was talking about that internet sites need to be held to the same standard as the rest of the media.

Exactly, and that's stupid. Just because I put a web page up on a server does not mean I'm a news source or part of the press. And this is from a guy who used to have a column on WorldNetDaily, so god knows HE should know about partisan internet "media."

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I thought Franken's came out mid-August and O'Reilly's was late-September/early-October.

Franken: Aug 27th

OReilly: Sep 19th

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Thank you.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

And that fits exactly what I said. Less than a month.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

And that fits exactly what I said. Less than a month.

I wasn't exactly sure of the dates. It seemed like a greater length of time. I guess the lawsuit had me thinking it came out earlier than it did.

[Guest JMA]

"There is no other cure than to kill Matt Drudge," O'Reilly charged on the IMUS in the MORNING radio show.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

"There is no other cure than to kill Matt Drudge," O'Reilly charged on the IMUS in the MORNING radio show.

 

That really seems out of place. I think Drudge is reporting a joke from a radio show as fact.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I thought Franken's came out mid-August and O'Reilly's was late-September/early-October.

Franken: Aug 27th

OReilly: Sep 19th

I got Franken on the 29th and Bill on the 23rd.

 

CNN said in this article that Al's book went on sale on the 21st...

[bob_barron 0]

Franken's book was really dissapointing- I didn't like it all. It was a struggle to finish.

 

Rush Limbaugh... and Why Not Me are much better books by Franken.

 

Whose Looking Out For You, while way too short, was a great read. And my copy is signed by Bill.

[Vyce 0]

You guys are focusing on the wrong thing.

 

The real question is, how did DaVinci Code sell over 3 million copies?

[BX 0]

Franken's book was really dissapointing- I didn't like it all. It was a struggle to finish.

 

Rush Limbaugh... and Why Not Me are much better books by Franken.

 

Whose Looking Out For You, while way too short, was a great read. And my copy is signed by Bill.

We all know about your bias against Franken, Bob.

 

And the DaVinci book was whored all over the airwaves, and various Book of the Month clubs.

[Guest JMA]

I've read a good portion of Franken's book. From what I've read so far it's very good. It's actually the first book by Al I've read.

 

Kudos to Al for taking slimeballs like O'Reilly, Coulter, and Hannity down a notch.

[MrRant 0]

I've read a good portion of Franken's book. From what I've read so far it's very good. It's actually the first book by Al I've read.

 

Kudos to Al for taking slimeballs like O'Reilly, Coulter, and Hannity down a notch.

But Al is a slimeball too. Just a liberal slimeball.

[Guest JMA]

I've read a good portion of Franken's book. From what I've read so far it's very good. It's actually the first book by Al I've read.

 

Kudos to Al for taking slimeballs like O'Reilly, Coulter, and Hannity down a notch.

But Al is a slimeball too. Just a liberal slimeball.

He can be. But his slimeness is usually reserved for other slime (if that makes any sense).

 

If you want a REAL liberal slimeball, just look at Michael Moore.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Bahh. The South Beach Diet ownz all these blowhards.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Every time I pass by the books at work, I have this uncontrollable want to punch the O'Reilly book.

[bob_barron 0]

I've read a good portion of Franken's book. From what I've read so far it's very good. It's actually the first book by Al I've read.

 

Kudos to Al for taking slimeballs like O'Reilly, Coulter, and Hannity down a notch.

The book to me was just stating the obvious:

 

Did you know Fox News is conserative? GET OUT

Did you know Hannity monopolises most of the airtime on H-n-C? GET OUT

 

And he didn't take O'Reilly down a notch at all. He basically pointed out some factual errors he made on his show, told a story of their CSPAN press conference which was all Franken baiting him and then mocked the novel Bill wrote.

 

I was very dissapointed.

 

He also talks about Bush stealing the election in 2000. Where's the chapter on that Al? Where's your meticiulous research? He keeps bringing it up- but there's no chapter where he goes in-depth with it.

 

He also calls Bush a cokehead (Or someone who did cocaine) a couple times and again- he doesn't provide any evidence to back up.

 

The chapter he did on Vietnam sucked compared to the one in Rush Limbaugh which was much funnier.

 

I did enjoy the Bob Jones chapter and his stuff on Coulter but for the most part the book was not as good as other Franken stuff I've read.