Sarah Failin's Fox debut: Prime-time propaganda

The continuing decline of civilization:

What an awful politicization of TV news.

O'Reilly introduced the newest star in the Fox galaxy Tuesday night as a "news analyst." If what Palin did in her debut is news analysis, I'm the governor of Alaska and I can see Russia from my backyard.

"Nancy Pelosi," O'Reilly said to Palin, ".. do you think that she's a kook?"

"I think she, too, is quite disconnected from what her constituents are telling her -- and constituents all over the country ..." Palin replied, before O'Reilly cut back in and upped the ante on Pelosi as "kook."

"Well, she's a San Francisco liberal," O'Reilly said. "But do you think she's actually crazy?"

"I doubt that her San Francisco constituents even are enamored with her policies and with the guidance she is providing this country."

"Is she further to the left in your opinion than Barack Obama?'

"Perhaps so, yes."

How would Palin know what Pelosi's San Francisco constituents think of her?

Or her constituents all over the country?

What a cart and pony show. O'Reilly is a TV master, Palin's a TV player, and together they are going to bring orgiastic TV delight to right-wing viewers...

I forgot how Palin speaks in a grammar and syntax unlike anyone else on this planet, but you get the idea. And I'll tell you what: In a protected TV environment like the one Fox and O'Reilly skillfully provided for her Tuesday night, I think she could be a red-hot ratings winner. And the country and our political conversation are going to be the poorer for it.