O'Reilly falsely claimed to have "coined the term 'San Francisco values' "
SUMMARY: In a syndicated column, Bill O'Reilly falsely claimed to have
"coined the term 'San
Francisco values.' " In fact, the term
"San Francisco values" has been used to attack political opponents
since at least the mid-1990s, and Newt Gingrich appears to have popularized the phrase during the 2006
midterm election cycle.
In his November 22 nationally syndicated column, titled "Here Comes the Left," Fox News host Bill O'Reilly attacked the San Francisco Board of Education for "vot[ing] to ban Junior ROTC in the city's high schools" and claimed he "coined the term 'San Francisco values.' " O'Reilly also wrote that "the far-left is rising like Dracula at midnight," having been "[e]mboldened by the Democratic victory earlier this month." While discussing San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's (D) response to the San Francisco Board of Education's decision to eliminate Junior ROTC programs, O'Reilly claimed credit for "the term 'San Francisco values' " and wrote that he "well understand[s] they have little to do with democracy." In fact, the term "San Francisco values" has been used to attack political opponents since at least the mid-1990s, and former Speaker of the House and Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich (R-GA) appears to have popularized the phrase during the 2006 midterm election cycle. O'Reilly appears to have first used the phrase during the October 2 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show.
A "News, all" search of the Nexis database for "San Francisco values" yielded these results:
- In 1996, Rep. Frank Riggs (R-CA) attacked his Democratic challenger Michela Alioto over her "San Francisco values." According to a July 18, 1996, Roll Call article, "In one particularly pointed attack, Riggs questioned whether Alioto's opposition to the bill to ban federal recognition of same-sex marriage represented 'North Coast values' or 'San Francisco values.' " Riggs defeated Alioto.
- The term was also used in 2003 following the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Texas' sodomy laws in the case Lawrence v. Texas. According to a June 27, 2003, Boston Globe report, Peter LaBarbera, now president of the conservative group Americans for Truth, stated of the Supreme Court's decision: "Obviously this is like the Roe v. Wade of the homosexual issue... The court is forcing San Francisco values on the whole country."
- Republicans have used the phrase "San Francisco values" to attack candidates associated with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), as USA Today reported on July 3, 2003. According to the report, "[a]bout a dozen Democrats who have received money from Pelosi's political action committee are being linked by Republicans to her 'San Francisco values' on gun control, abortion and other hot-button issues."
- In 2005, political consultant LaVarr Webb asserted in the September 18, 2005, edition of Salt Lake City's The Deseret News that "[t]he prospect of Democrats taking control of the U.S. House will be a big factor in the race" for Rep. Jim Matheson's (D-UT) re-election. Webb asked: "Do Utah Republicans want to vote for a guy whose victory may turn control of the House to ultraliberal San Fran Nan [sic] Nancy Pelosi, who will attempt to impose San Francisco values on the entire country?" Matheson easily won re-election.
- In a May 12 press release, North Carolina Republican Party chairman Ferrell Blount attacked incumbent Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) for his association with liberal blogger Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, charging that "[i]t is obvious that Brad Miller does not understand the difference between San Francisco values and North Carolina values." Miller defeated his Republican opponent, Vernon Robinson, in the midterm elections.
- According to the July 26 edition of The Hotline's "Blogometer," Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Kenneth Blackwell also attempted to link his Democratic opponent, Ted Strickland, to "San Francisco values," by claiming that "Strickland's Congressional voting record, 'almost mirrors that of Nancy Pelosi, so this will be a campaign about Ohio values vs. San Francisco values.'" Strickland defeated Blackwell.
- Gingrich repeatedly used the term during the 2006 midterm elections. On August 17, the Associated Press reported that during a campaign speech in Georgia, Gingrich asserted: "If you ask what Nancy Pelosi stands for and the San Francisco values that Nancy Pelosi stands for, there wouldn't be 15 percent of this district that would want to see her as speaker of the House." On August 31, The Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina) reported that Gingrich again used the term while stumping for Republican candidates in South Carolina, stating of Pelosi: "The prospect of her bringing San Francisco values and a whole attitude on foreign policy that is, I think, an attitude of weakness and appeasement and surrender, I think, would be a disaster for the country." Gingrich also appears to have been the first to use the term on Fox News Channel, when he claimed on the September 1 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes that "Nancy Pelosi represents a San Francisco value system that, on a whole range of issues, the country would disagree with very deeply."
O'Reilly appears to have first used the term during the October 2 broadcast of Westwood One's The Radio Factor, when he called Pelosi a "far-left secular-progressive bomb thrower" and warned that "[i]f you vote for the Democrats and if they get a majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate," then "you bring to America San Francisco values." O'Reilly repeated a similar sentiment during the October 2 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor when, during his "Talking Points Memo," he asked: "Is the USA ready for San Francisco values? Does Nancy Pelosi reflect the attitudes of most Americans?"
The Paris Business Review reported that Bill O'Reilly did, in fact, coin the phrase "San Francisco values," for which he won a Peabody Award.
...but you're wrong. You can't get a Peabody for coining phrases. Maybe some sort of Numismatics Society award, but not a Peabody.
What have they done for us philately?
We need to stamp this thread out right away!
the postmaster general?
Give no quarter.
It may have already been pointed out, but the aforementioned post was a joke. I was waiting for someone to use Keith Olbermann's jab from last night. But good analysis otherwise.
Peabody Award? Actually I think you mispoke. Wasn't it a Polk Award? Anyway, O'Reilly has Sylvester Stallone Values. You see, Like Stallone, O'Reilly also purposely dodged the draft in Vietnam. Stallone spent yeasr in college in Miami to keep his deferments up and later went to Switzerland to teach at a girls school there. Similarly, O'Reilly took a job as a school teacher during the draft days (at a time when the college school deferments had ended). School teachers received occupational deferments just like firemen and cops and nurses. That's why for the first time in our history huge numbers of men entered the teaching ranks in the early 1970s. (In fact many people have argued that hiring such disinterested draft dodging men as teachers seriously hurt public schooling for the next two decades with shoddy, disinterested teachers). Back to O'Reilly. Shortly after the draft ended, he dropped the teacher thing and moved on to Columbia Journalism School (which is regarded as the best in the country). What about the timing? Well if he went to journalism school right after uundergraduate college graduation (which I am certain would have been his preference) he would have been subject to the draft because there was no longer a college deferment allowed. And if a guy has the ability, capacity and brains to get into the best journalism school in the country, would he really have put it aside for altrusitic purposes to dedicate himself to wonderful world of teaching? Its not like he graduated from some local teaachers college, became a school teacher, and then worked his way at night through journalism school. The guy is a punk. I know he reads this stuff too because he's always talking about how the "far left media" distorts everything he says. So BillO--here it is...You are a Punk!!!!
I explode every time I hear BOR boast about how he once "taught" school.
Many people now don't know that that was a GREAT way to get out of the draft during the early (only) part of the Vietnam War (the same with marriage.) By the end, only "Divinity School" was a valid post-bachelor deferment!
BOR's truly shameless to keep reciting this pedigree. Only an idiot would think that he was impressing anybody with his humanity.
his students, I am sure one or two are still around that remember his teaching school.
While I agree with everything you say, did you ever stop and think of what might have happened had Bill served in Vietnam? What if he had been killed? Who would lead us today as we fight "The War On Christmas"?
If we had no leader, the forces of darkness and the evil SP's would surely topple our holiday. I could not imagine a more frightening situation.
Bureau of Bill's Butt as indicative of where Billy boy gets his divine guidance from
Bill is daydreaming again. with all do respect to MMFA, this term goes back to the 1980's when the 1984 Democrtaic convention was held in SF. Only then it was called San Franciso liberal.
Bill is getting all set for the war on Christmas! And this ridiculous column proves it. 4 weeks of crainess to follow.
is nothing more than an oldtime carnival barker, he wins my peabody for self-promotion. What are the bad parts about san fran values that he keeps talking about anyways?Rolling back entitlements for billionaires, student loan int.rate reductions,raising the min. wage??
The term "San Francisco values" is all about putting the image of gay pride parades in the minds of Americans to scare them.
Talking about "San Francisco values" is a cute way of saying "I hate f*gs, and I know you do too." Why is Bill so smug about flaunting his own bigotry?
San Francisco values clearly means queer values, there's no way they can get around it. It's bigoted.
Again, what if we spouted off about "Texas values?" Maybe we should.
Does anyone remember when Bill hosted "Inside Edition"?
It was one step ahead (or below) the "National Enquirer"
Now he's a conservative commentator?
Bill's an horse's ass (sorry horse) on a station run by more asses all for the love of money.
which is usually portrayed by cons as the government taking guns away from law abiding citizens, but is more commonly about restrictions on assault wea[pons, most of the SF values mentioned in the item are about freedom and keeping the gov. out of people's business.
Dang small gubbermint personal responsibility libruls!
Mr. "Culture Warrior" O'Really never lies or makes up stats and is a moderate "straight-down-the-center" traditionalist.
I have a bridge to sell. It's in pretty good shape. Any takers?
Just asking...
The “First 100 hours”:
Break the link between lobbyists and legislation.
Commit to pay-as-you-go government, no new deficit spending.
Implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
Raise the minimum wage, and do not pass a pay raise for Congress until there is an increase in the minimum wage.
Make healthcare more affordable.
Cut interest rates on student loans.
Roll back the multi-billion dollar subsidies for insanely profitable Big Oil.
Eliminate attempts to privatize Social Security.
So, I’m reading through the above, and they all sound pretty mainstream for the most part, but I still can’t find any of the following things that O’Reilly mentions in his loony column that are coming soon to a U.S. Congress near you:
A nationwide ban on junior ROTC in American high schools.
A Congressional declaration that the military is bad.
Minimizing the prison sentences of all child molesters.
Legalizing gay marriage.
Legalizing Polygamy.
Maybe there’s an elusive “Second 100 Hours” agenda floating around somewhere that Bill is referring to?
There’s no other way to describe it, Bill is bitter about the election. His party’s agenda has fallen apart, burst into flames and gone over the cliff, so it’s time to bring out the baseless fear mongering before someone else ever gets their chance to try their hand at government.
O'Reilly may not actually be the first to coin the phrase, but he's definitely the first to take credit for it. :)
BTW, I do remember him anchoring "Inside Edition", and I couldn't help but think, "He's gone from working on a tabloid news show, to working for a tabloid news network."
"Phony Express" :P I love it Snoopy.
try to claim he coined that one too. Heard it here 1st!
in levittown.
In July 1984 the DNC had its convention in San Francisco. The next month at the Republican convention in Dallas, keynoter Jeane Kirkpatrick spoke of the "San Francisco Democrats." Most of the delegates and the punddts understood what she was implying.
Boy did I ever LMAO over this one.
I had to wonder if O’Reilly used my emails criticizing his use of “secular Progressive” and “San Francisco Values” as research.
Following a cursory Google search I wrote:
10/14/06
“While I’ve met and debated with many people of varying political and spiritual persuasions, I don’t know of anyone who claims to be a “Secular Progressive”. “San Francisco Values” is an interesting notion but just how were they developed and where do you sign up for a copy? So I went to good ole reliable Google and found out that Bill O’Reilly is the leading authority on both. Mmmmm, now what does this mean?”
“I guess it means that Grand Master O’Reilly can accuse Congressman Nancy Pelosi of being a “committed Secular Progressive “ who subscribes to “San Francisco Values”(as defined by Bill O), without asking for her thoughts or opinions, then call it “Fair and Balanced”. “Fair And Balanced” continues to be the Fox News media joke of the decade. Bill O’Reilly wouldn’t know fair and balanced if Blind Lady Justice bit him on both cheeks of his hypocritical fanny.”
11/08/06
“Thank you Bill for helping to rally the troops around fake “San Francisco Values” that you coined and only you espouse, your narrow and incorrect view of Americans and your misguided view of the war on terrorism. Thankfully you were wrong again, the people DID turn out to say, “We have had enough”. In this we are not divided. “
“It feels good to have the balanced and rational voice of Nancy Pelosi as Speaker Of The House. Now maybe you will take the time to learn what the opposition really wants instead of making it up.”
was engaging in childish name-calling.
Whether it's 'secular progressives', 'San Fransisco values' or whatever insult Bill feels like tossing around this year, it's just a stupid way to communicate.
Bill wants to say he was the first to sink to this level.
If he wants the blame for that, he can have it.
"I'm a MAN, I am an ANCHORMAN! I'm a man who discovered the wheel and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal and brawn. That's what kind of man I am"
Precisely. Well put.
Bill invented the word Christmas...People were using Xmas but Uncle Bill changed that. Then Bill coined the term New Years' Eve....people only knew it as December 31st. After that, Bill coined the terms Fourth of July instead of July 4th and the beat goes on. His most famous coinage is "FAIR and BALANCED"...he is personally responsible for that one.
And let us not forgetting him naming the months of the year and the days of the week.
Thanks Uncle Bill...you have coined every phrase, term or word in this world. The only one you cannot take credit for, since it is about you is the term, Richard Noggin.
I have always thought that "San Francisco Values" was a reference to the Merle Haggard song "Oakie from Muskogee.
The whole song juxtaposes "The Oakies" or "mainstreet/silent majority" culture versus "hippies" the 1960's counter-culture/me-generation.
"We don't burn our draft cards down on mainstreet, like the hippies down in San Francisco do."
When I was growing up in the early 1980's my perception of San Francisco was largely based on the Rice-a-roni commercial. Maybe Bill O'Riley has a beef with trolley cars and dapper uniformed street car conductors.