Watch O'Reilly vs. Stewart 2012

On October 6th, 2012, Straight Talk, Inc./Busboy Productions, Inc. presented a fascinating political debate between two titans of the media world - Bill O'Reilly and Jon Stewart. The show, titled "O'Reilly vs. Stewart 2012," was a one-time event that aired live on pay-per-view from The George Washington University in Washington D.C.

The premise was simple: O'Reilly and Stewart, two pundits with vastly different ideologies, would engage in a heated, 90-minute debate on the pressing issues of the 2012 presidential campaign. The two had previously engaged in a similar debate in 2004, which proved to be wildly popular, and viewers eagerly anticipated this rematch.

The setting for the event was straightforward. The two sat at a rectangular table, flanked by moderators - CNN's E.D. Hill and Fox News' Chris Wallace. Audience members sat in the background, quivering with anticipation. The show began with an introduction from Hill, who explained the rules of the debate: each person would get a chance to speak for two and a half minutes on each of the six topics proposed, followed by a brief exchange between the two speakers. Hill also emphasized that "there are no commercial breaks, no props, no scripts, no teleprompters - just two men in chairs, discussing the issues."

The first topic was "The State of the Union." Both Stewart and O'Reilly gave their opinions on the current state of America, with O'Reilly hailing the country's natural resources and military might while Stewart lamented the widening income gap and the lack of trust in government. The two sparred on the issue of fairness, with O'Reilly advocating for a more laissez-faire approach while Stewart argued for greater government intervention to level the playing field.

Next up was "The Economy." Both speakers were critical of the way the economy had been handled up to that point, but their proposed solutions were wildly different. O'Reilly advocated for a shrinking of the government and fewer taxes for big corporations, while Stewart called for a return to the policies of the 1950s, when the marginal tax rate for the wealthiest Americans was 90%. The two disagreed on the role that government should play in jump-starting the economy, with O'Reilly suggesting that entrepreneurship and small business growth were the keys to success and Stewart pointing to the New Deal as an example of successful government intervention.

The third topic, "Foreign Policy," was perhaps the most contentious. O'Reilly advocated for a strong military presence in the Middle East and suggested that Obama's actions had weakened America's position as a superpower. Stewart, on the other hand, was skeptical of military involvement in general and criticized America's history of propping up dictators around the world. The two also disagreed on the issue of torture, with O'Reilly arguing that it was sometimes necessary to extract information and Stewart insisting that it was morally reprehensible.

The fourth topic was "Social Issues," which included gay marriage and the role of religion in politics. On the issue of same-sex marriage, Stewart argued that it was a matter of civil rights, while O'Reilly maintained that the issue should be left up to individual states. On the topic of religion, Stewart argued that a secular government was necessary to protect freedom of religion, while O'Reilly argued that the Founding Fathers had intended for religious morality to play a role in government.

The fifth topic, "The Media," was a chance for the two speakers to discuss their own roles in shaping public opinion. Both were critical of the current state of journalism, with Stewart characterizing the current crop of cable news programs as "partisan hackery" and O'Reilly criticizing the sensationalism and lack of substance in modern news reporting. The two also disagreed on the role that bias played in news coverage, with O'Reilly insisting that he was "fair and balanced" and Stewart pointing to the network's conservative agenda.

Finally, the sixth topic was "The Election," with the two speakers giving their predictions and thoughts on the state of the race. O'Reilly predicted that Romney would win by a narrow margin, while Stewart defended Obama's accomplishments and argued that he deserved a second term.

Overall, "O'Reilly vs. Stewart 2012" was a highly entertaining and thought-provoking event, showcasing two of the most influential voices in American media. The two speakers were passionate and articulate, and their contrasting viewpoints made for an engaging debate. The event was highly anticipated and generated a lot of buzz both before and after it aired. For those who missed it, the event is now available on DVD and online.

O'Reilly vs. Stewart 2012 is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (1 episodes). The series first aired on October 6, 2012.