“Adultery?”: Gretchen Grins

When it came to adultery during the O’Reilly Factor’s “Cultural Warrior” segment,  Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson stayed strangely silent. Before Bill O’Reilly quizzed his guests Gretchen and FNC colleague Juliet Huddy on their positions on adultery, same-sex relations, abortion, children outside of wedlock, and the death penalty, he showed them a recent Gallup poll of Americans’ views on the issues. Then he offered them the option to opt out if they so desired to avoid embarrassment.

O’Reilly declared, “Alright, Carlson, we begin with you. So, let us start with adultery. I mean, it’s obvious that the American people think that’s the most immoral thing even over abortion which is life and death.”* (92% of Americans surveyed by Gallup agreed that it was “morally wrong” whereas 6% deemed it “morally acceptable.”) Without answering the question, Gretchen commented, “Yes, it’s also quite apparent that they’re lying when they’re answering this Gallup poll.” “You think so?” asked an incredulous O’Reilly. Gretchen replied, “Well, more than half of all people cheat in their marriages so to say that only.” Before she could finish,, O’Reilly interrupted, “But, just because you do it doesn’t mean that you think that it’s okay.” Undaunted, Gretchen answered, “Well, that’s true about a lot of these things that we’re going to discuss tonight but…I’m not so sure people answered honestly. I think they answered intentionally how they would like to lead their lives.”

Interjecting, Juliet laughed, “Or, there are just a lot of hypocrites out there. I mean, a lot of hypocrites.” Opining himself, O’Reilly offered, “Or, you can say, ‘It’s the human condition.’ We’re all sinners, right? And some people do bad things, they don’t justify it [but] they do bad things and then they say they’re sorry.” Juliet answered, “Well, they recognize that it’s immoral.”

Attempting to conclude the discussion on that matter, O’Reilly asked, “Neither of you [are] among the 6% who think it’s okay?” Jesting, Juliet remarked, “No, I was one.” O’Reilly queried, “Oh, you were?” Furrowing her brow in mock indignation, Juliet retorted, “Of course not. Who are these 6% that would say that?” Turning to Juliet, a guffawing Gretchen interposed, “He said we didn’t have to say.”

Trying again to end the matter definitively, O’Reilly questioned, “So on adultery, you’re both, ‘Immoral,” right?” Succintly, Juliet emphatically answered, “Bad. Adultery bad.” With her jaws tightly clenched, Gretchen simply smiled and slightly nodded her head but she uttered not a word.

Does Gretchen approve of adultery? Probably not. But, tonight she certainly did not appear overly eager to answer that question.

[For the reader who is interested in their views on the remaining social issues, Gretchen and Juliet concurred that same-sex relations and the death penalty were morally acceptable. However, as to a child born out of wedlock, Gretchen judged it “morally unacceptable” but Juliet found it “morally acceptable.” With regard to abortion, Gretchen would not divulge her view but Juliet reluctantly deemed it “morally acceptable.”]

*O’Reilly Factor – 05/27/10 (@8:30 a.m. ET)

Tags: Bill O'Reilly, Cultural Warriors, FNC, Fox & Friends, Fox and Friends, Fox News, Gallup poll, Gretchen Carlson, Juliet Huddy, O'Reilly Factor