Unfair & Unbalanced

I groaned when I heard that TV blowhard Bill OReilly has been tapped to address the annual convention of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America next April in Washington, D.C. While I don't object to political clowns in principle, I draw the line at those who try to pass themselves off as “journalists,” and wonder why a more liberal pundit can't be recruited once in awhile to appear at an insurance meeting.

Bullies like O'Reilly just don't have a sense of humor. Liberals like Al Franken, Bill Maher and Jon Stewart all manage to be funny while taking obnoxious jabs at the opposing political party. Why do right wing commentators, in contrast, take themselves so damned seriously?

I'm not a big fan of celebrity speakers to begin with at these gatherings. They draw huge fees, yet rarely if ever have anything very original, let alone relevant, to say.

For example, take former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is making a fortune on the insurance rubber chicken circuit, doing at least four appearances at industry conferences last year alone. I swear, if I hear him tell his cute story one more time about how the day after he left the Bush Administration, he insisted on fixing one of his toilets himself, and what mayhem resulted, I think I'm going to scream!

This is what you generally get for your six-figure speaking fee. A bunch of blather and self-promoting nonsense. Who needs it?

But Sam, I can hear the associations pleading, you gotta give the people a break from the hum-drum of insurance once in awhile. Attendees enjoy seeing a celebrity in the flesh and basking in their glow. Rudy Giuliani (who at least does a little work in the risk management business) knocks 'em dead every time! People can't get enough of him! He's a presidential candidate, for goodness sake (or at least pretending to be long enough to sell lots more of his books and consulting contracts).

Fine! I'll give you Rudy, who I think did a terrific job for the most part as mayor. I even voted for the guy–twice! But we've also had the likes of Oliver North on the insurance circuit, posing as Mr. Patriotism himself while hawking his books about how he flouted the law with impunity.

And now, Bill O'Reilly! He was identified in the Big I press release as “a journalist for more than 25 years” (when in fact the guy is a TV personality and shrill pundit, not a newsman), with a syndicated column “carried by hundreds of papers across the country, including The New York Post.” (At least the Post has a sense of humor, picturing V.P. Dick Cheney as Elmer Fudd after he accidentally shot his hunting partner.)

Reilly is also hailed as the host of “the highest rated cable television show for more than 200 consecutive weeks” (that's not saying much), as well as a best-selling author–with four consecutive New York Times number-one non-fiction bestsellers. It almost makes him sound respectable!

He's also referred to as an independent, as in neither a Republican nor a Democrat. Think Obama or Clinton has a shot of getting his vote in 2008? Come on!

One group that handles this right is the Workers' Compensation Educational Conference, for which NU puts on a national trends program every August in Orlando. At least they have a sense of humor. One year, they had the Capitol Steps perform (a musical comedy group that makes fun of official Washington–Republican and Democrat alike). Then they had Darryl Hammond of “Saturday Night Live” fame (who did a dead-on Clinton imitation, but who also poked fun at the Republicans).

Two years ago, they had Steve Bridges, the George W. Bush impersonator who is at the center of the controversy over the heckler incident at Barbra Streisand's concert at Madison Square Garden earlier this year. (I was there! The heckler deserved Barbra's wrath). Bridges' comic turn as Bush is so silly and harmless that the president himself had the guy appear with him at some function, just as his dad before him had Dana Carvey of “SNL” appear with him from time to time. That's what we need! Bipartisan humor!

How about challenging the audience once in awhile with a speaker who doesn't just throw red meat to the crowd? A few years ago, the Big I had Jesse Jackson, which showed a lot of guts and actually generated some news. How about asking Bill Clinton to speak? (The Big I did work with him on HIPPA, after all.) How about Hillary Clinton?

Better yet, save the money and actually get someone up there to talk more about the issues that really matter to insurers and agents! Someone truly fair and balanced.

If you want an actual journalist with 25 years of real experience (as well as one covering the insurance business) to speak at your meeting, one who deals in facts rather than fantasies, I'm available.