Bill O'Reilly and President Obama sat down for a nice conversation just an hour and a half before kick off and, while there were disagreements, the two had a very intelligent and civil conversation.
O'Reilly started the interview by thanking Obama for helping Fox News journalists in Egypt, Obama says that it had to be done in order to save freedom of speech and religion.
The conversation then turned to politics as O'Reilly asks Obama about the situation in Egypt. Obama says that he has no idea when, or even if, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will step down, but he did say that he was confident that Egypt will eventually settle to be a stable, "representative government".
After Egypt talk subsided, the thoughts of both men turned to Obama's controversial "Obama care" health care plan. It's clear that both mean had strong opinions about this issue as the interview kind of degraded from a conversation to an argument.
O'Reilly asked Obama why the majority of American's disagree with his health care plan. Obama contended this point, but offered an explanation none the less. Obama said that when people look at congress all they see is bickering and arguments. Because of this, people feel like congress isn't focused on what the people want.
After a sizable health care debate, talk turned to Obama's approval rating. O'Reilly accused Obama of, more or less, becoming less liberal to appease more and more people. Obama denied this point and stated that his policies haven't changed at all.
After, the real issues are dismissed, we turn to less important topics. When asked what his least favorite part of being the leader of the free world is, he says that he hates having to wear a tie on Super Bowl Sunday.
O'Reilly raises the fact that Obama is hated by a large amount of people and asks what it feels like to be hated. Obama gives a fantastic answer to a very interesting question:
"What people hate is the funhouse mirror image of you that's [in the media]. They don't know you as a person"
On the football side, Obama says that his guests will have to take a backseat to the game. He'll talk to all his guests pregame, but during the game, Obama wants to sit back, relax, and enjoy, what he hope is a great game.
"Once my Bears lost, I don't pick sides" "I just want a good game"