Before Tucker Carlson, the most consequential news anchor in America was Bill O'Reilly. Under his leadership, Fox News became the most popular television station in America. In 2009, The O'Reilly Factor was the number one cable news show in America for 106 consecutive weeks, sometimes drawing more than three million viewers a night. His views on national politics regularly dominated the front pages, and his style was fought and often mocked by the left, but rarely ignored.
