The Factor began Friday's show with the leaked audio tape from 2005, when Donald Trump was caught on tape saying some extremely crude things about women. Meanwhile, Wikileaks has released some of Hillary Clinton's speeches to Wall Street bigwigs, during which she spoke glowingly about the financial business. Fox News host Dana Perino assessed the damage, beginning with Donald Trump. "This will hurt him and not just with women," she declared. "It's shockingly lewd and I have never heard that kind of language from a grown person who wants to be president. I don't think it's just women who are offended, although people who want to support him will still support him." Perino turned to the Hillary Clinton speeches. "There are some things in there that will make people say that is what they thought all along. She actually said she has to have a 'public position' and a 'private position.' That will cause problems with millennials who don't want a typical politician." The Factor groused, "This is the dirtiest campaign I've ever seen."

With a new Fox News poll showing Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton essentially tied, political analysts Arnon Mishkin and David Paleologos crunched the numbers. "I was surprised this is so close," Mishkin said. "Hillary Clinton has had a couple of good weeks, but Mike Pence's performance in the vice presidential debate may have helped Donald Trump. And it is not clear that Trump's tax issue had any effect." Paleologos turned to the swing states that will determine the winner. "We released a poll in New Hampshire this week showing a close race, and her numbers have come down in other battleground states. The reason this race is close is that people think Washington is broken and the country is on the wrong track. What really matters now is the two blocs of persuadable voters who remain - the undecided voters and the Gary Johnson voters. That 15% will determine the outcome."

The Factor turned to FNC's Jon Scott, who reported the latest on Hurricane Matthew as the storm worked its way up the coast from Florida. "The good news is that the storm has stayed pretty much out to sea," Scott said, "and the eye of the storm has not come on shore. But it is not looking good for South Carolina, where the forecast is getting worse. So far this hurricane has not been as bad as most people thought, although a million-and-a-half people in Florida don't have power." Scott lamented that Haiti was not so fortunate and more than 800 Haitians have died in the storm.

"It's been a quick two decades, that I can tell you. From nothing, Fox News has risen to become a powerful force in America, as well as a billion-dollar franchise. On-air talent and smart management have driven the success. In primetime, Hannity and I have been here from the beginning; Steve Doocy is a legacy guy in the morning, and Jon Scott in the afternoon. Without a doubt FNC has made its mark with robust debate and the point of view that traditional-conservative thought deserves a hearing alongside liberal thought. But this is no ideological monolith here, as the presidential campaign proves. There is just as much anti-Trump sentiment as pro-Trump on FNC, sometimes even causing differences between anchors. You will never see that in any other American TV news operation. All the others pretty much despise Mr. Trump across the board. And that's what makes us more interesting to watch; we are not predictable. The Factor has been on top for 16 consecutive years. Johnny Carson knew how that felt, but few others will ever experience it. Three Factor staff members have been at the network for all twenty years: Amy Sohnen, Rob Monaco and the indispensable Makeda Wubneh. The rest of my staff are the Navy Seals of broadcast journalism - professionals who never waver. So happy birthday FNC. Party on."

Media reporter Joe Concha provided his unbiased analysis of Fox News and the network's success. "The main thing with Fox is loyalty," he said. "I talk with executives throughout the industry and they are jealous of Fox News because you have an audience that is more loyal than any other. Why is that? Any lucid person would say that the media leans left, so there was this whole other slot that was yearning for something else. You filled a void by offering up actual debate. Also, familiarity breeds comfort and you've had people who have been here for 20 years."

The New York Post has published a report claiming that many FBI officials are disgusted by Director James Comey's behavior in the Hillary Clinton email situation. The Factor asked Geraldo Rivera whether the story will gain traction. "On any other night it would," Rivera replied, "but the scandal involving Donald Trump and his lewd statements will put the Trump presidential campaign on life support. This is a front page story on every newspaper in the world! Donald Trump will be embattled and tonight they are in crisis mode in Trump Tower. So on any other night this FBI story might attract attention, but not in this context where what Donald Trump said was shockingly obscene. Somebody leaked those tapes just two days before the debate."

The Factor welcomed Fox News correspondent Carl Cameron, who has been covering the Trump campaign and weighed in on the latest controversy. "To say that they're despondent is an exaggeration," he reported, "but to say that they are worried about this is obvious. This comes at an inopportune time. Donald Trump thought Mike Pence could have been more aggressive in defending him and some pundits have suggested that Trump's campaign could really be in trouble if he doesn't over-perform in Sunday's debate. It's just not good and even Trump knows this is very, very tough."

Harold Kline, Clear Spring, MD: "Bill, everything you said about Secretary Clinton's emails, the Justice Department investigation and the FBI was accurate. Here's the sad part: nothing will be done about it."

Margaret Guggina, Troy, MI: "Bill, I was disappointed in how you spun Trump's backpedaling on why he bragged about not paying taxes. The emperor has no clothes. I want unbiased reporting."

Chuck Wiese, Portland, OR: "Bill, you told the actor who plays Ronald Reagan, Tim Matheson, that you don't mind liberals if they think. But there are no thinking liberals."

This Sunday night is the big presidential debate, and then one Sunday later the movie 'Killing Reagan' will air on the National Geographic Channel. You might say, Thank God it's Sunday!