I was disapointed to see Robert Spencer hand-in-hand with the neocons at Fox News.
Also, I don't like it when, on jihadwatch, he writes about murders commited by Muslims, murders which are not always commited in the name of Islam; he treats them all the same, as islamic terrorism.
His criticism of the Quran and the hadith is valuable, though.
I agree that his criticism of Islam is valid. The problem with this valid criticism is twofold.
First, it unavoidably casts negative light on all Muslims which easily turns into bigotry, for wether we like it or not humanity is made up of countless idiots and "trousered apes" to plagiarize the bison.
Second, majority of "natural" supporters of people criticizing Islam, no matter how objectively or constructively, are bigoted idiots. E.g.: I opened a fake Facebook account not long ago proclaiming my Ex-muslimosity. (It is fake in as much as I did not give my real name.) Now I have over 30 friends in common with Anowarul Kabir, known in the forum as armanduck. I kept confirming strange peoples requests for "friendship" (never seeking any) and I would guess that 90% of them are Obama hating, zealous christian American Islamophobes. I intend to unfriend all such people eventually, but then I suspect I will have 3 or 4 friends on the account.
I don't know too much about Spencer, I never have heard him say anything clearly bigoted, and his criticism of Islam always seems sound. What is his hidden agenda or real feelings towards Muslims I may never know, but if I'm right in believing that popularity is his goal, he simply can not afford to loose all the bigots who currently worship him. If Fox News is the only outlet to give him a platform, shall he refuse and let his children starve?