Ron Paul's comment edited out of FOX debate

Quote :

With the primary election season finally (mercifully) about to begin, two networks have given Ron Paul supporters a legitimate issue over which to cry "media conspiracy!" The two conglomerates in question, FOX and ABC, have summarily decided to exclude some candidates from forthcoming debates. While Paul may or may not make the roster for Saturday's ABC debate, he's definitely not being invited to Fox's on Sunday. Though Paul continues to lead the big AOL straw poll, proving that his followers spend more time online than any of the other candidates', the more traditional telephone surveys have not shown him attaining double digit levels of approval. But is that the whole story?

Paul fans are particularly irate with Fox News, who seems to have pulled the plug on their man primarily because they don't agree with his ideas. How else to explain including Fred Thompson, the man who doesn't especially want to be president, at their January 6 round-table forum, while excluding Paul? While out-raising the entire GOP field in 4th-quarter fundraising with a total of over $19 million, Paul positively crushed Thompson, and "The Tennessee Stud's" poll numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire aren't exactly stellar.

The New Hampshire Republican Party isn't happy about Fox's decision, either. State party Chairman Fergus Cullen explains:

"...the New Hampshire Republican Party calls upon all media organizations planning pre-primary debates or forums for both parties to include all recognized major candidates in their events. The New Hampshire Republican Party has notified Fox News of our position..."

Fox isn't the only network to run afoul of the Paul campaign. Adding to the controversy, ABC has also decided to winnow the number of candidates on stage at a January 5th debate. This time, Paul may or may not make the cut. ABC's reasons, at least, seem somewhat more scientific.

The network has set new criteria for the debate, with candidates needing to meet one of three criteria: placing fifth through fourth in the Iowa Caucuses, polling at higher than 5% in one of the last four major New Hampshire polls, or polling at 5% or higher in one of the last four national polls.

The funny thing is that if FOX did this to try and harm Paul's campaign, then they are foolish because this is the sort of thing that could give him a huge boost.

If this were a tear-jerker, inspirational movie, then the next scene would involve all the other candidates refusing to participate unless Paul is invited. The whole event rises to standoff with FOX finally relenting at the last minute after 8 year-old Timmy succeeds in getting a meeting with Rupert Murdoch and convinces him of the importance of true democracy.

This leads to the climactic moment where all the other candidates have already taken their place and Ron Paul finally enters. There is palpable silence. Then we hear one solitary clap. Followed by another. The camera pans and it is none other than John McCain. The other candidates quickly join in and in moments, there is a rousing applause as Ron Paul takes his mike, climbs onto the stack of phone books behind his podium, glances at his wife, and then looks into the camera as the debates commence.

There is not a dry eye in the house.

The screen fades to black as the following text appears:


"After the debates, McCain's popularity skyrocketed and he won the nomination.

Defying party insiders, he chose Ron Paul as his running mate.

They were destroyed by Obama/Edwards."

glitterfiend28 wrote:

The funny thing is that if FOX did this to try and harm Paul's campaign, then they are foolish because this is the sort of thing that could give him a huge boost.

I hope so.
Im disgusted by this and even Paul detractors should be.

this is nothing new.

ted koppel said in 2004 that the democrats should cut back on the candidates and that people like kucinich, mosley-braun, and al sharpton don't matter. then ABC stopped following those 3 candidates by taking their correspondents assigned to those campaigns and re-assigning them. i'm surprised fox did this to paul, though.

Paul was in the January 5th debate hosted by ABC, but not the forum hosted by Fox News.

Hopefully Ron Paul's 4th place finish (at best) tomorrow will shut some of the people around here up about him.

surfingfreak1 wrote:

Hopefully Ron Paul's 4th place finish (at best) tomorrow will shut some of the people around here up about him.

GO NEOCONS GO!
You are delusional if you think their is nothing wrong with the 'reality' you help perpetuate.
You're a democrat, and that's fine, just don't try to fool yourself into believing your a conservative because you like the sound bites and disagree with gay marriage or abortion or some secondary topic to the issues of main importance.