Ron Paul Unfairly Kicked Out of Debates

[Dinner]

I don't like Ron Paul but this just seems so wrong... So typically GOP. The GOP and its media division (Fox News) have kicked Ron Paul out of their televised New Hampshire debate. They cite his low poll numbers.

The problem is, they're letting Fred Thompson into the debate, and he polls at half the support Paul does.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/01/politics/animal/main3663961.shtml

[Dinner]

As you can see by this trendline chart which brings together all the public polls in New Hampshire, Paul's support (red line -- 6.2%) and Thompson's (blue line -- 3.1%) are both pretty anemic. But Paul isn't that far off from Mike Huckabee (green line -- 11.5%). And the key fact is that the excluded Paul is outpolling the included Thompson. So there is simply no objective criteria by which you include Thompson and exclude Paul, who by the way has vastly outraised Thompson.

It was unclear to me until just now whether the real factor here was the NH GOP or Fox News, the sponsor of the debate. But the state party is now calling on Fox not to exclude viable candidates. So, it's not them. Or if it was, it isn't now.

So, it's all about Fox News. Paul's out because he's not a Fox News Bush-clone. Say whatever you want about the guy, Fox News shouldn't be able to silence him because they don't like his views.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/062331.php

[Lorizael]

Oerdin, stop imagining we live in a democracy. It's annoying.

[Dinner]

Good point. BTW anyone notice that Fox News is only paying for the Republican debate? Gee, I thought Fox News was "fair & balanced" and wasn't just a mouth piece for the GOP.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Good point. BTW anyone notice that Fox News is only paying for the Republican debate? Gee, I thought Fox News was "fair & balanced" and wasn't just a mouth piece for the GOP.

As Ned would point out, fair & balanced can only be a pro-right position.

[Patroklos]

You are sad.

[Dinner]

Yes, because in your sad sick world anyone caring about fairness & democracy is sad. You sicken me.

[Impaler[WrG]]

I find it interesting that through 2007 the Republican field of candidates has become LESS consolidated. We started with two leading candidate Guliani and McCain with neither being the leader along with a bunch of 1-2% guys. After successive slumps and flash-in-the-pan entrances the race looks like it really could go to any of 4 or more contenders now. It now looks likley that the first three primaries will be split between multiple winners and no clear leader will emerge. If that happens all through the race we could get to the GOP convention with no clear winner and no one with more then 25% of the delegates. That could set off the fiercest haggling ever seen in a GOP convention.


P.S. You know this actually could HELP Ron Paul (in later primaries), Fox News has literally ANOINTED him the political outsider he claims to be.

[Dinner]

That's actually a good point. I do like how there is no front runner who the party elites just push through the motions. There seems to be a real chance for an outsider to break through just like Clinton did in 1991-1992.

It seems this open field & uncertainty has made the party elites, and Fox News, worried so they're now trying to artificially narrow the field and eliminate candidates who don't espouse orthodoxed party views.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Patroklos
You are sad.

I am saddened by the state of democracy in the western world! How did you guess that?

[Patroklos]

EDIT: To avoid a banning from Ming

No need to state the obvious anyway.

[DinoDoc]

People care about the debates/mutual press conferences? Ron Paul could just as easily hold a press conference and tell the public more about himself. Not that explaining himself would help him in the primaries.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Patroklos
EDIT: To avoid a banning from Ming

Not that anyone has to actually say what we all know to be true about Oerdin.

Quick save. And GOP is evil.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
People care about the debates/mutual press conferences? Ron Paul could just as easily hold a press conference and tell the public more about himself. Not that explaining himself would help him in the primaries.

I wonder, why don't candidates do this?

[DinoDoc]

I don't really care why they don't. I'm more interested in why they don't hold real debates.