NBC Will Go To Any Length To Exclude Dennis Kucinich From Nevada Debate

Dennis Kucinich may be currently drawing only one percent in the polls, but what a percent! It's apparently sufficient enough to drive all sorts of media organizations to hopeless distraction in their attempts to exclude the candidate from debating.

Kucinich has run afoul of the debate gatekeepers before. In Iowa, the Des Moines Register kept Kucinich from the dais using a set of regulations that somehow, perplexingly, failed to exclude the grandstanding paleocon fop Alan Keyes. That's sort of like having a set of rules that ban birthday cake while requiring people to stick their faces inside a bag of wild, fearful voles, but, whatever! As far as the Des Moines Register was concerned, democracy was served.

Now, in Nevada, Kucinich has had to file suit against NBC, who rescinded their previous invitation to tonight's debate. Judge Charles Thompson ended up deciding the matter in Kucinich's favor, threatening to shut the debate down if Kucinich is disallowed from participating. But NBC must have heaps of money to burn in pursuing this absurd matter, because today, they've filed an appeal and will take this matter before the Nevada Supreme Court, which is surely the best possible use of their time ever!

Why is NBC taking such extreme measures to keep Kucinich from the debate? Does the network think it would be bad for the democratic process to have at least one candidate onstage who's neither enmeshed in the nonsensical racial animus the race has become steeped in, nor likely to be to help perpetuate the asinine gender politics expressed by their employee, Chris Matthews? Probably!

Comments

[kfdan]

The mainstream media is a corporate pander operation and that should be banned from existing! Bring back enforced limitations on media ownership and diversify the media!
Dennis Kucinich may not command a large number of supporters but he's still in the race and that should be good enough!

[JPYM]

This is why we need independent media and public campaign financing. The airwaves belong to the people and when we let companies use them, they need to serve the democratic process. We need to hear from all of the candidates, not just the ones that the corporate interests support.

[PuffDragon]

Why would you knowingly vote for a candidate who doesn't support free speech or democracy?

I don't see ANY of the other presidential candidates or Congress rallying to support democracy OR freedom of speech either, by keeping Kucinich in the game. It's time to get every one of them out, out out.

Such criminality in broad daylight - MSNBC must have support from the very top, or they would never get away with such an anti-democratic, anti-freedom of speech action.

[johnnydajogger]

Now I convinced. Actions speak louder than words. I'm voting for Dennis for sure.

[Chavez08]

"Those who make peaceful Revolution impossible, make violent Revolution inevitable­."

- Thomas Jefferson

[getoffmedz]

MSM controls the national debate. Kucinich is not a boot licking fellow-traveler.

He must be silenced.

[jcorrington]

Shame, shame on you NBC



del 8300
ie 7

[Tankan]

Censorship rears it's ugly head!

Let the man speak!

[scooperss]

Might have to vote for Kucinich out of spite. When stations start limiting debates to who THEY want you to hear, it's a very bad day.
Just took a poll before this came up that asked which news network was the most partisan.
Guess I nailed that one.

[Macready]

NBC is nuts . . . or are they just trying to make sure the standard MSM BS is the only thing that gets through to the voters? I guess the latter . .. . hope their appeal is thrown out . . . we need Kucinich in the debate!

[VivaZapata]

The debate had all the excitement of a downpour during a fourth of july fireworks display. Three lamos questioned by two corporate shills.

[realitytrumpsbull]

Gimme an 'I'
Gimme an 'M'
Gimme a 'P'
.

[thebeerdoctor]

So Kucinich was stopped from being in the debate. You know in the NCAA basketball tournament where the 65 teams compete towards the championship, even the smaller conferences are at least given a chance. I find it odd that an elected member of Congress is prevented from participating, while "former" officials are allowed. Thus we have former Senator John Edwards, but not Representative Kucinich. On the GOP side we have a former New York mayor, a former Senator and former NBC television actor, and a former governor-preacher, but not Representative Ron Paul.

Putting that in perspective I now have my own Special Comment, reserved for a participant in tonight's charade: Keith Olbermann.

We have watched you, week night after week night, with your biting commentary about all things bad concerning George W Bush. Your snarky but accurate remarks have become somewhat of a legend around certain progressive, or to be more accurate, thinking circles. But tonight your participation in this media farce, reveals you sir to be little more than a media whore like the rest of your colleagues. Instead of lending your likable face to this dubious project, you could have called in sick or said "let Shuster fill in." But no sir, that recent contract that you signed for MSNBC, has now put you in harness. Now you must defend Jeff Imelt (which you recently did) and admire Chris Mathews giggle. Sir, our fourth estate has been lessened by this capitulation. Good night and good luck.

[loki]

they are fighting it because they know they screwed up. If they let it rest, they could have everyone , known and unknown who is registered to run for president attempting to use this case to get their airtime. Which I think they should get equal time. But in our fake democracy , elections are tightly controlled environments , and only pre approved candidates are allowed to get coverage by the media. That is always a couple that the power that be want to win. A couple that they would be ok with if they won, and a couple that dont have a snow balls chance in hell of winning to give the perception that we are actually picking a president in a democratic way.

[UNCLEJOE]

Kucinich needs money to fight for us. Give what you can while you still have a job or a bank account with the deflated dollars.