Predict Fox News Boycott If Ron Paul Excluded From Upcoming Debate

I predict that Ron Paul supporters will launch a major boycott of Fox News, which will then be supported by many progressive Democrats, if Fox News shamefully excludes Paul from the upcoming New Hampshire primary debate.

Maybe Democrats should invite Ron Paul to an upcoming Democratic debate to give him fair time and demonstrate how our democracy is the real democracy, compared to the Fox News and George Bush brand of Republicans.

Mark my words, we have already seen Dennis Kucinich shamefully excluded from a major Democratic debate in Iowa, and there will soon be moves to exclude other candidates in both parties from future debates. Who will be the next Democrat excluded? Dodd? Biden? Richardson? Kucinich again?

First major media fails to give candidates even minimally fair coverage, going back a year.

Then major media makes some of the most experienced and qualified candidates virtually beg for a few seconds in the debates.

Now they move to exclude candidates entirely.

Whoever controls the aiwaves controls the ballgame. Though the airwaves are a public trust, they have been abused by those holding the airwaves in trust for the public, violating the most cardinal values of a free press, First Amendment, and truly democratic debate.

With the FCC now violating the will of the Congress, the opinion of most voters, and its own public trust watch what happens when too-consolidated media, consolidates further.

Perhaps we should just cancel the campaign entirely, put the presidency up for bidding at EBAY, and allow only two establishment candidates to bid for the White House.

Of course, Fox News is the fair and balanced voice for the Republican National Committee, but now, by excluding Ron Paul, Fox News may be doing the bidding of insider Republicans but now fails to be even a fair and balanced voice for the Republican Party they represent.

Ron Paul will raise close to $20 million for his campaign in the current quarter, which should place him among the top candidates in both parties in total campaign fundraising. This alone should guarantee his seat at the table for any Republican debates for the immediate future.

If Democrats such as Biden, Dodd, Richardson and Kucinich have not gotten a fair deal from the mainstream media, it is bizarre that Fox News, the voice of the Republican Party, now takes this to a new level, excluding a candidate for Republicans who is the only true libertarian conservative voice in the Republican campaign.

I predict that if Fox does not join the ranks of American Democracy and include Ron Paul, his supporters will boycott Fox, reach out to many progressives who would never support Paul but may well join his legions to make a stand against this latest abuse of democracy, by the fair and balanced network that only represents certain factions in their vision of a one party media.

Comments

[xtrabiggg]

Fox News should change their name to 'PRAVDA', since they seem to have adopted that media outlet's editorial and censorship policy. And, if the Republican Party Of New Hampshire and the National GOP do not insist that either ALL the candidates participate, or NONE of them do, they should change the name of the GOP to the 'COMMUNIST PARTY', since thier advocacy of censorship of legitimate candidates for President would be in line with the traditions of the rulers of the now-defunct USSR and those still in power in the People's Republic of China.

Furthermore, sanctions and fines should be levied by the party against any candidate who participates in this travesty. FOX News and the GOP should also be charged by the Federal Election Commission with violation of the "Electioneering' laws, whereby they are using pubilc airwaves to unfairly favor or disfavor one candidate over another. In addition, they should be charged with violating Federal Campaign Finance laws, as instead of a News event, this would become an advocacy broadcast for the candidates appearing, and would, in effect, amount to an illegal campaign donation to the tune of MILLIONS OF DOLLARS to the campaigns of the candidates who appear on the boradcast. Of course, this will never happen, as the FEC, the Justice Department and most of our government has been corrupted and taken over with billions in lobbyist dollars by the very powers that are seeking to impose this un-American censorship- the multinational corporations who OWN the Media outlets, and who are profiting obscenely through the war and the monetary policies that Ron Paul advocates changing and eliminating.

xtrabiggg
+++++++++++++++++

[Pyrum]

According to Fox's own post debate polls, about a third of their audience feel Ron Paul wins their republican debates. It's a mystery to me why Fox would want to alienate a third of their viewing audience.

[elleanee]

You rock, Brent. Thanks for this great piece!

[wis4rp]

Fox & Co. are in crisis, they have no good options, the sell-off in the stock that started yesterday appears real.

It's good to punish Fox, finally, for their egregious manipulating of the public.

But, Saint Anselm College, where Fox will broadcast the debate/forum, has not issued a public statement. Allowing Fox's censorship betrays the ideals of Liberty and Democracy, ideals the College claims to uphold.

Even the student's Mock Primary put support for Ron Paul 5 to 1 over Thompson.

Ask the college president to justify himself!

Father Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B.
President
Saint Anselm College
100 Saint Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH 03102-1310
jdefelice@­anselm.edu

[thinkbig]

Great idea to let Paul join in a democratic debate. It would be a magnanimous gesture that might even give some of his independent supporters cause to support a democratic nominee in the general election, as they recall being stiffed by the republicans.

[mketcher]

Fox News can no longer be considered a credible news organization. They've destroyed whatever shred of journalistic integrity remained. Even if they cave in and invite Dr. Paul, it would only be because of pressure from viewers, advertisers, and stockholders -- not because it's the right thing to do. Fox should be boycotted, anyway. I suspect that the snub by Fox will work in Dr. Paul's favor, bringing him far greater publicity and energizing his supporters even more. However, I'm also hopeful that it will cause more people to distrust the mainstream media.

People are disgusted with politics as usual and want someone with honesty, integrity, and authenticity. For a great satire on the president, the mainstream media, and the war on terror, see this YouTube music video from the international award-winning zombie musical feature film, "Song of the Dead." It' stars horror movie veteran Reggie Bannister (Phantasm, Wishmaster, Bubba Ho-tep) as the president of the U.S. The filmmaker, Chip Gubera, is giving a share of his profits from DVD sales to the Ron Paul campaign. Go to:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qQmkkoxSKYw

[HairyRead]

Since when are Paul supporters NOT boycotting Fox News?

AND, what about ABC?

Oh, I guess you forgot that Paul was also left off their debate line up.

Move along... nothing to see here.

[libertarian4321]

Fox is spinning as hard as it can, trying to think of a reason to legitimate its censorship of Ron Paul.

First they claim he was "too low in the polls", until it was pointed out that he's outpolling Giuliani (and tied with Thompson) in Iowa, and ahead of Thompson (and in a statistical dead heat with Giuliani and Huckabee) in NH.

Now, they are trying to say his opinions make him "not worthy" of being in the debate (since when does "we report, you decide" become "we decide and only show you what we want you to see!") by WRONGLY stating that Ron Paul supports "9-11 truth" (Dr. Paul has been asked this question dozens of times, and has NEVER supported it).

[ptarantino]

Fox is making a big mistake.

[antiwardoc]

Operation "CHANGE THE CHANNEL" in health clubs, bars, and gyms.

Most of us don't watch Fox News, and our mental health is the better for it. But many of us go to health clubs, gyms, and bars, where Fox News is blaring as the default channel.

Just ask them to change the channel. This will have a multiplier effect.

[dhpye]

Fox has explained that they consider Ron Paul to be a 9/11 truther for his comments about 'blowback' in an earlier debate. And truthers have no business being on stage with legitimate Republicans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFYqtDL50AM

[xenubarb]

I got this today:
http://action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=88

From this site, you can send a message to Chris Wallace at Faux News. I did, and this is exactly how I spelled Faux. ;)

[letsmakesense]

The battle lines are being drawn.
Corporate owned FOX vs. freedom.
Vote with your dollars.
Do not support the sponsors at any Fox station.
Send them e mails and letters.
Finance newspaper adds through your Ron Paul Meet up group listing the Fox sponsors.

[BaltoAman]

Brent, you are the MAN!

Democracy will not be stifled! The status quo is getting blown to smithereens, and the major media outlets just can't (or won't) keep up.

Their losses include ratings, ad revenue and relevance.

Thank god (and Al Gore) for the internet!