An article posted on the Associated Content website gets it right:
Television influences people from everything from commercials for cereal to opinionated news. Well, two stations, ABC and Fox News Channel are taking this to a whole new level. Both stated the will limit the amount of presidential candidates during their next debates. This has stirred up controversy for candidates, who are struggling in the polls including Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.
It should stir up controversy, if not outrage, because in essence Fox and ABC are deciding who the front-runners will be. The Iowa caucus voting system, admittedly less than perfect, as of this morning has the following results for the Republicans:
Mike Huckabee - 34 per cent
Mitt Romney - 25 per cent
Fred Thompson - 13 per cent
John McCain - 13 per cent
Ron Paul - 10 per cent
Rudy Giuliani - 3 per cent
Obviously, Ron Paul, at ten percent and beating Giuliani hands-down, deserves a seat at the debates. But he will be excluded. "Fox has only asked five Republican presidential candidates to a debate that is set for Sunday in New Hampshire. These candidates include Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson. The candidates left out are Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter. The Fox News Channel says it only has a small amount of room in the studio, which will take place in a bus," continues Associated Content.
In other words, it does not matter that Paul beat Giuliani: he will not be asked to attend. Of course, there is a reason for this — Giuliani is an establishment candidate and Ron Paul is an outsider who talks dangerously about liberty, taxes, the Iraq "war," and the Constitution. Since he is not reading from the establishment script, there will be no room for him on the bus.
Despite Fox's statement about the "space issue", some just do not believe it. Pam Ungerman an Independent voter, states, "I do not buy it. Fox News Channel does not like Ron Paul's libertarian views. He is everything that most Republican candidates are not. Paul hates the war and does not stand for core values of Republicans. Fox should have the debate in a larger area than just a bus. What a poor excuse." Paul is very popular among college students on various campuses. Some students are calling for viewers to not watch the Fox News Channel anymore.
Good idea, that. Now if they can only convince their voting parents to do likewise.
ABC has not determined yet about who will be allowed to participate in its next debate, but states it will decide after the Iowa caucus that takes place on January 3rd. ABC News released a statement on its website saying it has criteria for its next debate that will take place this Saturday. ABC says the candidates must have one or more of these three requirements.
And what will that "criteria" be? It's a no-brainer, obviously. No talk about ending the Iraq occupation — or no serious talk, anyway — and certainly no talk about eliminating the IRS and returning America to an economic policy not based on funny money. Sure, the Huck talks about eliminating income taxes, but you know he really does not mean it. Like Bush's talk about "compassionate conservatism" in the lead-up to the 2000 election, Huck's idea — stolen from Ron Paul — will get lost along the way to November.
Associated Content concludes:
It will be a very interesting and unique debate this weekend with the remaining candidates according to ABC and the Fox News Channel. They have limited any chance of a dark horse candidate in the election. It is becoming a terrible situation when network executives are deciding who they want the American people to see on television.
Hardly surprising, as corporate executives at the behest of the ruling elite are the folks who decide who will be the next president, not the American people.
Once upon a time, a government ruled by corporations, by corporatism, was defined as the very essence of fascism. Now most of us are none the wiser.
Thus it is not shocking that a gaggle of fascists — in business suits instead of military uniforms — will be deciding who gets on the bus.
Fair and balanced my ass!
