Well, this was a heck of a debate.
Newshounds, one of my favorite sites, was reporting on GOP candidate Ron Paul's fury over being
excluded from a Fox News debate.
I decided to report what I'd kust seen on Media Bistro: that the "debate" that Ron Paul wasn't invited to
supposedly never existed.
Still, I wasn't sure. Other reports, especially
this one on a Baltimore Sun blog, convinced me that the Fox news event was planned, Paul was snubbed, and then Fox News tried to spin its way out of the fallout from Paul's infuriated base.
The debate in the Newshounds Comments sections began to rage--and then, the Newshounds post was yanked, leaving me and several other posters in the isolated comments section, posting our evidence and arguing our positions. It's weird, as every one of us had to know that the comments window would disappear forever once anyone of us closed it.
I think I was the only liberal in the debate. The rest were conservatives arguing with me and eachother.
I decided to preserve my posts for posterity, along with enough of my fellow commentors' debates so that hopefully it makes some kind of sense.
For the record, here are some other links we dug up in the debate.
Here's one from the Manchester Union-Leader, the item called "
outfoxed." I believe the last sentence reveals what the even in question was.
Here's a
blog post which supposedly puts the whole issue to rest as a hoax. I'm unconvinced, and actually think it exposes the holes in the "Fox News would never do that" theory.
And now, my crazy posts under the name of "Howard Beale."
Media Bistro and some conservative websites are reporting that Fox's Ron Paul snub is a hoax and/or misunderstanding. I'm really not sure yet if this is on the mark or spin on the part of Fox News and its allies. http://www.mediabistro.com/bbs/c...he/ t36791_1.asp ********************************************************************************* Here's a link to the AP story. There's no correction in it at this time. http://ap.google.com/article/ ALe...bEXw7gD8TQ2N282 Also note that the story maintains the "encounter" (it's not called a debate) "will air live beginning at 8 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel and on Fox News Radio. Here's another story dated yesterday from the Baltimore Sun. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/ ...l_outfoxed.html Note that Fox News wouldn't cooperate with the blogger trying to get the story straight, while the NH GOP seemed to confirm that event was in fact planned and was excluding Paul. "Calls and emails to Fox News spokespersons by the Tribune were not returned Saturday evening. "An official at the New Hampshire GOP, which is co-sponsoring the event with Fox, said that Paul might still be included, but the planning for the debate was still coming together and it was ultimately Fox's call." ********************************************************************************* I'm becoming convinced the event was real, and that Fox is spinning it out of existence with double-talk. There apparently WAS a January 6 "forum" or "encounter" or "roundtable" that was described not being a debate, but which was definitely going to be broadcast and featured Chris Wallace questioning five candidates with Ron Paul excluded. When the fallout became undesirable for Fox, they came up with the storyline that "there never was a debate scheduled for that day." > > it was ultimately Fox's call >If that were true then Ron Paul would be included. He's been included in every Fox debate so far, and is part of the next Fox debate on the 10th - johnny dollar __________________________ I disagree. Seems to me like Paul was still out of the event with just a few days to go, so I think Fox News was using the declared "non-debate" status of the event to exclude Paul. ********************************************************************************* >>Fox News hasn't said anything about this Jan 6 debate since they cancelled it three weeks ago--at which time Ron Paul hadn't agreed to attend anyhow because he was speaking at another event! How can you say Fox came up with a storyline when they haven't said anything?!? Even the newshounds realize this story is a phony (possibly a hoax started by BigHead DC) as they have pulled it from the site. johnny dollar ________________________________ Are you sure Fox News canceled the event three weeks ago? Why couldn't the Baltimore Sun reporter get any comment from them? Why did the Paul campaign say they got no word back from Fox News? Why did the NH GOP seem the think the event was still on? ********************************************************************************* Johnny Doller, thanks for linking to the Manchester Union Leader article. It has convinced me that Fox News is lying and spinning. The Dec. 16 article describes how NH GOP chairman Fergus Cullen proposed January 6 debate was cancelled. But the last sentence reveals a lot. "He still plans a GOP brunch at the Hampshire Hills facility in Milford on Jan. 6, and wants to organize some kind of town-hall forum for candidates able to attend." http://www.unionleader.com/pda-a...41- 3af4f96063db I believe this became the "forum" that Ron Paul was going to be excluded from. ********************************************************************** howard the free republic is still claiming the forum will continue - not a liberal place by any means - so if fox isnt planning it or wasnt - why is a conservative forum saying they are? ana coachella ________________________________ Why this story is posted or not posted is a matter for Newshounds and the Free Republic. It doesn't have any bearing on how I'm viewing it. (Personally, I think the Newshounds are trying to sort the story out. It is very confusing.) *************************************************************** Um that's exactly what I said. The state GOP is putting on a brunch and may do a town-hall, and they may exclude Ron Paul. But Fox News has nothing to do with either the brunch or the town hall. That's the doing of the state GOP. Thank you for proving me correct. johnny dollar ______________________________________ Fox News not involved? The AP and Baltimore Sun articles stated otherwise, and the NH GOP seemed to agree. And I haven's seen anything that beleivable counters this. Howard_Beale ********************************************************************* > > The AP and Baltimore Sun articles stated otherwise >Sigh. Once again, if you read the link, you would realize how they were hoaxed by BigHead DC. http://www.nolanchart.com/article797.html johnny dollar _____________________________________ Tsai. if you read the Baltimore Sun article, you'd see that Fox was not responding to questions, that Fox News was reportedly not responding to inquiries from the Ron Paul campaign, and that the NH GOP thought that Paul's appearance at the event was Fox's call.
