Update: Ron Paul is NOT invited to the debate so this article is no longer valid but it is still pretty funny.
Saturday was an interesting day. The New England Patriots finished the first perfect regular season since the NFL went to a 16 game schedule. The Ron Paul Patriots finished the day wondering exactly what in the hell was going on with the New Hampshire Forum on January 6th. Was Ron Paul purposefully excluded by Fox? Was there even a debate scheduled that day? Was it the day before? Did he just forget to register? Would it even be on Fox News? Regardless of how it all shakes out, let's look at some of the possible blowback Ron Paul supporters may face from Saturday's events. If there is one attribute of Ron Paul's we could model that would help us spread the message it is his foresight. By anticipating the next move of our opponents, we can react just as quickly, but more appropriately.
The Spin From the No Spin Zone
With just a few precious days remaining before the Iowa Caucuses, I can only imagine how Bill O'Reilly may spin Saturday's events in an attempt to convince the voters in Iowa that Dr. Paul is indeed crazy. .Right now the best evidence of this is based on some comments he made about a war that has been over for a century and a half and his discussing plans for a North American Superhighway and eventual Union to which the Candian and Mexican governments readily admit but the mention of which here is grounds for breaking out the straight jacket.
Saturday's fiasco could potentially give them some more "screwball" bullets to shoot, so let's be prepared. Here are some of the things you can expect to hear if 1. There was no Forum/Debate scheduled for January 6th (although it appears there is) or 2. Ron Paul isn't attending because his campaign somehow failed to get him on the list:
The set up (read this with Bill O'Reilly's voice):
We received hundreds of emails from angry supporters of long-shot candidate Ron Paul over the weekend claiming we were censoring their candidate (along with countless other allegations containing language not appropriate to share on the air) since he won't be participating in the Feb. 6th New Hampshire Roundtable Forum.Here we go:
What Paul's supporters failed to realize is that THERE IS NO SUCH FORUM...or...the reason Ron Paul won't be participating is that his campaign did not file the appropriate paperwork in time for him be included in this Forum. INCREDIBLY Ron Paul's official campaign website reported this "news" of his being censored as well. Paul himself even issued a statement that Fox News was "scared of him."
Now for the spinning (these are all different points, not a running commentary):
No, Dr. Paul, we aren't afraid of you here at Fox News. We are afraid of what would happen if enough patriotic Americans actually listened to your nonsense and believed that surrendering in Iraq and allowing the Islamofascists to win the first major battle in the War on Terror somehow made America Safer.
The emails we received further confirm that Ron Paul's supporters will believe anything they read online yet have no real understanding of the most important issue of the day--defending our nation from Terrorists.
The fact that Ron Paul's campaign would post a story like this on their official website shows how weak the organizational structure of the campaign really is and is further evidence of why he has no chance of winning the Republican Party nomination.
That Ron Paul would comment on an issue that his own campaign's lack of organization caused without ever checking the facts himself, shows how far out of touch with reality this man really is. In a time when we are facing real dangers like militant Islamofascists, can we really trust a man whose staff isn't organized enough to register him for a Forum to keep us safe from Terrorists?
That his supporters were so willing to believe and respond so sharply to this piece of false propaganda exposes them for what they really are: A bunch of conspiracy theorists with a deep distrust for our Government in a time when our country needs Real American Patriots to support our government in order to defeat these Global Jihadists and win the War on Terror.
Paul's statement shows what a loon this guy really is. Memo to Mr. Paul, before you and your anti-establishment supporters send a bunch of angry emails get your facts straight first.
If Ron Paul and his supporters responded to the Radical Islamic threat we are facing with as much vigor as they did to his allegedly being censored by our network, we might take him seriously as a candidate. Until then we'll continue to report on real candidates who have real solutions to real problems.
Here at Fox News We Report; You Decide. Don't miss Hannity and Colmes with special guest Lindsay Lohan coming up next.
Of course there always exists the possibility that they won't say anything at all so as not to increase his exposure or that they really did purposefully omit him from the forum. I think it's too close to Iowa to not try and spin this somehow in order to marginalize him and his supporters. Consider this your vaccination.
Of Course if it Turns out that he is excluded, It's time to Raise Some Hell. This will be the first martyr in American Politics in a long, long time.
Like this Article? Thumb it.
Want to send it to friends? Hit the button below and send it to yourself first then send it to them so it doesn't get stuck in spam filters?
Unlike the NFL (although it was cool to allow the game to be on three networks today) you have my permission to rebroadcast, retransmit, give accounts of or do anything else you'd like with this article in order to promote the cause of Liberty and the Restoration of Our Republic.
©2007 John Armstrong, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Sunday, December 30, 2007
Last modified: Saturday, January 5, 2008
The views expressed in this article are those of John Armstrong only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. John Armstrong is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
Report violation by John Armstrong of Nolan Chart LLC's terms of use policy.
| More Articles By John Armstrong |
Reader Comments:
Posted By: Gary
Date: 2007-12-30 05:14:43
The Nolan Chart started this storie and now you want to tell us how fox new will spin this? I sure hope the will report on this Nolan Charts Bad reporting
Posted By: Micah Sanders
Date: 2007-12-30 05:35:32
John,
It seems to me as if you are backpedaling on this whole issue, I have enjoyed reading your articles as of late. I can always count on getting an update from this site via a google search for Ron Paul news... Though I take issue where this is going to be bad or as you put it result in "blowback." Sure O'Rielly may have some bigoted hatred lined up on this subject but I honestly think that if Ron Paul sticks to his guns as he has done thus far that the "statement" he made will be ultimately positive for his campaign. Anytime a candidate says, "Fox News is scared of me." They "don't want my message to get out, but it will," "They are propagandists for this war and I challenge them on the notion that they are conservative." We should HOPE that fox news picks this up and airs it and tries to spin it. I do understand how O'Reilly could make us "supporters" look to be irrational nut jobs sure, but like I started out with, all Ron Paul needs to do is stick to his statement that FOX news IS biased and that they DO censor when it comes to certain things and I think that people that hadn’t heard about him before will look at him as someone who stands out from the crowd. I think there are many people that sit in their arm chairs and believe everything O'Rielly spews as gospel, I don’t think those people are "on the fence" anyway when it comes to who they are going to vote for, they are looking to the MSM to "tell" them who to vote for and of course it has to be a 'nation-building-bully' before they consider them.
FOX new IS scared, they DO see all of his supporters, and the $ they are giving, they are not stupid. That is why I agree with your last article 'to a degree' we must be ready for what is going to be said by the talking heads, but then again, don’t look at it as a blow to the campaign, look at it as Ron Paul stood up to FOX news!
How many candidates have you seen do that!?
Micah Sanders
Chicago, ILRon Paul = the Peoples President
Posted By: Tom
Date: 2007-12-30 05:46:45
It's not as if Nolan Chart wasn't involved in helping to perpetuate the misinformation. Please stop wasting our time with meaningless articles void of any new information like this one. The rest of us have to work for a living instead of rambling on endlessly. And the warmongering establishment phoney conservatives at Fox News, and elsewhere, are afraid of the Ron Paul Revolution.
Posted By: John Armstrong
Date: 2007-12-30 06:01:54
Tom,
I'm sorry you feel that way. Nolan Chart didn't have anything to do with it. But people who write on Nolan Chart (like me and including me) did.
I'm not a journalist. I've never interviewed anyone and don't intend to do so. I am a business person who happens to have the ability to bloviate and a knack for analogies and metaphors. Sometimes make for interesting reading. Sorry if you misunderstood my role.
From reading your last sentence, It seems that you may have not understood my article. I know they are afraid of Ron Paul. Very Afraid. Those weren't my words. They were my thoughts about the possible words of Bill O'Reilly. Thanks for reading and commenting though.
Posted By: Why Pick on FOX?
Date: 2007-12-30 06:22:59
First there is an accusation that FOX News excluded Ron Paul and they are drawn thru the mud over something they did not do. They were pestered by misinformed, irate supporters. The Boston Globe published Ron Paul's swift-boating of FOX News.
Now you mock them like some liberal who gets spoon fed their Democratic propaganda on a daily basis from CNN, MSNBC, CBS, etc. and fails to realize how biased their own news source is. Give us more planted questions at the debates, please.
FOX News has no more spin on their news than these multiple liberal news outlets yet they escape the venemous attacks. I would argue they have less spin. FOX News just had Ron Paul on Cavuto's show. They don't deserve this.
Republican candidates didn't refuse to debate on CNN. Democrats were afraid to debate on FOX. If they don't have softball questions planted and butt kissing moderators they don't want to debate.
Posted By: Diogenes of Sinope
Date: 2007-12-30 06:23:12
Bill O'Reilly is a Heretic
His Culture war is terrorism. Let's see, Japan has not been attacked. They are rich and free. Why?
Diognese of Sinope
Posted By: Brent
Date: 2007-12-30 06:51:17
Do Not be intimidated by Fox News or Bill O - through this - http://youtube.com/watch?v=O2KU02lsfH8 - in his face if he messes with Ron Paul
Posted By: John Armstrong
Date: 2007-12-30 08:23:35
The reason to mess with Fox News is because Ron Paul is being treated like a liberal due to his stance on the Iraq War and his understanding of the real causes of terror and how to deal with it.
I mess with Fox News because of the way they had a special room set up to show that Ron Paul didn't win the debate. Because being against a war because it is unconstitutional, is threatening our sovereignty, and is a symptom of a foreign policy that is bankrupting us does not make you un-American and I'm sick and f'n tired of hearing otherwise.
I'm sick of Ron Paul's campaign being marginalized by a network that should be embracing his message because he's the only true conservative in the race.
Because I don't give a rat's ass if Iran and Pakistan have nuclear weapons and jihadist radical muslum islamofascist governments. We have more nukes and we have ways to detect and intercept theirs. I do care that they could probably walk one right over the border near El Paso.
I do care about my dollar being worth less than a Candian dollar. I do care about Bill Kristol appearing on the network and calling Ron Paul a crackpot and making absolutely horrible misinformed references to justify his claims.
Because I'm sick of hearing about Islamofacists and Jihadists and not hearing about the egregious breaches of the rights guaranteed to me by the Constitution that my elected Representatives put their hand on a Bible and swore to Protect.
Because I don't give a damn if someone wants to smoke pot, but I do care when my government sends $1.2 Billion taxpayer dollars to fight another "War" on something that the 10th Amendment of the Constitution is pretty damned clear that they have no right to prohibit.
Because I don't care about Brittney Spears and Lindsay Lohan or that cop that killed his wife, but I do care that Barry Bonds is being prosecuted for lying to grand jury that was investigating a substance that was unconstitutionally banned in 1990 because of a Canadian sprinter.
Because giving a free ride to Fox because they are "more" fair is like picking the lesser of two evils which I am finished doing forever.
Because I'm pissed off that this country has fallen asleep at the wheel.
Because when Fox News reports on things they don't understand or that doesn't fit their agenda, they laugh at it or marginalize it.
Because there is no way 300 Million Americans fall into one of two categories.
Here are some quotes from a man far more intelligent than I about issues such as this. His name is Thomas Jefferson.
A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt. If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake."
Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights.Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle.If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion. Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day. Lay down true principles and adhere to them inflexibly. Do not be frightened into their surrender by the alarms of the timid, or the croakings of wealth against the ascendancy of the people. The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.
I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.Seeing as how he wrote the Declaration of Independence I have a feeling that he had a pretty good idea of what he thought this country was supposed to look like. I want my country back.
Oh, another reason is because I think this is fun.
Posted By: Egfrow
Date: 2007-12-30 08:56:19
Ron Paul not show up but his Blimp may also not show up either. It has a little problem now. Oh the humanity!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh16TTbihVQ
Posted By: Go Ron GO
Date: 2007-12-30 08:58:34
Everyone, don't worry about the Fox exclusion - did you really expect anything else? It will do more GOOD for Ron's campaign and embarrass Fox when he places in the top 3 in Iowa. The reporting will turn to Fox's apparent black ball of Ron and in a backhanded way promote Ron. There is a debate a day earlier which Ron will be in. The JOKE will be on Fox. My prediction - Ron is allowed in the Fox debate at the last moment. The media has been rendered IMPOTENT by Ron's campaign and the MSM doesn't like to be marginalized - too bad, they brought it on themselves.
Keep the faith everyone! It's gonna be big, really big! (as Ron says....) New Years Eve Money Bomb!! donate on Dec 31!!!
Posted By: John Armstrong
Date: 2007-12-30 09:16:43
Micah,
You are absolutely right. This was written ever so slightly tongue in cheek. I was a little off on the tone to help that shine through. All of this is great news for the campaign.
We're going to do it.
Posted By: Louis Nardozi
Date: 2007-12-30 09:25:25
But if you DO want to complain, and dont want the inconveniece of writing hundreds of emails, just click this link
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/18384#comment-154801
Posted By: iam
Date: 2007-12-30 10:00:05
The point is: 1) if there is a forum th evening of the 6th with FoxNews and NH GOP2) Ron Paul is giving the closing speech at the liberty forum on the evening of the 6th.How can Ron Paul be 2 places at 1 time?
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2007-12-30 10:06:40
I didn't like this article but I've no call to be overly critical of it either. It isn't like we're competing for a Pulitzer Prize here. I could write this same comment about much of what is written about Ron Paul's campaign, including some of my own. ;-) ...hindsight, you know?
The fact is, there are some Ron Paul fans who are likely to do more harm than good every time they open their mouths or send an email or post a blog message.
Another fact is that there are media personalities who will leverage the actions of those few poison fans to paint all Ron Paul supporters with the ill effects of their behavior.
Politics is dirty business, nothing is sacred, nothing is off limits and no tactics are too dispicable...for them.
Another fact is that we MUST win despite the first two facts. This isn't done by bullying FOX or their hired entertainers into being fair and objective. All politics is local. Being sucked into a national feeding frenzy of spin and corporate motivations diffuses our momentum. This is exactly what they want.
None of us should give a rats ass what the O'Reilys and Hannitys of the world think until we know where our neighbors stand for a mile around our own homes. If our neighbors don't come out to support Dr. Paul is it our fault or O'Reily's.
We figure if there is someone in our neighborhood who is not coming out for Dr. Paul it better not be because we didn't knock on their door and ask them to.
If more people would participate in the drudgery of local politics and less would participate in the addicive outrage generated by the FOX entertainers Ron Paul would already be leading in every poll. We don't need to fight the MSM, we need to steam roll them without a care what they are saying. This is up to us.
My 2 cents.
Jahfre Fire Eater
Posted By: Brian
Date: 2007-12-30 10:48:26
Bill O'Reilly is right though. Paul's campaign needs better organizers. He needs to shake some of that cash loose and hire some heavy-hitters.
Posted By: Jon
Date: 2007-12-30 15:40:55
Wow, you really nailed just what I would expect from Bill O'Rielly.
Posted By: xtrabiggg
Date: 2007-12-30 17:07:19
It's really a set-up. Associated Press ran this late on a weekend night. Blaming Nolan Chart or any other website fails to address the root source of the story- AP. Further compounding this was the on-again, off-again nature of this 'Roundtable', as well as FOX News failure to even respond to the reports, let alone clarify it's position.
I think Mr. Armstrong is dead-on in his assessment of the way that FOX News and other virulet anti-Paul entities will use this set-up to try to discredit the Paul campaign and it's supporters. The thousands of Ron Paul supporters on-line responded vehemently and in massive numbers, as this report was typical of the number of factual, documented and prevalent attacks, slights and outright smears that Dr. Paul and his campaign have experienced from the outset.
If you shock a dog once with a cattle prod, he's going to jump the next time even if you just pull it out. Ron Paul supporters are just sick and tired of the media pulling out the cattle prod at every turn, and are understandably wary.
xtrabiggg
++++++++++++++++++++==
Posted By: robert
Date: 2007-12-30 19:31:00
The event has been confirmed by the NH GOP chairman.
" On the evening of December 28, Jared Chicoine and Jordan Brown of our New Hampshire campaign staff met in person with Fergus Cullen the New Hampshire GOP chairman to discuss whether or not Dr. Paul would be invited to participate in the forum. Mr. Cullen confirmed there will be an event on January 6, but he could not confirm whether or not Dr. Paul would be invited. We also learned the event would not be a debate with an audience, but instead would be a forum in a closed studio with the candidates questioned only by Chris Wallace of Fox News."
http://ronpaul2008.typepad.com/ron_paul_2008/2007/12/has-fox-news--1.html
Posted By: DRUMS of WAR
Date: 2007-12-30 19:47:29
Original story about the ban still seems fairly accurate. I hear the NH GOP stooge is waffling about whether or not they're going to invite Paul, and Fox won't return calls to the media... so the rest of the major networks are ignoring the story altogether. This is lunacy. Let's put it this way; I'm sure if Dr. Paul calls in sick that day they won't miss him.
Posted By: Don
Date: 2007-12-30 19:51:31
I served in Iraq in the U.S. Army and I support Ron Paul. While I inititially supported continuing the war I'm concerned with the terrible debt our nation in incurring by staying there. How much longer will we have to stay? 5 years? 10 years? I think we should have 90 percent of our troops out within 6 months. Also, as American citizens we are slowly losing our rights. I think Ron Paul will protect those rights. He isn't pefect but I think he has a plan and he's the most honest candidate out there.
Posted By: eLLe
Date: 2007-12-30 20:23:04
There is to be a forum--and Ron Paul is not invited---read below. Nolan chart had an timeline---up yesterday...saying RP did not respond....and it was his fault..then the thing was cancelled. But...failed to check further to see what they did instead...and RP is IN FACT not invited by Fox. Read Chicago Tribune today:
http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/ron_paul_indeed_outfoxed_for_n.html
Posted By: Everydayofchildwepay
Date: 2007-12-30 22:33:51
Do not believe Faux new$, The A$$ociated Pre$$ and their Funding Father$.
Posted By: Jack
Date: 2007-12-31 00:04:43
I don't think Bill O'Reilly know's what he's talking about.
Posted By: Dr. Kibble
Date: 2007-12-31 00:56:12
Ron Paul is clearly the real, and ONLY winner here.
Posted By: Macky
Date: 2007-12-31 17:55:14
There IS a forum on January 6th and Dr Paul along with 2 other candidates were NOT invited. The NH GOP had a press release today stating their displeasure with FOX not allowing some valid candidates to be included in the forum and the GOP is still working with FOX to get these candidates included. Get your facts straight before you go off halfcocked critizing RP supporters and worrying about the neo-con OReilly who no one really seems to care about except you. RP supporters had and still have every right to question why Dr Paul was not invited when he rates higher in the "So-Called" polls than Thompson who rates lower. The media does NOT have the right to only pick candidates they prefer to a forum. There has to be certain criteria that has to be met. If you are a journalist, you would not jump the gun and would bring forth the facts instead of your stupid opinion.
Posted By: ppprovider
Date: 2008-01-04 09:39:55
I see you did not allow my last two posts. Not surprized considering your bias and propaganda point of view(s)... Shame on you