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Ron Paul Furious over Fox Debate Snub
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
NEW YORK -- ABC and Fox News Channel are narrowing the field of presidential
candidates invited to debates this weekend just before the New Hampshire
primary, in Fox's case infuriating supporters of Republican Rep. Ron Paul.
Fox News says it has limited space in its studio, which leaves Rep. Ron Paul
out of a weekend debate.
The roster of participants for ABC's back-to-back, prime-time Republican and
Democratic debates Saturday in New Hampshire will be determined after
results of Thursday's Iowa caucus become clear.
Fox, meanwhile, has invited five GOP candidates to a forum with Chris
Wallace scheduled for its mobile studio in New Hampshire on Sunday. Former
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. John
McCain of Arizona, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen.
Fred Thompson of Tennessee received invites, leaving Paul of Texas and Rep.
Duncan Hunter of California on the sidelines.
The network said it had limited space in its studio -- a souped-up bus --
and that it invited candidates who had received double-digit support in
recent polls.
In a nationwide poll conducted December 14-20 by The Associated Press and
Yahoo, Thompson had the support of 11 percent of GOP voters and Paul was at
3 percent. Paul's support is at 6 percent in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp.
poll conducted in early December.
Paul was tied with Thompson for fifth in New Hampshire in the most recent
Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, each with the support of 4 percent of
likely voters. Among all New Hampshire voters, Paul led Thompson 6 percent
to 4 percent, but that was within the poll's margin of error.
Jesse Benton, Paul's spokesman, said it was a "big mistake" not to include
Paul, especially given Paul's recent success in fundraising. He said the
campaign has been trying to reach Fox News to get an explanation for the
decision, but its calls had not been returned.
"There very well might be some bias," Benton said. "Ron brings up some
topics that aren't very popular with Fox News, as in fiscal responsibility
and withdrawing from the war in Iraq ... that does leave us scratching our
heads a little bit about whether it was deliberate. Based on metrics, I
don't see how you can possibly exclude Dr. Paul."
Some livid Paul supporters are distributing e-mails calling for a boycott of
Fox advertisers.
A Fox representative did not immediately return calls for comment about the
complaints.
Paul has been invited to a GOP forum that Fox News is sponsoring in Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina, on January 10, Benton said.
To participate in ABC's Saturday night debate, Republican and Democratic
candidates must meet at least one of three benchmarks: place first through
fourth in Iowa, poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major New
Hampshire surveys, or poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major
national surveys.
ABC News anchor Charles Gibson said the criteria were actually quite
inclusive. He defended the network taking the initiative in effectively
narrowing the field at a point when no actual voters had cast a ballot,
except for Iowa caucus-goers.
"You will have had a year's politicking," he said. "You will have had, I
think by count, about 641 debates. You will have had national polls and
state polls and one state's vote. I think that's pretty indicative."
Gibson said ABC explained the rules for participation in a conference call
with all the campaigns and "nobody said, "How dare you!' "
Ron Paul Furious over Fox Debate Snub
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
NEW YORK -- ABC and Fox News Channel are narrowing the field of presidential
candidates invited to debates this weekend just before the New Hampshire
primary, in Fox's case infuriating supporters of Republican Rep. Ron Paul.
Fox News says it has limited space in its studio, which leaves Rep. Ron Paul
out of a weekend debate.
The roster of participants for ABC's back-to-back, prime-time Republican and
Democratic debates Saturday in New Hampshire will be determined after
results of Thursday's Iowa caucus become clear.
Fox, meanwhile, has invited five GOP candidates to a forum with Chris
Wallace scheduled for its mobile studio in New Hampshire on Sunday. Former
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. John
McCain of Arizona, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen.
Fred Thompson of Tennessee received invites, leaving Paul of Texas and Rep.
Duncan Hunter of California on the sidelines.
The network said it had limited space in its studio -- a souped-up bus --
and that it invited candidates who had received double-digit support in
recent polls.
In a nationwide poll conducted December 14-20 by The Associated Press and
Yahoo, Thompson had the support of 11 percent of GOP voters and Paul was at
3 percent. Paul's support is at 6 percent in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp.
poll conducted in early December.
Paul was tied with Thompson for fifth in New Hampshire in the most recent
Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, each with the support of 4 percent of
likely voters. Among all New Hampshire voters, Paul led Thompson 6 percent
to 4 percent, but that was within the poll's margin of error.
Jesse Benton, Paul's spokesman, said it was a "big mistake" not to include
Paul, especially given Paul's recent success in fundraising. He said the
campaign has been trying to reach Fox News to get an explanation for the
decision, but its calls had not been returned.
"There very well might be some bias," Benton said. "Ron brings up some
topics that aren't very popular with Fox News, as in fiscal responsibility
and withdrawing from the war in Iraq ... that does leave us scratching our
heads a little bit about whether it was deliberate. Based on metrics, I
don't see how you can possibly exclude Dr. Paul."
Some livid Paul supporters are distributing e-mails calling for a boycott of
Fox advertisers.
A Fox representative did not immediately return calls for comment about the
complaints.
Paul has been invited to a GOP forum that Fox News is sponsoring in Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina, on January 10, Benton said.
To participate in ABC's Saturday night debate, Republican and Democratic
candidates must meet at least one of three benchmarks: place first through
fourth in Iowa, poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major New
Hampshire surveys, or poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major
national surveys.
ABC News anchor Charles Gibson said the criteria were actually quite
inclusive. He defended the network taking the initiative in effectively
narrowing the field at a point when no actual voters had cast a ballot,
except for Iowa caucus-goers.
"You will have had a year's politicking," he said. "You will have had, I
think by count, about 641 debates. You will have had national polls and
state polls and one state's vote. I think that's pretty indicative."
Gibson said ABC explained the rules for participation in a conference call
with all the campaigns and "nobody said, "How dare you!' "
