MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) - The New Hampshire Republican Party announced Saturday that it was withdrawing as a partner of Sunday’s primary debate on FOX because of the exclusion of two GOP presidential hopefuls.
"The first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary serves a national purpose by giving all candidates an equal opportunity on a level playing field. Only in New Hampshire do lesser known, lesser funded underdogs have a fighting chance to establish themselves as national figures,” New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen said in a statement.
“The New Hampshire Republican Party believes Congressmen Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter should be included in the FOX forum on Sunday evening. Our mutual efforts to resolve this difference have failed."
Supporters of presidential candidates Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter had complained over the exclusion of both men from Sunday night’s debate, the final faceoff before Tuesday’s primary.
–CNN's Sareena Dalla and Rebecca Sinderbrand
From CNN Politics
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A forum like this is like a light to the Ron Paul moths....Libertarians have the same message....Ron Paul has 90% good ideas....and 10% insane ideas....listen to the whole message....he had his 10 minutes of fame....
Ron Paul's exclusion from this debate has been somewhat disturbing. I will be boycotting Fox News sponsors from this day on. Do a google search on the topic and you'll find many recent lists of companies that advertise on the channel. Join me and many others in this important effort.
Sam
I generally prefer letting more people debate than fewer, so Paul and Hunter should be allowed to be in unless they think it would really interfere
But this is a national debate in New Hampshire, not a debate only for New Hampshirites, so you should be using national polling numbers and not NH numbers to argue whether someone should be allowed in. NH numbers overestimate Paul's strength because its the most libertarian Republican primary and because libertarians moved there en masse to increase their political strength, and they underestimate Giuliani because he's focused on other states.
The latest national numbers are:
Giuliani 20.8
McCain 17.6
Huckabee 17.6
Romney 14.4
Thompson 11.4
Paul 3.6
3.6% nationally plus a fifth place Iowa showing does make Paul the most reasonable of the six to sack if needed to make the debates sensible. Whether its needed is another question.
I am not going to watch the Fox debate. CNN is replaying the ABC debate
at 7 pm EST. However, the entire main stream media coverage of Election 2008 (including CNN) does not sit right with me. It's not very American to allow the
TV to pick the candidate we should vote for. Independently researching every candidate is what I did but I guess that does not make me the norm. I've decided my vote will be cast for Congressman Ron Paul. He is the candidate who best represents the direction I would like to see my country headed towards. Less government and more personal responsibility... sounds good to me.
Fox News has forever lost my viewership. Thank you NHGOP for display of integrity. All the candidates in this race could take a lesson from you. With, of course, the sole exception of Ron Paul.
RP08
It is blatantly clear to me why Fox News has yet to include Dr. Paul in their debate. They have their own favorites whom they have picked, not based on polls, but on platform. Fox is definitely skewed Neo-Con. They are intimidated by limited government and personal liberty. Dr. Paul would be in a much better position if he got the attention some other candidates have gotten for free. I think New Hampshire Republicans should pull funding of this debate and I pray they do.
I just wonder how long it will take for Fox News to recognize that Ron Paul has become a formidable candidate and that he is amassing a following.
Just how long?
Applause to all Republicans who see through the Fox News anti-freedom blockade.
Why is Ron Paul not being invited to the Republican Forum but Fred Thompson is. Thompson is a poor public speaker and he makes vague general statements. Ron Paul appears to be the only true conservative on stage. I think Mitt Romney and Huklebee get to much time and don’t say much of anything, at least nothing that really stands out. I believe Ron Paul and John McCain are the only two real Republicans on stage. They don’t have much in common but at least you know where they stand.
the FOX news network has earned their nick name FAUX NEWS
excluding Ron Paul now ESPECIALLY after the Iowa Caucus exposes this network for who they really are. Thanks CNN for giving a voice to this side of the story. Go for the jugular... no one will miss them.
Ron Paul finished well in Iowa. He wins online polls all over the place.
HE WON the text vote ON FOX NEWS.
and yet he is excluded. why is this? i suppose the same reason Guiliani was portrayed as ouur future leader a soon as Fox News realized we had to give up GW.
Whats better than the man who used 9/11 as tool of terror but the man that soaked up the credit for the cleaning up of new york. Post 9/11 too he might add.
The Neo -Cons have hijacked this country. Its a terrible shame that Fox News has become what it is. Privately owned business may express their views as they wish. but the american people look to them for truth, the news, the way it happened, and all of it. We need more edward murrows and we need to open our eyes for unbiased and balanced news...cnn is no good either
Fox news sucks
Over the past 9 months, the entire presidential race has been unfairly covered and broadcast by the mainstream media. Instead of presenting all candidates and presidential platforms fairly and equally, all channels have been guilty of baised reporting. Today's fox news incedent is icing on the cake. These some 750 + comments are proof that such irresponsibility does not go unnoticed.
Fux News is a joke! I'm glad that the NH GOP pulled it's support of the Fux Forum. They do NOT have the top 5 in that forum. They have the top 6 minus one.
Ron Paul should be heard!
I dont feel the News Nazis aka Fox has the qualifications to have me or any family members attention to their media station. I also feel that they and their sponsors do not deserve any attention or patronage from above mentioned plus all friends of said family plus their friends and familys,ect.ect. Get it ! The spin has stopped right here.WWW
This doesn't surprise me at all. Fair and balanced, thats just laughable!!!!!!!!
I do have to say watching the debate put on by ABC. I was really impressed the way Mr. Gibson ran it. I gained a huge amount of respect for him, because of how he did. The time, and questions were balanced, and fair. He tried, and succeded in including everyone into the discussions, and asking questions that haven't been asked til then.
I would like to Mr.Gibson, and Anderson Cooper run the rest of the debates. Atleast then we would hear everyone talk, and be allowed to answer real questions.
hate the way media is, take action , drop by StopBigMedia.com and freepress.net and choose to take action against the FCC's Dec.18th. ruling to overturn a 32 year old law which regulated that one media owner could not own a print and broadcast station in any one outlet. I just made a post on their Blog tonight, get involved. Show the NH GOP party that they are on the right track . Take our country back.
FOX is scared that when more people hear Ron Paul's ideas, they'll get behind him 100%. They don't want to pay for Ron Paul's campaign because they've got too much invested in promoting Romney.
fox is always whining about the elitist left media and how they manipulate the news to fit their own agenda but yet fox doesn't seem to think that what they themselves are doing is any different???? come on fox, practice what you preach!
come on fox, let's see them all, then let us decide.
I am disgusted by the refusal to allow Ron Paul to take part in New Hampshire after New Hampshire requested his attendance. Since when does a news station and they're agenda override what the people want in an election?! I thought we were free!
1) If Fox News excluded him for low-polls in NH, then why they did they invite Thompson, who is polling lower in this state?
2) If Fox News excluded him for low-polls in Ohio: Why are they including Rudy, who Paul beat by multiple points in Ohio?
3) Certainly they did not exclude him for his fund-raising abilities, as he has set -three- national records for 24-hour fundraising.
4) Certainly they have not excluded him for lack of support– I see more Ron Paul banners than all candidates from both all parties combined. He also has received more militiary contributions than any other canidate, and almost as much as all the other Republican candidates combined.
If Fox News really excluded him because his beliefs aren't what they want to perpetuate as a corporation, then it's censoring by Fox– unequivocally– and they should at least admit to it. Fox STILL has not released an answer as to why this occured, other than "Space limitations", which is absurd: get a bigger bus, or rent a building.
Can someone please shed some light into what has caused this seemingly baseless decision, and who in management made this decision?
Mike
I think that Ron Paul is being excluded is ridiculous. If we're going by pure numbers, why not kick off Guiliani?
Fox News....they report; they decide. Perhaps, we should just skip the caucus and let Fox News tell us who should be our Presidential candidates. What a joke. I could understand if Ron Paul were not a legitimate candidate in this election, but this is obviously not the case. His numbers are rivaling many of the other top candidates. What is Fox News so scared of? This act of censorship will actually pay huge dividends to the Ron Paul campaign. If the media let's Paul talk he says a bunch of things that the establishment dislikes and if they censor him, more people become attracted to the underdog who isn't given a fair shot. Keep up the great work Fox News.
Fox News has lost a few families of viewers over here and I'll be certain to spread word about this to others. What Fox news has done by excluding Ron Paul from their forum is shameful and unforgivable. Heads should roll at Fox over this anti-democratic behavior.