The word in the blog-o-sphere is that Dr. Ron Paul will not be allowed to join the Fox News Republican debate scheduled for January 6th. This would not be the first time Dr. Ron Paul or other less covered candidates have found their head on the chopping block. At the beginning part of December before the Iowa debates, an attempt was made to eliminate candidates polling at below 5%. After the overwhelming outcries of foul, the attempt was withdrawn. Now in between two of the countries biggest holidays a quite announcement may become a very loud outcry.
Having been very aware of the Ron Paul Re-love-ution you can expect a huge outcry. What makes this different from most of the other less covered candidates' similar outcries (of less than full and fair treatment) is the money. You very well may end up with a Republican debate, where the candidate who raised more money than anybody else in the quarter before the primaries, is left out of the debates. Now no one has a crystal ball but we will have FEC (Federal Election Commission) Reports coming out very close to debate time. What possible reason could an organization give that can justify leaving out the top Republican money getter?
For those day to day followers this will be the biggest story of the New Year and it's not even here yet. I say that because a lot of people do not realize how close to election time it really is. Most states will have held elections by February 6th in what is being called a front loaded election year. Most analysts say this will help the more talked about candidates (a.k.a. front runners or top tier). This is based on the theory that momentum building, in a more traditional state by state basis, is the only way an outsider can get in.
Like most generations before them, the generation in power does not understand the toys of their children much less their grand children. The Internet is playing a bigger role each election cycle and its effects can not be truly measured at this time. On the Internet Dr. Ron Paul is searched for more than Fox News (according to Google). With teams of independent supports canvassing the Internet and their neighborhoods a state by state campaign may not be needed as in the past.
So in the end the exclusion of Dr. Ron Paul from the debates may do more for him than being in the debate. Many low polling candidates have been excluded from debates in the past but never has the highest fundraiser of previous quarter been excluded. If then late comers go to the Internet to find out about this Ron Paul person they will find a different Ron Paul then they saw on the news. In debates he can come off as old and out of touch with the people around him. But on the Internet, Ron Paul is an iconic figure in his clips pieced together by tech-savvy supporters.
Anyway this plays out you can be assured that emails, voice mails and mailboxes will be full for those with the power to include Ron Paul in the debate. In my attempt to call Fox News I found this to be true in regards to voice mail. Will the Establishment bend again to the will of people? Will those not included be silenced or energized? Anyway it goes it sure will be fun to watch.
