CNN and local media have banned Mike Gravel from New Hampshire debates
March 15th, 2007 by jeffhaley
Corporate media is already deciding who they will allow to be considered for president.
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This is sick
Submitted on August 4th, 2007 by Jpe85Follow-up from Gravel Campaign
Submitted on March 21st, 2007 by jeffhaleyWashington, D.C. March 19, 2007 Presidential candidate and former United States Senator Mike Gravel rejected a statement CNN, Hearst owned WMUR-TV and the Union Leader issued Friday, March 16th in justifying its censorship of Senator Gravel by excluding him from a planned debate of Presidential candidates. The Senator said, "This statement is woefully ignorant, void of sound judgment and Kafkaesque in its conclusion." Gravel continued, "There are several points in the statement, the full text of which follows, that cannot go unchallenged. First, when the statement says that I have not demonstrated measurable public support, it reveals an abysmal ignorance of the dynamics of political campaigns that is truly hard to believe originated in such important media institutions. It is common knowledge that polling numbers at the outset of a campaign, ten months before the first of many state elections reflect little more than name recognition and are simply not measures of public support. This does not mean that other candidates do not have some public following but rather that such support has not been tested by the crucible of a long campaign in which these supporters are given a chance to assess other options. The only accurate measure of public support is election-day. Finally, for what it is worth, I have, in a recent Harris poll improved my standing from February to March and exceed, in one test, one of my rivals for the nomination who I believe has been invited to the New Hampshire debate".
The Senator continued, "The statement said that there are literally dozens and dozens of declared presidential candidates. That is true but out of those dozens of candidates, how many are former United States Senators who have been given the stamp of legitimacy by the Democratic National Committee, SEIU, AFSCME, ABC, the Nevada Democratic Party, the Center for American Progress Action Fund etc? Only two, former Senator John Edwards and myself."Though this is not the only criteria for deciding the legitimacy of a candidate as other aspirants may have contributed distinguished public service as an appointed official or as an officer of an NGO or excelled as individual public figures such as Ralph Nader, the Reverend Jesse Jackson and the Reverend Al Sharpton making them eminently worthy, it is one indisputable criteria for defining a legitimate candidate."
The Senator continued, "The statement confirmed that I had not received an invitation but said that I nor anyone else has been excluded from the debate. It went on to say that if I meet their criteria between now and the debate, I will be invited. What was Orwellian in my not meeting certain criteria which the media organizations would not divulge becomes Kafkaesque when I am now told that I have not been excluded and can still be invited if I meet this mysterious criteria. CNN, WMUR-TV and the Union Leader sent out invitations weeks ago. I did not receive one. I am told I have not demonstrated measurable public support, which, besides being a galactic misunderstanding of polling numbers ten months before an election is also a self-fulfilling prophecy since being included in the debate would provide me and any other candidate who may have not been invited an important opportunity to secure such public support."
Senator Gravel concluded, "CNN, Hearst's WMUR-TV and the Union Leader have been important sources of news for their listeners and readers. Why they want to deprive their audiences of differing political voices that aspire to the highest level of public service by exercising a form of insidious censorship, unbecoming a free society and a state with the motto 'Live Free Or Die' is a mystery."
Mike Gravel, a resident of Virginia, is a former two-term Senator from Alaska with a distinguished record that includes successfully ending the military draft with a five-month filibuster, releasing the Pentagon Papers risking both prosecution and jail, playing the leading role in making the Alaska pipeline a reality, and ending nuclear testing in Alaska. He is the driving force and author of the National Initiative for Democracy, a proposal to bring the ballot initiative lawmaking process--already proven in many states as an effective and necessary check on unresponsive representative government--to the Federal level.
How about a Signature Campaign to Gov. Howard Dean and to CNN?
Submitted on March 18th, 2007 by mchallaMurty Challa (mchalla00@yahoo.com)
This censorship is outrageous!! He is the most exciting voice we have heard in decades and they are shutting him off??
Could we start a Signature Campaign? The only way to get these people to respect and be fair is by "showing up" in numbers.
To Senator Mike Gravels' campaign: Organzie one, and we will come.
I agree
Submitted on March 21st, 2007 by SouthernBelle82Dean and the DNC
Submitted on March 19th, 2007 by john from NJI think that's naive and largly a waste of time to expect that any assistance will be forthcoming from any aspect of the DNC, which is a creature of the very people that you need to oppose. You don't have a "world view" of the political spectrum, otherwise you'll keep making the same wrong conclusions based on the same false premise. It's Albert Einstein's definition of Insanity, expecting difffernt outcome's from the same premise. The Corporate Establishment will do whatever it's want's to because it can, I don't see anyone riding in on a White Horse coming to the rescue.
Why on Dean?
Submitted on March 21st, 2007 by SouthernBelle82I'm all for that
Submitted on March 18th, 2007 by SouthernBelle82THE DEBATE CENSORHIP IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
Submitted on March 17th, 2007 by GEORGE DEMETTAN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL.
We all should complain loudly to CNN!
Submitted on March 16th, 2007 by Donald GrbacWe should not let this happen.
DON
Only democracy will save us!
My only thing is
Submitted on March 16th, 2007 by SouthernBelle82They have deadened our minds.
Submitted on March 17th, 2007 by Donald GrbacThe military-industrial-media Empire has done a good job of dumbing us down over the last several decades. They have trained us to only care about our personal lives, and those of celebrities and sports figures. Politics is not to be considered.
I think the tide is changing though. The rate of change is increasing, but will it be fast enough to defeat the Empire? We have a real battle on our hands.
DON
Only democracy will save us!
Jeff, would you elaborate on
Submitted on March 15th, 2007 by john from NJJeff, would you elaborate on that ?
Is this for real?
Submitted on March 16th, 2007 by SouthernBelle82Here is the email I received from the Gravel campaign today
Submitted on March 15th, 2007 by jeffhaleyWashington, D.C. March 17, 2007 CNN, the Manchester Union Leader and the Hearst-owned WMUR-TV have formally decided to exclude Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Mike Gravel from the debates they will be sponsoring in New Hampshire.
This decision calls into question media censorship and goes against a fundamental American belief in "Fairness," which is especially critical in the political process.
The Senator said, "By denying me the same opportunity afforded to other presidential candidates to discuss in public debate the major issues that confront our nation, the sponsoring media outlets-- CNN, The Manchester Union Leader and the Hearst- owned WMUR-TV--are exercising censorship, unbecoming in a free society. They are dictating whose political voice they will permit New Hampshire and American citizens to hear."
"These media outlets are depriving the people the right to hear a voice they may very well want to hear, and in my case, a voice with some new and different ideas not expressed by other candidates-- not 'politics as usual.' This amounts to denying the people the right to an informed choice from among all the declared and legitimate candidates, not just those deemed worthy by a few media organizations."
The Senator continued, "It is not CNN's, the Manchester Union Leader's or Hearst's WMUR-TV's place to decide whose voice should and should not be heard in a debate between legitimate and qualified presidential candidates for the nomination of their political parties. When my staff inquired as to why I was being barred from participating in the debate, they received the Orwellian response that my candidacy did not meet certain criteria--a criteria that the media organizations refused to divulge when asked."
A poll of political scientists and speech specialists in Nevada rated Senator Gravel the third most effective presenter at the debate/forum sponsored by ABC, AFSCME, and the Nevada Democratic party in Carson City last month.
The Senator concluded, "In short, this action is an insidious form of censorship that injures the American people and its political process, already compromised by the corrupting and excessive influence of money, while seriously eroding the concept of fairness so central to the American ethos and culture.
The actions of CNN, The Manchester Union Leader and Hearst's WMUR-TV set a dangerous precedent and are more akin to totalitarian tyrannies than the world's greatest democracy, particularly in a state with the motto: "Live Free or Die." We can only wonder what is behind such inappropriate intervention in our political process that does not let the people decide."
Mike Gravel, a resident of Virginia, is a former two- term Senator from Alaska with a distinguished record that includes successfully ending the military draft with a five-month filibuster, releasing the Pentagon Papers risking both prosecution and jail, playing the leading role in making the Alaska pipeline a reality, and ending nuclear testing in Alaska. He is the driving force and author of the National Initiative for Democracy, a proposal to bring the ballot initiative lawmaking process--already proven in many states as an effective and necessary check on unresponsive representative government--to the Federal level.
JEFFHALEY post great...
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