Media Marginalization

The Republicans held another debate last night in Orlando, Florida.  Sponsored and monitored by Fox News and Google, we here in this office were actually impressed with the format, and with the live polls and questions that were offered online, even while the candidates debated.  Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, the two current "frontrunners", so-called by the Establishment media had a very nice mudslinging match, while the more marginal candidates struggled for air time.

However, the most astonishing thing happened after the debate was over.  Fox News held an online poll, asking viewers who, in their opinion, "won" the debate.  The poll remained online for a few minutes, and as it did so, the numbers racked up for, of all people, Ron Paul.  Yet, before too much longer, Fox News removed the poll from its site, and before the evening was over, issued a separate declaration entitiled, "Experts: Mitt Romney wins debate ... again".

This is not the first time Congressman Paul's presidential campaign has been marginalized.  In fact, if there was a record for a candidate being most marginalized by the media, Ron Paul would be in Guiness, hands down.  In every poll this office has witnessed, asking who won a debate in which Mr. Paul was an option, he has won, sometimes by double digits.  In the Iowa straw poll, he lost out to Michelle Bachmann by a mere percent or two, yet while Bachmann was interviewed on all the networks, nothing was mentioned of Ron Paul.  Nothing.  More attention was given to Rick Santorum for withdrawing from the race. Such neglect of a candidate has been so obvious, Jon Stewart, in a Daily Show spot, asked, "why is everyone still ignoring Ron Paul?"

There is no doubt in this author's mind why Paul receives such disaffection:  as a former Libertarian, and as currently a Republican who still holds to his libertarian principles, he's far removed from being part of the Establishment.  As one who holds unswervingly to the principles of less government, more personal responsibility; who has written a book calling for the end of the Federal Reserve System; who has called and voted repeatedly to end United States militarism abroad, he's not just an outsider, he's an outsider to even the regular "outsiders."

Say and think what you will about Ron Paul, but we write about him today to provide a verbal snapshot of twenty-first century America, where the Establishment, i.e., the ruling political class and the colluding media, squelches the authentic voices of those they claim to protect and defend.  This Establishment is concerned not with voters, and not with the welfare of the populace, but only with their own interests, their own political agenda, their own income.  This Establishment is the very reason why the country is in the shape that it's in.  This Establishment is the reason why everything becomes more expensive, while ever fewer people can afford any of it.  And this Establishment is the reason why those not of the Establishment must resort to instruments such as the increasingly-hated Tea Party just to be heard.

Perry, et al. and Obama Clash over ... Bernanke

Republican Presidential candidate Rick Perry, who announced his candidacy while the rest of the Republicans were debating in Iowa, today voiced his opinion of Ben Bernanke and Quantitative Easing.

"If this guy prints more money between now and the election," said he, "I dunno what y'all would do to him in Iowa but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treasonous – or treasonous in my opinion."

Michelle Bachmann then reiterated her anti-Fed stance, explaining that, "the Federal Reserve is not subject to transparency. The Federal Reserve has made terrible, grievous errors."

Most interesting is that Ron Paul, who earlier this year grilled Bernanke, and who has been anti-Fed since the days he was a Libertarian, said ... nothing.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney chastised Perry for his remarks, explaining, "when you’re running for president you have to think about what you’re saying, because your words have greater impact.  We take the independence of the Federal Reserve quite seriously.”  Obama himself was more willing to "cut him some slack."  After all, "he's only been [campaigning for President] for a few days now."

Though this may appear to be an early and relatively minor skirmish within the context of the 2012 Presidential Election, it highlights one of the most significant differences of opinion between all the candidates and political parties, in the role and function of the Federal Reserve.  In the broader perspective, it also touches upon the question regarding the role the federal government should play in assuring economic growth and stability--i.e., should government be proactive, and provide "stimuli" of cash into the economy (with the help of loans by the Fed through printing more money)?  Or should government remain "hands off," and let the free market right itself?  However one answers that question determines how they view the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, and Quantitative Easing.

Republicans Debate

Well, 2012 is an election year, and since the economy is struggling right now, and since Republicans are wont to blame President Obama for all the country's economic difficulties, August of 2011 is not too soon for those Republicans campaigning for President to convene in their second debate of the year.  The participants were Mitt Romney, Michele Bachman, Tim Pawlenty, Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich.

Ah, there's nothing like a good old fashioned debate for some good old fashioned, American political mudslinging.  And, as both the Obama campaign (who will no doubt be running in the primaries unopposed), as well as the Romney campaign has stated, "it's gonna get ugly".  Of course, the echoing statements were in regards to the campaign against their respective opposing party, but the Republicans tonight didn't seem to get that, and took advantage of the opportunity to sling some mud against each other.  Of course, just about every participant had something negative to say about Obama, but Bachmann and Pawlenty, both from Minnesota, seemed to hold a grudge that the other was running.

Oddly enough, what made this debate most memorable were the Republicans that weren't there--particularly Sarah Palin, former Governor and V.P. candidate in 2008, who has been scoping Iowa for the past couple of days, and, even more significantly, Rick Perry, whose spokesman announced just today that he plans to announce his candidacy on Saturday.  Tea Partiers like Palin, but Republicans really like Perry, who apparently has done some good things as governor of Texas.