In the run-up to the primaries there were several occasions during which Ron Paul was either nearly excluded or excluded all together from Republican candidate debates. Back in May, the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party said that Ron Paul should be excluded from future debates based upon what he said about 9/11 and blowback. As a result his office was flooded with phone calls from Paul’s supporters. In January, Fox News excluded Paul from a pre-New Hampshire candidate debate and some of Ron Paul’s supporters were so angry that they chased Sean Hannity through the streets of Manchester.
Among other things, Paul supporters said that it wasn’t fair that their candidate was being excluded from these debates before any votes had been cast. And, on some level, they were right. While I believe that news organizations have the fundamental right to invite or not invite anyone they want to a debate, excluding one candidate while including others who were getting less support in some polls didn’t seem right.
Which is why this is, if not surprising, at least distressing:
Now that Paul’s focus has returned to his own Congressional race, he seems much less enthusiastic about debates. After declining to hold a debate with his primary challenger, Chris Peden, Paul got asked yesterday about this seeming hypocrisy at a town-hall meeting in his district.
And here’s his response:
On it’s face, this response makes even less sense than some of the reasons people gave for excluding Paul from the Presidential debates. Peden is on the ballot for the Republican primary. He is, in fact, the only person challenging Paul. And, more importantly, there is no Democrat running this year which means that whoever wins the March 4th Primary will win the General Election.
Congressman Paul, I respect you, but you’re being unfair to your opponent and to the voters and, quite honestly, your reasoning for not debating your opponent makes no sense whatsover.
H/T: Donklephant and Captain Ed
February 21st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Wow. Absolutely terrible.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:06 pm
If you have read some of the things Peden has said and distorted and lied about Dr Paul, I wouldnt give him a forum to do that either.
Peden just over one year ago:
On January 12, 2007, a Texas city councilman named Chris Peden told the Galveston Daily News, “I have an immense amount of respect for Ron Paul. Politics has a way of forcing people to go against their core principles for political gain. That has never been the case for Ron Paul.”
Now, go to his website and square it with that quote…
February 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Cato,
It doesn’t matter what Peden said. He is a candidate for Paul’s office, the only candidate. Unless Paul and his supporters want to take back everything they said about Fox News when they excluded RP from a debate last month, Paul should debate him. Otherwise, he’s just another politician.
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:13 am
Being excluded from a debate is so much different than refusing to debate that I can not believe you said that. Peden stated publically in that quote and others, that he agreed RP was a truthful and effective statesman. Like RP said..what is there to debate? Unless he has changed his mind, and now feels different than he did then. Still a waste of time…
February 25th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
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