In Defense of Ron Paul

Here’s a good piece by Richard McVay in the Athens Banner-Herald. McVay castigates Fox News for their unprofessional treatment of Ron Paul in the New Hampshire debate.¹

So, obviously, the gatekeepers at Fox News are threatened by Ron Paul. There are two reasons: The most obvious – Paul is a principled man with emphatic, growing support who threatens to upset the status quo among neoconservatives. He wants to get the GOP back to its roots, and neocon media-mongers and their supporters stand to lose a lot of money if a minimalist government is installed. Fewer federal agencies means fewer government contracts.Secondly, if Ron Paul continues his snowballing success, Fox News can’t take credit for it. Paul’s support is grassroots, making efficient use of the Internet. A successful run by Paul would all but eliminate the conglomerate media’s stranglehold in directing national politics, as free speech requiring neither a license from the FCC nor millions of dollars in advertising allows a wider variety of viewpoints to be absorbed by the masses.

Paul’s candidacy will be captivating to watch, if only for its emerging use of the Web to mobilize voters, notably the younger generation traditionally seen as politically apathetic. It’s a notable shift in American political history.

Footnotes

Thanks to Tex MacRae for the link.