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An attempt by the Fox News Network to prevent Republican US Presidential candidate Ron Paul from participating in a New Hampshire debate has apparently backfired. Following calls by Paul supporters to boycott Fox News, its sponsors and even short their shares, the worst blow against Fox came from the New Hampshire GOP itself, which announced Saturday it would be backing out of sponsoring the debate. The news gives Ron Paul some interesting last minute exposure before Tuesday's New Hampshire Debate. Party Chairman Fergus Cullen said Fox’s decision to limit participation runs counter to the primary’s “national purpose.” “Only in New Hampshire do lesser-known, lesser-funded underdogs have a fighting chance to establish themselves as national figures,” Cullen said in a statement posted on the party’s website. Fox offered no explanation as to why Ron Paul was not invited. Both Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani were. Paul beat Giuliani severely in Iowa and is ahead of Thompson in the New Hampshire polls.
Cullen told Politico
that he had asked
Fox News last week
to allow Paul and
Duncan Hunter at the
forum, which was
scheduled for Sunday
night.
The Paul campaign
praised Cullen and
blasted Fox in a
statement. Paul was participating in a Saturday night ABC Debate sponsored by Facebook. The ABC debate featured both Republicans and Democrats. And while there were exclusions (most notably Dennis Kucinich), ABC provided specific criteria that each candidate had to meet. Ron Paul met that criteria. Even non-supporters of Ron Paul agreed the decision by Fox to exclude the long time Congressman was wrong. One comment appearing on the Politico website: "As much as I find Ron Paul a distraction, I agree that he's performed well enough to be included. However, Duncan Hunter has earned no such place at the table. I predict that Fox will flip on this and let Ron Paul attend." And another: "I'm a Romney supporter, and I'd like to see the field narrowed, too, BUT excluding Ron Paul seems wrong to me. He's polling pretty strongly in a wide open field, he did better than Hizzoner in Iowa by a long shot, and he has a strong and faithful following in N.H. Who cares if he's at 4% nationally. We've had only the Iowa Caususes at this point. It's too early to be throwing him off the bus. I am not supporting Paul, but I am supporting his right to still be in the game at this point." Gambling911.com has already reported that an AOL poll showed that 96% of those asked believed that Ron Paul should have been included in the debate. Get All the Latest New Hampshire Primaries News from Gambling911.com Here ----- Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher CCostigan@CostiganMedia.com Originally published January 5, 2008 10:51 pm EST
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Ron
Paul Gets Huge Boost
in New Hampshire