CBS labels Ron Paul a "Meaningless Fruitcake" with "No Chance" of winning?

Question

Despite a general begrudging acceptance amongst a large swathe of the corporate media that Ron Paul is a real contender for the Republican nomination following the hugely successful November 5th "money bomb" campaign, a CBS News op-ed piece today labels the Texas Congressman a "meaningless" "fruitcake" with "no chance" of winning.

The article is entitled Ron Paul, Fruitcake and its writer, Kevin Drum, attempts to make the point that anyone who even expresses an interest in the Congressman's campaign is a "political infant" who needs to "grow up".

Here's the link to the article , if you wish to read it - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/06/politics/animal/main3459836.shtml

Question - What are your thoughts ?

Answer 1

They always call someone crazy with good ideas or ideas that they don't understand. Remember the founding fathers were all lunatic extremists too. They knew the central bankers were evil and did their best to keep them away from our money.

Answer 2

The media definitely coronate their favorite candidates. Immediately after the first debate, Chris Matthews' program was showing that, in their survey, Ron Paul won the debate overwhelmingly. Basically, he raised an eyebrow, said "that's curious...now let's talk about the real frontrunners."

In the next debate on Fox, the Fox polls showed that 32% of viewers thought Ron Paul won the debate. Hannity was livid. He claimed that Paul's ground game was skewing the numbers. At that time Paul didn't have any ground game, had only raised a $million and Giuliani and Romney each had a huge election apparatus.

Answer 3

I think if Paul got the GOP nod, he would draw a lot of Independent votes. Everyone has their opinion, I disagree with the article. I think Paul has more integrity then the rest of the republican candidates combined. The media giants, CBS being one of those giants there are five others, decide everything we see on television, read in the newspaper, hear on the radio and dream at night. When they want our opinion, they'll tell us what it is. Anyone who knows anything about politics knows Paul couldn't actually do what he is saying, not without congress. The point is he is not another typical Washington politician, he wants some changes in our out of control government. I would love to see him get the nod, something is going on, like the man in the article said, he raised a butt-load of money in one day, somebody is listening to him.

Answer 4

I think his idea was right on the money. Paul talks big about very vague ideas,
but he has no hard and fast answers about how to make them happen.

Also, here's a newsflash for the un-informed among us. The column was
a COMMENTARY. Like the opinion pages in the newspaper. The media
has commentary sections where people express opinions.

For those that want to say "Forget what this guy said. Ron Paul's awesome."
I didn't see you provide any answers to the questions he posed.

Quote:
"Next time I expect to see some straight talk about how we should return to the gold standard and get rid of the Fed. This should be followed by a question about whether he supports the free coinage of silver at 16:1. Then some questions about the tin trust."

How about answering those questions instead of randomly throwing the guy under the bus?

Edit...Wow...all these Ron Paul fans throwing this CBS guy under the bus and insulting him...

...and not one person answering the questions he posed. Why don't you just answer the questions? Quit decrying the "media's bias against Ron Paul," and answer the man's questions, for heaven sake! Because the questions will only get louder if he can't answer them now. And if he wins the Republican nomination and Hillary takes the Democratic nomination, she will shred him with these questions.

A bunch of high minded ideals and slaps at the media won't do the job then.

Again...there's a lot of rambling about Paul's great, CBS is terrible (actually CBS didn't author the piece--look further) but there are no concrete answers to the questions he posed.

Ron Paul fans--do you actually understand what Ron Paul is talking about? Can you offer any answers and enlighten us?

That's what the media does...seek answers!

This is amazing...everybody is whining about what Mr. Drum said, but
1) Nobody seems to understand that it was an OPINION piece
2) No one can offer any answers to his questions?

The guy simply wants an explanation on Ron Paul's ideas on the Federal Reserve and other issues. Many are singing the praises of Ron Paul, and demonizing this writer...

...but NOBODY is ANSWERING his QUESTION!

A politician bring up an issue, offers no details on it, a writer wants more details, and he gets raked over the coals?

Will someone please try to offer an answer...Paul supporters, quit chastising the writer or CBS, and offer an answer to the man's question!

Do you know the answer? And if you don't, why hasn't Mr. Paul explained that to you? And aren't you concerned that he may take this course of action without even knowing what in the world he's doing?

He's offering a pretty wild change of course for the country on these issues. Don't you think you ought to have some solid answers on his plans in this area?

Answer 5

Our elections in this country have devolved into -auctions-. Whoever comes into the race with the most money, the big news outlets declare him or her the presumptive candidate. Every other candidate is covered from the start as an 'also ran'. Every 'debate' you see, the commentators make it clear from the start who the leader is, and that all these other people are here just to challenge him, but they're all losers.

Why do they do this? Partly because the money that candidates gather to run for office, most of it is spent on the media! So the media love a candidate proportionate to the amount of the money that candidate will put in their pockets.

Ron Paul is a maverick. He's trying to get his name out, get his ideas out, without just dumping money into the coffers of media, as all the other candidates are doing. And he doesn't want to sell out by making promises to corporate sponsors to get the money to run, as all the other candidates are doing. So naturally the media don't like him! Why should they cooperate in the destruction of an arrangement that benefits them?

Answer 6

I'm a Democrat but if a Republican would have to win , he would be the best and really the smartest. I know he looks kinda country but that doesn't really make any difference because the one we have now looks like a Bantam Rooster, he is scared of horses, cattle, turkeys and chickens. But yet he puts on those jeans and tries to look like he just rode a bull, he is what we people that live on ranches call him a drugstore cowboy, Stands round Drug Store trying to talk like he rides in the Rodeo. That means he just walks the walks ,talks the talk, and couldn't ride a stick that has horses head and the tail end switches back and forth, He couldn't ride that very far without falling down. I heard he thinks he looks like Marlboro man , I got news for him , he looks like a damn fool making a a** of himself. Old Cowboy George.
Ride em Cowboy that is a man talking out of his a** cause his mouth knows better..

Answer 7

CBS is owned by CBS Corp/Viacom. Started by Sumner Redstone. Sumner got a nice appointment by President Carter in a cushy Arts location years ago. We have the Carter-Clinton ties since the 1970's... FOX is owned by Rupert Murdoch NewsCorp. And we have ties to Clinton.

Money, power, influence. Follow the trails. It is an election season. 300 million pays for alot more than a TV ad bashing a candidate in my opinion. Smells of foul, politics as usual.

edit: True Journalism principles are to maintain impartiality. But shock, reality TV seems the trend and we all follow the band wagon...

Answer 8

Most corporate media ownership is republican held -despite all the talk of Liberal media.
Ron Paul scares them because the repub candidates are so weak and none are very popular.He could upset the whole applecart -much to the dismay of those who hold power as he is a maverick and most likely wold not be solidly behind them.
Hence they're degrading him as non-viable.
All arises from fear.As the German movie title say's -ALL FEAR EATS THE SOUL.............

Answer 9

Straight from the Bush's camp. No republican wants another telling the truth. Ron Paul said all the flakes were working in Washington.

Answer 10

I hope that at the next debate Ron Paul is asked these questions. Then this clown from CBS news can shut his mouth when Ron Paul gives his answer. Ron Paul knows more about economics than Kevin "Banging the War" Drum. The main reason that anyone is against Ron Paul is because he is against the war and wants to remove the troops from Iraq and Afganistan and bring them home. It is really that simple. The Elite need to remain in the middle east so any Presidential candidate that is as strongly opposed to the war as Paul is, must be pilloried in the media as an idiot, conspiracy nut, fruit cake, or whatever other bullshіt they want to label him as so as their plan to remain in the middle east comes to fruition. I mean COME ON. They have been at it since day one. When has the man had one bit of positive news coverage? They hate this guy. They will say anything to get people to go off him. Why doesn't this guy Kevin Drum beg the questioners at the next debate to ask Ron Paul these questions that he thinks will unravel Dr Paul as a candidate instead of talking shіt about it?

Answer 11

Could CBS be jealous. Maybe they want a little of the money. I find it hard to believe a Texas congressman would be a fruitcake. I think CBS has been spending too much time in the studio kitchen. How about a big Texas steer. I hope Ron Paul sends them a big juicy longhorn steak.