NBC BATTLES TO KEEP KUCINICH OUT OF THE DEBATE...

[cyclezealot]

(edited for copyright purposes-proud patriot moderator democratic underground)

by John Nichols.
$$$
NBC BATTLES TO KEEP KUCINICH OUT OF THE DEBATE...Some principles are worth fighting for: like the cherished right of television networks to decide who is and who is not a legitimate candidate for president.

NBC Universal Inc. is a major media conglomerate. And major media conglomerates have traditionally been able to police the parameters of presidential politics. Any affront to this order of affairs is a threat to the ability of corporations to define the American discourse.

That's what is at stake as NBC fights to limit the amount of information Nevada Democrats have available to them before they caucuses on Saturday to choose delegates to the Democratic National Convention. So the network has announced that its crack legal team will work through the night to overturn a judge's order that Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich be included in the last pre-caucus debate between the Democratic presidential contenders.

On the day after the New Hampshire primary, when New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was still in the race, Kucinich, Richardson, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, Illinois Senator Barack Obama and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards were invited to participate in the debate scheduled to be televised on MSNBC from 9 to 11 p.m. Tuesday.

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http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=270507

[cyclezealot]

1. This shows how the likes of NBC work nilly willy to rig the rules

to suit their purposes. At least they did not pull a Fox news stunt where they disallow candidates who out poll those who were actually invited.

[niceypoo]

2. These goddamn, pesky no-names keep winning the debates

It isnt in the script

[Wednesdays]

3. Makes you wonder

what he might say that they're so afraid of...

[NorthCarolina]

15. He Might Point Out

that there is no benefit to having a For-Profit Insurance middleman between you and your doctor, making decisions such as what medical treatments you are entitled to or not. Or, he might point out the real reasons behind our actions in the middle east in a manner that could just "click" in the minds of the essentially uninformed electorate. Or that simply modifying NAFTA and not eliminating it completely is just campaign rhetoric for public consumption. He is afterall a Traditional Democrat and the conservative DLC has worked way to hard to wrest control of the party from these peoples advocates to be done in by the likes of one Congressman from Ohio. Maintaining status quo is very important to finalizing the Corporate and Elitist Plutocracy in America, and so only complicit candidates can be allowed to participate. There can be no dissenting voices allowed when they are so very close to realizing their goal.

[IADEMO2004]

4. Why Not Sal Mohamed from Iowa?

http://www.salmohamedforpresident.org

[balantz]

5. Like I said elsewhere, if they don't let Kucinich in the Judge will stop the debate,

then we won't get to hear any of our candidates. Perhaps NBC doesn't want the people to hear another candidate as well? Edwards could use the exposure right about now considering there is now a poll showing a tie in Nevada.

[AlertLurker]

7. Perhaps Edwards should speak out, then, in the interest of democracy?

Unfortunately, as we saw in Iowa and New Hampshire, Johnnie-Come-Lately is all for restricting Kucinich from participating in the debates...wouldn't want to upset the apple-cart, you know...

I believe that Edwards KNOWS that Kooch is the REAL Progressive Populist candidate in the race and if allowed to participate, Dennis would kick Edwards' faux man-of-the-sheeple ass and show the US what a cheap snake-oil salesman he actually is...

Again...

[balantz]

10. whatever

[cyclezealot]

20. Reason I would have voted for Obama

The Edwards' chit chat with Hillary. Total lack of character. I am so angry over the Democrats total sense of fairness, I might vote for Cynthis McKinney. Even the Republicans have a greater sense of fairness.

[AllyCat]

13. Are you saying that this is only terrible for Edwards because he won't be heard?

Please tell me I'm misunderstanding that. I think they all can use the exposure right now, for better or for worse.

I can't believe all the candidates aren't showing their support for a real debate. Instead, they are sitting mum on it hoping for less competition. That's awful. And Edwards is my second choice.

[balantz]

14. Of course, let them all be heard.

I'm just of the opinion that the media, owned and manipulated by the corporate-elite, will pull whatever strings necessary to keep their sworn enemies from being heard. Edwards is on that list of enemies and is now, according to a recent poll, neck to neck in Nevada with C. and O. If NBC says now that they will not allow Kucinich to participate in the debate, the Judge will stop the debate, and the media and the corporate-elite owners will get what they want, which is no public exposure to our candidates except what they always want us to hear, currently some argument between C. and O.

[AllyCat]

6. Isn't Gravel still in the race?

I can't believe they can limit any of the candidates. I know there are hundreds of people running, but it seems that if someone is on the ballot and has participated in other debates, they, at the very least, should be included.

Just let them all talk and the NV voters decide. Oh wait, that's not part of a fully-functional corporatocracy is it?

[New Earth]

17. I thought I heard Gravel dropped out?

[AllyCat]

18. Figures. The media made a huge deal about Dodd, Biden, and Richardson

dropping out. I never even heard about Gravel.

I hate our media. Most of it anyway.

[New Earth]

19. he might not have dropped out.

I googled it and it came up that he did, but then it had an update that it wasn't true. His site is still up as if here were still running: http://www.gravel2008.us/front

[zalinda]

21. Gravel has the flu, or something

He was on Randi's show Tuesday explaining that he has been sick since NH.

zalinda

[Triana]

8. "major media conglomerates have traditionally been able to police the parameters..."

...of presidential politics"

THERE'S THE PROBLEM - RIGHT there.

NO "media conglomerates" ought to be having ANY influence on presidential politics EXCEPT ONLY reporting on them as public service.

The media - like everything else - has been privatized to corprats - and they have a stranglehold on that, as well as everything ELSE in this country.

I'm happy the bastards ADMIT they're diddling in our elections - for all the world to see.

[balantz]

9. They are completely manipulating this for their desired outcome.

[Triana]

16. Like they ALWAYS do....and this is a HUGE problem in this country...

...one of the FIRST that need to be on the punch-list for the first 100 days...

[Uncle Joe]

11. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, cyclezealot.

[Bunkie0913]

12. John Nichols

and The Nation magazine are all for having an informed electorate. That is what this is all about, limiting the choices to those candidates the powers that be can manipulate and control. Dennis can't be bought, bossed or sold. Having Kucinich in the White House would seriously screw up the corporate conglomerations that are making a killing at the expense of everything good and decent in this country.

[zalinda]

22. Okay, I'm all for everyone having a voice

but, the truth is that Kucinich didn't even break 5% in Michigan where he campaigned and only ran against Clinton and Gravel on the dem side. If he could have broken 10% (and I had hoped he would have won Michigan) I would agree he is still relevant, but he didn't or even come close.

Any time given to Gravel or Kucinich, at this point, just takes away time we get to put the 3 top candidates through their paces. I'm sorry if it seems cruel, but I took a look at our primary candidates here in CNY, and there is like 100 or more. What if we gave them all a place at the debate table.

zalinda