Conservative Blackout [Free Republic mention]

American Spectator ^ | January 3, 2008 | By Lisa Fabrizio

[garandgal]

Something is VERY strange about this caucus. I'm in Iowa; I have volunteered for campaigns in the past (I could not this year, due to family obligations).

A few points from today:

I heard at 6:30 p.m. on the WHO radio newscast that folks were reporting negative "automated" adds directed towards Fred Thompson. I took that as good news; someone must have seen some odd internal polling.

Then, on the 10:00 P.M. TV news, they talked about Romney's big pre-caucus rally in West Des Moines.

Now...here's the deal. This "rally" occurred at a venue that I KNOW will hold 1000 people sitting down at round tables (we have had events in that hall)...you could take that times five for a standing room crowd.

The estimates for the crowd were 200-300...the low side came from Romney's family on Greta's show.

Huckabee had his rally on the 1st (because of the Leno show); I believe over 1000 showed up.

I have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow...but 200 was an oddly dismal showing for a metro area of 400,000.

Couple that with the reports from Eastern Iowa today that Fred's crowds outnumbered Romney's 3:1...then "someone" floating the idea that Fred is dropping out.

It just seems very strange.

I hope that Fred's people are all over the airwaves tomorrow claiming "dirty politics" about this dropping out business.

Iowans particularly HATE last minute dirty politics...Harkin uses it to his advantage in every election.

As I said, the last several days here have been very odd. Maybe Romney's folks just don't attend campaign rallies? I have no idea...I'll report back from my caucus as soon as I get back tomorrow night!

Wish us luck!

[Freedom2specul8]

"...remember how the polls suddenly lurched in President Reagan’s favor the last week before the election..."

No, alas I was an uninformed 17yr old too interested in other things. the day he was shot did get my attention. Regardless, thank you for the info. I hadn't really noticed a pattern.

[MitchellC]

I’d have to guess South Carolina. Examples of Iowa and New Hampshire having been lost by the eventual nominee spring easily to mind, but I can’t think of anyone losing SC and taking the big prize.

[Freedom2specul8]

Thanks for the information! It’s educational and I wish you the BEST~!

[Pajamajan]

"Did they post that article again, even after Fred himself debunked it?"

Yes, I saw just a few minutes after Jim posted this. It just proves the point. Somebody sure doesn't want Fred or Duncan in the race. They have been pounding the "Fred is lazy" theme. I just hope his campaign can come up with a way to deal with this. It might be dirty rotten low down politics, but, this is only the beginning. Imagine what She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has in store for her opponent?

I think that's why some conservatives are buying into the attempt to smear Fred as lazy. People are afraid he's going to do a Bob Dole, and hand the election to her highness. The stakes are just too high to let that happen. It would be an absolute disaster for the country. It also doesn't help him that he speaks slowly.

That's reminding everyone of president Bush, and his refusal, and inability to talk, or defend conservative principles, no matter how despicable the dem attacks became. President Bush has been a mute for most of his presidency resulting in unnecessary harm to our military, and nation. He let attack after attack go unresponded to. It infuriated many.

Fred's mannerism tend to be somewhat similar to president Bush. I know he can't change his basic way of doing/saying things, but, he's got to do something to combat this image, and show/reassure the voters that he's got the grit to deal with the dirty tactics of She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and that he understands what is at stake in the election.

[Shelayne]

Another Freeper (sorry, I do not remember who) was actually IN the room when he made that statement. (S)he said that he was answering a stupid question from the media about “having to place third or withdrawing from the race”, and he was being completely sarcastic when he said he needed to come in second.

He was slamming the media in that way that he does. So, of course, they take it out of context. Surprise, surprise.

[kipita]

Surf the internet and check out the conservative forums, especially the granddaddy of them all, FreeRepublic.com, to see who garners the most support among them.

Americans tend to love freedom!

[chasio649]

That’s reminding everyone of president Bush, and his refusal, and inability to talk, or defend conservative principles, no matter how despicable the dem attacks became. President Bush has been a mute for most of his presidency resulting in unnecessary harm to our military, and nation. He let attack after attack go unresponded to. It infuriated many.

---

Worth repeating...

[samtheman]

Likewise, even Fox News -- which is so feared by liberals as a right-wing organ that Democratic candidates are too cowed to even appear at its debates -- seems to be with the program. Although they do get air time, Hunter and Thompson have long been written off by Fox's Republican pundits.

Fox News is the biggest disappointment of the 21st Century. They have become the Steppin'Fetchit of the MSM, the happy blackface joker dancing across the stage and putting on a quirky performance to entertain the Big Boys in Madison Avenue and Hollywood.

There will be a special place in hell for those in leadership of Fox News who have willfully squandered the free speech and free press opportunities they originally promised America.

[DoughtyOne]

Good luck, and thanks for the report.

I said yesterday evening that I don’t think the votes are going to be anywhere near what the polls have indicated.

If it isn’t, I hope the polling forms get ripped severely. I’m tired of the perpetual poll driven election efforts, foisted off on us by the media.

[According2RecentPollsAirIsGood]

After watching the media completely blackout Fred for months (Fox is included and is gleefully participating), I'm just starting to think that they've had the fix in on Fred ever since the idea of a Thompson candidacy was even floated. I would not be surprised if the plan was to purposely give Fred all this coverage before he declared, buoy up his poll numbers, and set the expectations extremely high for voters looking for that conservative to support. Then once he declared, they shut off all press coverage and push the lie/mantra that he's lazy, not out there campaigning, and that he doesn't really want it. Thus, Fred does not appear to live up to these huge expectations thus dealing him a crushing blow from people who feel "betrayed." Kind of like the Hillary inevitability syndrome except completely manufactured by the media to put the most electable Republican out of the race. Honestly, what has Fred done on his own to cause this precipitous decline in the polls after being second all around the country for most of the summer?

I'm not into conspiracy theories for the most part, but I really don't put anything past the media. As for motivations, well the usual suspects (CNN, MSNBC, network news, papers, etc.) would be pretty scared of an actor on a popular TV show with strong conservative credentials and a bunch of people who really wanted him. So it would be necessary to break those people's enthusiasm for him since he wouldn't just go away. As for Fox, I still scratch my head about that one. Yes, they've obviously had a Giuliani bias from the get-go (with well-documented connections to provide the reasons for it), but recently with Rudy doing rather poorly, they seem to be exclusively a bash/ignore/marginalize Fred network. My dad thinks it's that flawed candidates, whether Democrats or liberal Republicans, make for much easier and sensational news cycles. Thompson would be a disaster for lazy journalists and editors, because he has little or no baggage and is sane! For Fox, my dad reasons it's all about business, and quite frankly it makes as much sense as any other explanations I've heard.

I think the problem the media might have, though, is that they've run Thompson so low with their transparently intentional blackouts that it won't be hard for him to smash expectations. And that could spell momentum. I sure hope it does.

[longtermmemmory]

congrats its a “granddaddy”!

[longtermmemmory]

Remember the Fox News Dynamics push poll that showed Kerry winning by five at the last weekend? Same with the 2000 algore winning poll?

The MSM are lapdogs not a “great estate”.

[longtermmemmory]

What happens to CNN when you don’t need to buy advertising on CNN to win an election?

The news media is there to sell a product, elections which don’t need to buy ads are bad for business. Forums which have serious discussions without ads are bad for CNN’s business.

[longtermmemmory]

it is called “the template”

all reporting is done through the template in sorting the stories.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Jim ? how many users on line on those conservative forms would translate into votes ?
I know people here on FreeRepublic are a different breed than your average voter, but since we continue to hear news about the DINO media going down the tubes.... is there a study on how many people are getting their news on line than the old: TV, Paper, so on and so on media ?
This is just me, but ? the base, the conservative base who is media/political savvy is or are more in turn with what is going on with the shenanigans and bias against Fred.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

At lest with Fred, you won’t have buyers remorse.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Actually, for some people, with Fred being viewed as a Grandaddy, is reassuring. This gender gap BS that some people say that Fred has with women is bogus..... his mature countenance, sensibilities, no nonsense way about him would be refreshing and reassuring to a lot of women.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

A MEGA DITTOS !!!!

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Just like poor old Rudolf, they won't let him join in any reindeer games ( not that Fred would want to join in the MSM games ).
But, poor old Rudolf was set apart to be a leader, just go ask Santa Clause.