Opinion
Ron Paul Supporters, We Were Wrong
Story by Sean Breslin | February 7, 2008
Montana Kaimin
Last night, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul won more delegates than any other candidate at the Missoula County Republican Caucus. Despite the now obviously high levels of support, the Montana Kaimin did not run a single article on Paul, nor did we include him in our election prediction scorecard.
To Paul supporters in Missoula, and specifically at the University of Montana, the Montana Kaimin regrets this omission.
In excluding Paul, we stifled both his message and supporters. Cutting people out of the political process is anything but democratic, as several readers have correctly pointed out.
For some national media outlets, not including Paul might have made sense. In covering political attitudes across the entire country, honing in on a low-population state that supports a non-mainstream candidate might require more resources than they are willing or able to commit. Covering candidates with more broad support makes sense at that level.
But in the weeks leading up to Montana’s caucus, local media either did not see or outright ignored Paul’s local support. The Montana Kaimin is especially guilty of this lapse because much of Paul’s support comes from college students.
Though the Kaimin may take cues from the national media (they are professionals, after all), we shouldn’t forget that they serve a very different audience than we do. Our primary area of coverage is the University of Montana, specifically its students. When it came to Ron Paul, we failed to cover that readership.
The decision to ignore Paul was consciously and deliberately made due to the fact that Paul had not generated the kind of broad-based national support that John McCain, Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee had. We, like other media outlets, viewed him as an oddball candidate, not in step with his party and without national name recognition. In retrospect, we now see these may be the very qualities that draw people to Paul.
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Comments
Ron Paul is not an oddball. He stands completely with the constitution. He policies are actually more in accord with the Republican platform than McCain. I appreciate your article but there is an edge of marginalizing him. Read his economic plan and think about what George Washington said about interfering in other nations affairs. You may find he is very mainstream and all the other candidates are the ones deviating from the constitution. Thank you for at least acknowledgin him.
Posted by susan on 02/07/2008 at 1:26 am
Hello Sean Breslin,
What kind of backward apology is this?
People are drawn to Ron Paul because he consistently speaks and votes from the Constitution.
Sean Breslin basically admitted that he doesn’t do his own work - he simply follows the big name “professional” tabloids.
Good luck with your declining readership. I already canceled the Wall Street Journal due to their ridiculous coverage of the candidates.
Posted by Mark on 02/07/2008 at 2:17 am
Thanks. That would have helped more...ohhh...2 days ago.
Posted by JP on 02/07/2008 at 3:09 am
I’m not from your state, and I don’t read your newspaper. It is your “oddball” ways of feeding the wrong propaganda to your readers that has the USA in a downfall, loathing in debt; pourous borders; and high crime rates!! Enjoy calling yourself an editor of a newspaper, because your no more than a “buttboy” for the establishment. If your candidate McCain wins I hope you sing “bomb-bomb-bomb Iran” along with him.
Posted by ken on 02/07/2008 at 4:07 am
Oh your sorry now that super tuesday is over.. You want us to forgive you and go back to reading your papers right? No a chance. YOU will learn the hard way that our voices will be heard.
Posted by Eric on 02/07/2008 at 5:21 am
No, it makes no sense for national media outlets to ignore candidates that are on the ballots in all 50 states. It is undemocratic. It is unAmerican. It is the power of corporate fascism and the Council on Foreign Relations. To make up for your lapse, why don’t you do a story on the Federal(not) Reserve System.
Posted by David on 02/07/2008 at 5:44 am
Shame on you! You are supposed to be the unbiased eyes and ears of the public.
Certainly you could have interviewed these students and published an interesting story about why they support Ron Paul for president. What a refreshing and novel article that would have been! Freethinkers who refuse to let the media tell them who to vote for! Perhaps they could have given you a lesson about our beloved Constitution! These young people are the hope and future of our country. How dare you insult and ignore them!
I wouldn’t call the majority of the national media
“professionals”. The opinions and points of view they spoonfeed the public are merely those of their bosses. They, like you, have willfully and deliberately censored Ron Paul and the other presidential candidates from their news coverages using the same sorry excuse of “lack of resources”. Sorry, but I don’t buy it.
How honorable of you to publish an “apology” to your readership two days after the fact. Perhaps it would have been better if you hadn’t wasted your time or ink, because it certainly lacks any guilt or sincerity on your part.
Posted by Kimberly Princing on 02/07/2008 at 6:46 am
To your credit,you have admitted you were wrong. You can’t correct the mistake now, but you can cover Ron Paul from here on out. It’s not over for those of us who support him.
When we field a candidate in 2012, prove that you have learned from your mistakes. This movement is not going away, only getting stronger. Your publication can either decide to report the actual events as they occur or follow the mainstream media; the choice is yours.
Thank you again for admitting that you neglected to cover the real news: The second American Revolution.
Posted by Patricia Lenon on 02/07/2008 at 7:16 am
"We… viewed him as an oddball candidate, not in step with his party and without national name recognition. In retrospect, we now see these may be the very qualities that draw people to Paul.”
HA! Unreal. He’s an “oddball”?....OK. Let’s look at what makes Ron Paul an oddball. He is the only candidate that has been honest and consistent with both his words and voting record throughout this campaign. And not only this past year but for the last 20 Dr Ron Paul has been fighting the same fight and consistently saying the same things. Our economy is going to collapse! Our country is BROKE and in DEBT! He wants these federal taxes and the taxes on top of taxes and the government waste gone. Done. NO MORE. Sheesh, what an “oddball”.
He is the ONLY candidate that wants to bring the troops home NOW. He is the only candidate fighting for a return to our constitution and so for the people’s freedoms and rights. Wow, that is unusual indeed in this twisted warmongering day and age.
Also you say that the national media is “professional”. The problem there is that the profession more and more seems to be manipulation. They are more professional entertainers, professional brain-washers, professional puppets, than professional journalists.
I could go on and on but so much of the misinformed masses out there still needs to be educated and told to look at truth and facts instead of spouting off what they hear like a parrot that I do not have the time to focus on one newspaper that doesn’t bother with “oddball” things like truth or facts when reporting “news”.
It’s fascinating how your former readers have to write you and tell YOU the news, when surely it should be the other way around?
Posted by Tommy on 02/07/2008 at 7:50 am
Way to try and save face with your blatant bias and anti-American censorship of Ron Paul and his message of FREEDOM. Too little and WAY too late.
Posted by AdamT on 02/07/2008 at 7:52 am
You, speaking of Dr. Paul, by your own words “stifled both his message and supporters.” and admit “Cutting people out of the political process is anything but democratic...” and you expect people to accept your pathetic apology AFTER the primary vote has already been cast?
I hope you go out of business soon. The American public doesn’t need your kind of ‘journalism’ anymore.
Posted by Jeff Hammond on 02/07/2008 at 8:17 am
You are not really offering an apology. By using the word ‘oddball’ to describe Dr. Paul, you have re-established the fact that you no longer have any credibility with your readership. Best change your career to one that does not require the trust of many people Mr. Breslin. Those who voted for Dr. Paul will remember you for all the wrong reasons for a very long time.
Posted by rexsolomon on 02/07/2008 at 8:18 am
Apology not accepted! What you have done is no less than an act of treason, a crime for which there is no apology.
Posted by Joe McArtor on 02/07/2008 at 8:20 am
is this even a real newspaper? No apology is necessary. you guys probaby only have a thousand readers, so you guys are sort of small time and irrelevant.
Posted by Dan on 02/07/2008 at 8:22 am
Thank you for your article on Ron Paul. Hopefully more news outlets will follow your lead and admit thaat a different view is not “crazy”. Every important opinion in society has at one time been viewed this way.
Posted by Vincent M on 02/07/2008 at 8:26 am
Ron Paul is the only major candidate in the race who is in touch with reality and can keep this country from ruin. Do you guys even get that? Yet you journalists keep dumbing things down for America. (USA Today pictured John McCain as the only republican candidate on their front page today!!) Ron Paul knows what’s going down and if they’d have listened to him the day after 911, we wouldn’t even be in Iraq! Read this: http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/document.php?id=755
Posted by Joe Alvarez on 02/07/2008 at 8:31 am
There’s not an excuse for taking your cues from the national media. Even if you were right (which you’re not) that he doesn’t have much support nationally or even in your area-- the role of a journalist is not to narrow down the candidates for news-consumers. That is the voters’ jobs. Your job is to educate your readers about ALL of the candidates running.
Posted by Holly Shelves on 02/07/2008 at 8:34 am
at a time when newspapers and television are complaining about “dwindling viewership,” they should understand that by ignoring candidates like Ron Paul, they are sending their readers someplace else.
more specifically, because newspapers didn’t cover Ron Paul, I didn’t read their coverage on McCain or Romney and now have little motivation to support either of these candidates in a national election.
Posted by michaels on 02/07/2008 at 8:35 am
You call this an “apology?” Seemed like a backhanded slap to me!
“We, like other media outlets, viewed him as an oddball candidate, not in step with his party and without national name recognition.”
“Oddball?!” Is wanting to bring out troops home out of harm’s way in a war we should have never been in “odd?!” Is wanting to bring accountability to our current Federal Reserve system that is causing the fall of our dollar “odd?!” Is restoring Habeus Corpus and the basic rule of Law that made this country great “odd?!” If all these are the case, then WHO is the REAL oddball candidates in this race?!
I think you summed it up well by indicating that you are like “other media outlets"-- period. Even at the beginning where there was NO clear “front runner,” even when Ron was out raising other GOP candidates by MILLIONS of dollars, even when he was winning every single online and text poll, you all (the media, local or national) ignored and ostracized him...and now you apologize.
Too little, too late, folks. Whatever scorn you get, you deserve!
Posted by JeffnDallas on 02/07/2008 at 8:38 am
Sean - thanks for the apology. Now if you really want to make up for your error, why don’t you do an interview with Dr. Paul, and say “Hello readership, this is who Dr. Paul is and what he stands for. Your requests have been answered.” Somehow I get the impression that now that you’ve made your apology (and yet called Dr. Paul an oddball during it? Not very objective..) and that Super Tuesday is over, Dr. Paul will be an afterthought at your newspaper. Again in the interest of OBJECTIVITY you should do a sizeable interview with Dr. Paul, and let everyone learn for themselves… Who is Dr. Ron Paul? After you talk to him, you might actually appreciate what he’s trying to say and consider it “worthy” of inclusion in the paper - and not so “oddball” anymore.
Posted by Glenn Riccobono on 02/07/2008 at 8:38 am
It is a sad day when the very free press that is protected by our constitution has become consciously swayed by the vocal majority, ignoring the voices of a movement that defends the liberties we enjoy daily, including the constitutional protections of the free press. The entire purpose of our forefathers protecting the right to free speech was to never again have a tyrannical suppressor, whether it be King or President, that would attempt to keep the people from organizing. Yet it appears that the media, our so-called free press, only has time to report about the candidates that “appear” to lead, either being endorsed by celebrities or politicians that have accomplished nothing. Has the everyday common person lost their voice? Are we not as important as the career politician or the celebrity? Was it not us that made the celebrity or politician or were they born with such noble right? We are Americans my friend, not robots that follow blindly. We are Americans that will listen when spoken to, defend when confronted, fight when attacked, and help when asked. There once was a time that the free press was a voice for the underdog, a voice to let the world know that there are differences of opinion. Our movement will be heard whether you report it or not, but I would suggest that you listen to the ground because the wave is coming. It is a wave of intelligence, integrity, and truth. Ron Paul is only the messenger of that wave, as he rides it to the shores of our great Nation. And when the wave hits, it will wash away all of the debris and reveal nothing more than a constitution that our great Nation was founded upon. These are rules we should all live by without mucking it up with political rhetoric, corporate greed, or personal agendas. Our Constitution will ring once again and we will be heard.
Posted by Phil on 02/07/2008 at 8:41 am
Front page headline this Sunday: “Our Forefathers Were Oddballs.”
Next Sunday: “The Constitution: The Supreme Law of the Land or the Odd Laws of the Land? We report, you decide.”
Ron Paul gets the most supports from college students because they’re internet savvy and capable of doing better research than their spoon fed parents. They also have the most to lose, while their parents’ generation fell for the government’s promises of easy money, a system of socialist handouts that won’t be there when they go to retire and has driven this country away from self-responsibility and into financial ruin. You should rename your paper the Chinese herald, because that’s exactly what it’s going to be in ten years if Ron Paul isn’t elected. We’re getting owned by bad policy, and interventionism is a JOKE.
Posted by Sam Johnson on 02/07/2008 at 8:54 am
It’s too late for an apology. You did the damage and now to save face and readership you’ll make some limp wristed excuses. If you had any courage you’d have covered Ron Paul. You’re supposed to report the truth and not manipulate people with lies or by withholding the truth.
Posted by Robert on 02/07/2008 at 8:56 am
What is remarkable is that media all over the country have made the same ‘mistake’.
Yet you guys are one of the very few to apologize for it. In that alone I can commend you.
Somewhere in the mess that is America’s political landscape, media crossed the line between reporting the news and effectively making the news. In so doing, it went from being a public servant, to a menace to the freedom of every American.
Posted by K. L. Estes on 02/07/2008 at 8:57 am
Ron Paul won more delegates than any other candidate at the Missoula County Republican Caucus.
not worth mentioning?
What a wonderful news cast. Atleast you guys said you were wrong.
it seems your state is the only with brain so maybe you should think about moving out?
Posted by Chaz on 02/07/2008 at 9:00 am
I was going to say, Better Late than Never. But in this cases, I doubt this holds true.
Posted by Tony on 02/07/2008 at 9:00 am
Thank you very much for the apology. You have proven that the media has been intentionally ignoring Ron Paul: driving the election and defrauding the voters by giving them your version of reality, instead of the reality that has been shouting from every street corner, rural field, and blog as possible. If all of your colleagues, both locally and nationally, had not done this would Ron Paul have faired better? That’s a question yet to be decided at a brokered convention.
The real question now is, what are you going to do with this new found knowledge? Now that Ron Paul is a reality in your area how are you going to report? Don’t think that your reporting duties end after the caucus. People rely on your words to shape their views. Hence, like any role model, the responsibility falls on you; even if you do not want that responsibility.
Are you now going to educate the people about how the primaries really work? Are you going to attempt to report how a brokered convention works? About the very real possibility of a brokered convention? Try and delve into the delegates and figure out who they really support if given an open choice; sans pledges?
That is something that your editing board needs to take seriously. I’d like to see some real investigative reporting, some honest views on current situations, and a lot more accuracy. It is immoral to force your view on others in your position. It is moral to report the unbiased and open truth. Try that route and stop ignoring events and people that are in your local area and globally; regardless of who or what you support.
Be the paper that sets the standard for others to follow. Other local papers will follow, and perhaps, one day, the national papers will cave to the local ones standards.
Posted by Michael Christenson II on 02/07/2008 at 9:03 am
You failed on all counts, miserably. Most of all, you failed your country! Yeah, believe it, it was that important. pffft…
Posted by Mike on 02/07/2008 at 9:05 am
The word missing here is called CENSORSHIP. This is all about censorship. After all, censorship is becoming America’s favorite past-time. The US gov’t (and their corporate/media friends), already detain protesters, ban books like “America Deceived” from Amazon and Wikipedia, shut down Ron Paul and fire 21-year tenured, BYU physics professor Steven Jones because he proved explosives, thermite in particular, took down the WTC buildings. Free Speech forever. Kaiman’s ‘apology’ (where they blame others) not accepted.
Last link (before Google Books caves to pressure and drops the title):
http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-38523-0
Posted by Gregg S on 02/07/2008 at 9:06 am
In retrospect we see that this paper is the last place anyone would look for credible information on anything.
Posted by Chas on 02/07/2008 at 9:08 am
How blind can you be? !!
Didn’t you see signs everywhere? Could you not spend 5 minutes to contact any of the 1600 Ron Paul meetup groups nationwide for a story?
This is LAZY journalism at it’s best. Just wait for AP press stories and try to figure out how they will fit on the page.
I’ve been on the internet since 1989 and have not subscribed to a single newspaper or magazine since then. I don’t have cable TV.
I’m actually VERY well informed without that trash.
Posted by Frank on 02/07/2008 at 9:13 am
Thanks for the apology. A “professional” news organization would have tapped into the local sentiment and not let their “oddball bias” seep into their selective coverage. Do you realize that by omitting Ron Paul from your news you have played a part in eroding the democratic process? Take it to heart, hope it stings and next time interview your readers to find out what they are thinking and don’t tell them what to think.
Posted by Howie on 02/07/2008 at 9:20 am
And people wonder why young people hate politics! They can’t even get fair coverage when it comes to who they support, just because that person isn’t the so called favorite of the mainstream media.
Posted by Michelle L on 02/07/2008 at 9:21 am
Warning ... (not a threat). Ron Paul supporters are the most vigilant, dedicated and devoted of any political movement this country has seen in generations. Do not be surprised if your sponsors hear from, and are boycotted by, free press and 1st amendment sympathizers. Every dog has his day and there is always a price to be paid. Unfortunately in your case, this time you will lose. Nice effort on the cya piece though.
Posted by George M on 02/07/2008 at 9:23 am
Montana Kaiman’s first mistake is depending on cues from the National Media outlets - They are PRIVATELY OWNED by big business, and their political reporting is biased and corrupted. They love small newspapers like yours to use their agendas.
Montana Kaiman, thank you for your humility in admitting this mistake, and thank you for writing about the only man after the people’s best interest, not special interests.
Posted by Karen on 02/07/2008 at 9:29 am
From a place line Montana this very much suprises me. Seems corporate America has infiltrated even the most liberterian locations. I am ashamed of you and your media service.
Joshua Henderson
US Navy
Active Duty x 14 years
Posted by Joshua Henderson on 02/07/2008 at 9:42 am
It is a sad time when the man whose positions come closest to those of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison is called an oddball, a nut, and a fruitcake by our media masters.
Thanks to that media bias, we are now facing a general election with the “choice” of two identical candidates who differ only in their party label—pro-war, pro-illegal immigration, and advocates of activist judges who subvert the Constitution—McCain/Clinton. This wasn’t an accident. The current system is designed to give people the illusion of choice.
Posted by John Green on 02/07/2008 at 9:48 am
I apologize for never reading your paper. This decision was a conscious and deliberate one based on polls conducted in my household that show your oddball newspaper failed to capture any significant percentage of readers.
Posted by Chris on 02/07/2008 at 9:52 am
ODDBALL? WTF kind of apology is that.
You can’t be serious.
Note to Montana Kaimin: Poking your finger in the eye of your readers while apologizing to them, does not an apology make.
Posted by Shawn on 02/07/2008 at 10:10 am
Perhaps this is why you are apologising now: “Ron Paul 2008: RICO suit filed against ABC, MSNBC, FOX, CNN, CBS, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal”
http://www.opendemocracy.net/forum/2008/01/29/ron_paul_2008_rico_suit_filed_against_abc_msnbc_fox_cnn_cbs_the_los_angeles_times_the_new_york_times_wall_stree?1
Posted by Josef on 02/07/2008 at 10:11 am
As you can see from the comments there are many supporters of Ron Paul no tonly in Montana. We surely are deeply frustrated that the media have have in lockstep fashion ignored this candidate. Your tardy apology cannot change anything but is accepted. Perhaps now you’ll take seriously the responsibilty journalism places upon you. I have one question for you, “Do you consider the many supporters in your area to be oddballs and perhaps irrelevant?” Hopefully not. Ron Paul support is a local phenomenon that requires reasoning and resoluteness. If you do some research you’ll see that many of RP supporters are thinking deepy about the future of this nation and are unlikely to jump ship to an “american idol-like” candidate the masses are enamored with for a day or so. I invite you onto the Ron Paul ship.
Posted by Carl K on 02/07/2008 at 10:17 am
Newspapers need to generate interest to SELL newspapers. Why not put a big INTERESTING article on the RON PAUL PHENOMENON that is growing like crazy, it’s the next BIG THING, your paper could sell MILLIONS if you catch this unstoppable wave and ride it. Would be better than embarrassing yourself further and continuing to be a DULL publication that parrots DULL mainstream media with tainted “NON-NEWS”.
Posted by diane on 02/07/2008 at 10:23 am
How about this: use whatever media connections you have to convince another similarly-sized paper in an upcoming primary state currently neglecting Ron Paul to write a similar article or write a full-page feature on him, and all will be forgiven?
Now that you’ve realized your mistake it’s your responsibility to help people in other primary states become informed so that they can make an informed decision as well.
Posted by Dave on 02/07/2008 at 10:35 am
I have been increasingly aware of the Kaimin’s deliberate actions towards censorship, misinformation, misquotes, and lack of journalistic integrity. This apology, late and backhanded, only serves to strengthen that feeling. I am embarassed by my campus newspaper and the lack of leadership skills that have played out this year. The newspaper only serves to publish self-interest stories of the employees and continuously “backhand” whatever group seems to piss them off that week. Over the past year I have seen this newspaper take stab after stab at the student government while they obviously run a far less democratic system within Breslin’s office of “What I label as oddball doesn’t deserve to be in my paper.” What a powertrip.
Posted by Jenna on 02/07/2008 at 10:42 am
Now that Super Tuesday is over, it’s okay to look at what Ron Paul. Take a look at what everyone has been talking about: www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/
Posted by Candy on 02/07/2008 at 11:00 am
This comment board is giving me a stroke.
Posted by Jamee Greer on 02/07/2008 at 11:04 am
I know what I need to know about Ron Paul. Thing I want to know is…
Mitt Romney. Presidential candidate, or time-traveling android?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz2xwTNTUNU&feature=user
The Romneybot looks like what our future robot overlords imagine we humans want in a president after researching hours of “The West Wing.”
Posted by Sam on 02/07/2008 at 11:07 am
Kilgore: The point is not whether the Kaimin agrees with Ron Paul- the point is that a responsible newspaper would have given coverage to this man regardless of whether its media conglomerates did. This message board is not to argue whether Ron Paul is a good candidate- this board is to argue whether he should have been given coverage for those ideas.
Posted by Annie on 02/07/2008 at 11:12 am
What a classic case of dropping the ball!
You know what? We all witnessed what a MEDIA BLACKOUT will do to an honest and “GOD SENT” campaign!
Shame on you, Shame on the powers that be that instructed or guided your MISGUIDED thinking!
America will suffer because of this!
Posted by Wanda Case on 02/07/2008 at 11:13 am
The question now is: Have you learned from your mistake? Will you do the right thing the next time an “oddball” candidate receives unprecedented grassroots support?
I’m not from Montana, but I’m guessing your paper is a smalltime outfit, so you probably had little impact on the outcome. But you were not alone in your willful ignorance, and we now see the outcome of widespread journalistic sloth in regards to the Paul campaign.
You can hardly blame those of us who are suspicious of a conspiracy, and who would rather call it treason than sloth.
Please, just don’t let it happen again.
Posted by phoobaar on 02/07/2008 at 11:29 am
Honestly, 9 times out of 10, the Montana Kaiman isnt worth the paper its written on. I should know, I went to school in Missoula and regularly looked at the Kaiman and was ALWAYS disappointed in the shitty writing.
This apology is a joke.
Posted by Dever on 02/07/2008 at 11:34 am
An apology is not enough...you need to show that you are genuinely sorry...actions speak louder than words...whoever in the media influenced you to ignore Ron Paul, now it’s your turn to tell them that they are wrong and insist that they apologize too.
Posted by Edward on 02/07/2008 at 11:54 am
"The decision to ignore Paul was consciously and deliberately made” and “had not generated the kind of broad-based national support”.
Gee, golly, what if by some mystical formula the _reason_ for a lack of visible support is _because_ of stupid fools like you making such monumentally ignorant decisions about what is important to other people? The fact is that the deliberate omission of Paul has been both wide spread and obvious.
What ever happened to factual reporting? “The decision to ignore Paul was consciously and deliberately made”.
The United States doesn’t need a government censorship office. There is the Mass Media who do such a wonderful job of ignoring anything dangerous to the status quo all on their own.
What is so very dangerous about Paul’s message, the promise to do nothing more than leave people alone?
Posted by Curtis Howland on 02/07/2008 at 11:56 am
Edward is right, actions speak louder than words.
If you really want to do something about it, then _expose_ the people who told you to ignore Ron Paul. Investigate how this deliberate shunning has been enforced, who is behind it, and why.
Surprise surprise, people will actually READ about that and you will sell papers! Scandal! Corruption! Talk about sales, you’ll be famous!
Posted by Bob Robertson on 02/07/2008 at 11:59 am
THIS ELECTION PROCESS WAS AND IS A JOKE I WAS UNABLE TO VOTE WHO I WANTED FOR PRESIDENT…
THE ELECTION WAS RIDGED BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN RAVALLI COUNTY. THEY PRE SCREENED YOU AND ASKED WHO YOU SUPPORTED BEFORE THEY WOULD ALLOW YOU TO EVEN TRY TO BECOME A MEMBER FOR YOUR DISTRICT. IF YOU DID NOT SUPPORT THE PRESELECTED CANIDATE THAT THEY HAD ALREADY CHOOSEN YOU WHERE OUT! THIS COUNTRY IS IN BIG BIG TROUBLE. READ WILLI NELSON’S FOX NEWS REPORT FROM FEB 6TH 2008. PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY BETTER OPEN UP THIER EYES AND FAST....YOUR VOTE DOES NOT COUNT...THE NEWS MEDIA U.S.A. WIDE IS SENSORED ON EVERY STATION..AND THEY LET US HEAR ONLY WHAT THEY WANT US TO HEAR AND SEE WHAT THEY WANT US TO SEE.
I NEAVER BELIVED IN A ONE WORLD POWER AND ALWAYS LAUGHED WHEN SOMEONE MENTIONED IT. I FIGURED THEY WHERE EXTREMIST,,BUT YOU CAN NOT ARGUE THE FACTS,,THE WORLD LEADERS ARE HEADING FOR A ONE WORLD POWER AND YES YOU WILL HAVE NO VOTE ! RON PAUL WE THE PEOPLE OF MONTANA SUPPORT YOU!! I THOUGHT WE WHERE A FREE COUNTRY,,,SO WHY ARE WE STILL HAVING TO FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM?
Posted by joey smith on 02/07/2008 at 12:03 pm
Ron Paul IS an oddball. But so are college newspaper editors.
Posted by doug on 02/07/2008 at 12:09 pm
Your Kaimin reader poll continues to miss the point. It’s not whether Ron Paul should be the next President- but the fact you’re newspaper made a conscious decision to stifle his voice and ideas. I may not agree with the ideas Ron Paul has but I think a public forum to discuss his ideas is needed. I’m disappointed you chose to powertrip the political process and halt that discussion.
Posted by Mary on 02/07/2008 at 12:13 pm
yes it makes sense for the CFR controlled media to ignore Ron Paul for he would get rid of billion dollar no-bid contracts to their friends at Haliburton, which all serious national candidates are in favor of. This paper is friends with the people who wish to enslave, mislead and imprison you so please cut them a break. They also choose to ignore the history of government sponsored terror:
USS Liberty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD_I-KTGT3M
http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printedition/tuesday/chi-liberty_tuesoct02,0,3737033,full.story
Gulf of Tonkin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbJLwk-bJaA
Reichstag Fire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqw1R2oA9KA
Operation Northwoods:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3LM5UI4Hrw
And just for fun thought you might like to hear some
modern pop news: Willie Nelson Comments
http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=41684
Posted by Gabe Harris on 02/07/2008 at 12:25 pm
Your weak apology will mean little to the next country that gets bombed. Thanks for nothing.
Posted by James Babb on 02/07/2008 at 12:27 pm
only oddballs don’t want to be lied to about trillion dollar wars, only oddballs don’t want to kill another million or so middle eastern women and children...only oddballs want low taxes. Some nerve you guys have callign the guy a oddball in a “apology” letter....go stick it up your a** you f***ing lying tools.
Posted by Gabe Harris on 02/07/2008 at 12:28 pm
ODDBALL?? Not hardly! Dr. Paul is a true Patriot for this nation!
Posted by Brian on 02/07/2008 at 12:30 pm
Apologies don’t help when the damage is already done. You and the national media have picked the candidates for our nation and you should be ashamed of yourselves. I hope you’re happy for what you’ve done to your country.
Posted by Dan on 02/07/2008 at 12:32 pm
"The decision to ignore Paul was consciously and deliberately made...”
This admission makes what you did worse than undemocratic, it was treasonous. Apology not accepted.
Posted by Wendy on 02/07/2008 at 12:34 pm
Watch some of these videos and tell us if he’s still an oddball:
http://kickapathy.com
“Ron Paul Upholds the Constitution for Rosa Parks”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs-0AXWV8so
Posted by Jon Mof on 02/07/2008 at 12:37 pm
"Though the Kaimin may take cues from the national media (they are professionals, after all)”
Professionals? Where can I get the blinders you have on? :)
Posted by Jon Mof on 02/07/2008 at 12:42 pm
The Republican base at this point are very unhappy with McCain and Huckabee. Both have records of flip-flopping, and non conservative war mongers. Ron Paul while his ideas may sound outrageous, I perfer his ideas over 100 years of war and more wars to come (McCain), or changing the constitution to a religion preference (Huckabee).
As a conservative, Ron Paul delivers the constitution and someone that wants to not rule the world. There is nothing fringe about that. The powerful elite that control the banking establishments will have you believe that going to a gold standard is a bad thing. Silly idea? In 1963 we went off the silver standard, and what we got was the man was not able to support his household anymore, requiring the woman to go out and work. It doesn’t take a lot to realize that Ron Pauls idea’s are not fringe.
Posted by Shannon on 02/07/2008 at 12:43 pm
And yet you continue to lie and manipulate:
How do you square this: “But in the weeks leading up to Montana’s caucus, local media either did not see or outright ignored Paul’s local support. The Montana Kaimin is especially guilty of this lapse because much of Paul’s support comes from college students.”
...with this previous statement: “In excluding Paul, we stifled both his message and supporters. Cutting people out of the political process is anything but democratic, as several readers have correctly pointed out.”
Guess those “several readers” didn’t matter then but do now?
You wanna do some good? Do a hard-hitting expose on the coordinated media blackout of Ron Paul.
Tools
Posted by Steve on 02/07/2008 at 12:43 pm
You guys claim you guys didn’t include Ron Paul because he was an odd ball candidate? Where are you getting your sources? He’s the most conservative candidate on the ballot; Low spending/taxes and small government. And people like McCain and Mick are true Republicans? You guys should have saved face and explained your wrong actions instead of lie to cover up.
Posted by John on 02/07/2008 at 12:47 pm
Your omission illustrates perfectly what is wrong with American media these days. You don’t think for yourselves, you follow. Whatever happened to the spirit of Edward R. Murrow? If all media outlet were like you, McCarthy would be President.
Your apology is way late, but at least you made it. Please be journalists not State Tools.
Posted by Brigadier General Pulaski on 02/07/2008 at 12:47 pm
Your apology is too late for me to accept it. The GOP and MSM will look back one day and regret their decision to smear and then black-out Ron Paul’s campaign during this electoion.
Posted by Ara on 02/07/2008 at 12:49 pm
You Apologize?? While Americans are getting shafted and marginalized, you apologize?? Fire your entire editorial staff and we’ll call it even…
Posted by John Moore on 02/07/2008 at 1:02 pm
Too little, too late and way too many excuses. Whether it be the local news reporting agencies or National (the professionals as you call them), you all have been providing a major disservice to the people of this country. In such an important event as electing a President, we have every right to know what our choices are and it is your obligation to provide us with the necessary information to make those choices. You should be ashamed. It’s outrageous.
Posted by Barb on 02/07/2008 at 1:05 pm
I presume by now that you know what you, and all the MSM, have been doing is definitely wrong in the eyes of thousands of Americans. We are working overtime to promote a better America by way of the Ron Paul Revolution, while we are being kicked in the teeth by the media. Since you screwed up, now you can help us stop the war and the runaway government by doing all you can to promote Ron Paul. Be creative. I know you can think of something useful.
Posted by S Scott on 02/07/2008 at 1:06 pm
Since so many people have told you what they don’t like about your apology, I’ll tell you what I do like about it.
1. You said you were wrong.
2. You explained clearly why you were wrong.
That doesn’t mean I agree with the reasoning. I just liked the fact that you stated it clearly, even when it made you look foolish. Seems to me that the world would be a better place if everyone was so plain-spoken.
Posted by Bill on 02/07/2008 at 1:15 pm
Ron Paul still wins because his message is getting out! Keep his dream of liberty alive! Go to: Ron Paul warroom.com
Posted by tony bazan on 02/07/2008 at 1:16 pm
Ron Paul has stood, mostly alone, for the truth he speaks for most of his 71 years.
Those who would criticize you, instead of accepting your apology, should ask themselves where they have been all this time.
Thank you for correcting your mistake.
Posted by Web Smith on 02/07/2008 at 1:21 pm
My heart be still! Do you have any idea how refreshing and inspiring this is? My GOD, I have been waiting forever for this kind of candor and atonement from any of the main stream media. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart...now, if only CNN, MSNBC and FOX will follow suit...(FYI: not holding my breath)
Posted by Elizabeth Comeau on 02/07/2008 at 1:22 pm
Time for Ron Paul supporters to organize pointed and crushing boycotts of all news organizations that omitted or dissed Ron Paul and otherwise fail to be objective journalist. Anybody want to start a webpage for that? Let the boycott war begin!
Posted by Kevin on 02/07/2008 at 1:24 pm
Your apology seemed to be sincere. Or a sneaky way of keep the email box from overflowing and “Ron Paul” signs being plastured all over your offices. Who knows?
But, Ron Paul is more “ANTI-TAX” than the Republicans of today. And more “ANTI-WAR” than the Democrats of today.
And Americans are sick to death of being divided and told who to support.
With Ron Paul there is no “lesser of two evils”. And there are no divisions among color or genders. There is no Democrats and Republicans except for those who choose to be divided.
I’m 37. And far from the “younger voters” status. But I support Ron Paul because of what he stands for, his voting record and because he is THE most honest candidate. You called him “oddball”. Well, I might have to mention, that if being honest is being an oddball, then call me an oddball loving voter.
Ron Paul, if given half the news coverage by the MSM, would beat Hillary, Obama, McCain, and Huckabee hands down.
Posted by Lane on 02/07/2008 at 1:34 pm
I guess your forgiven now LOL. If we are ever going to change to course to destruction America is currently on we are going to have to vote for people that ARE out of step with their corrupt to the core political parties. I would just like to thank you for helping to continue the status quo of ignoring our constitution and centralizing the power of our government. I appreciate the apology but it doesn’t mean squat. You shut out the most honest candidate this country has seen since Thomas Jefferson and you want to apologize!! Save it! Just keep doing your job of not reporting what is really going on in this country, and we’ll do our part and stay ignorant thanks to “NEWS” organizations like you and vote for whoever the establishment IE (international bankers, Military industrial complex, pharmaceutical, chemical, prison industry, and any other huge conglomerate corporation) wants us to vote for. Grow a conscience and start reporting the real news. How bout a story on the CFR and their influence on American policy, foreign and domestic. Or who is funding these “mainstream” candidates you all gush over with nothing to say but empty promises and lies and their hidden agendas that you only have to dig a little bit to uncover. Or you could do stories that educate people about our constitution and its purpose to protect individual freedom and restrain government to protect us from the tyranny of a total surveillance police state that is at our doorstep, oh and lets not forget the endless, unwinnable, trillion dollar wars that we seem to get in ever decade or so. But I guess that doesn’t sell as many papers or does it maybe you should try it out and see. You may be surprised that people are actually starving for real news sources. Maybe that’s why the Internet is taking over the news media? Just a few thoughts for you to try to digest. Have a wonderful day, and try for the love of god to do some good in this world.
Posted by nate on 02/07/2008 at 1:34 pm
When it comes to money and our monetary system, Ron Paul knows his stuff. Ron Paul serves as Chairman on U.S. House of Representatives’ on Financial Services.
In my opinion he is Alan Greenspans equal.
He is certainly one of the most knowledgeable people on the subject, and as a result, he was never afraid to go head to head with Greenspan when Greenspan was the Chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Dr. Paul’s incisive questioning of Alan Greenspans economic policies ignited a relationship that appears adversarial but is actually one of mutual respect and interest.
Posted by Ray on 02/07/2008 at 1:35 pm
Horrible thing to do, even worse apology.
Posted by Richard DeLozier on 02/07/2008 at 1:36 pm
Mr Breslin, being the only paper willing to express an apology makes ou the lightning rod. While your apology appears rooted in pragmatism, I suspect it is indication that your paper is independently run and owned. I wonder whether the independently run student papers will become the latest acquisition of the ravenous monopolistic media behemoths. Your audacious apology provides Ron Paul attention, albeit muted.You may find yourself losing editorial autonomy. If, like most journalists you are motivated only by pragmatic considerations that prospect ought to cause you no worry.
Posted by Carl K on 02/07/2008 at 1:55 pm
i appreciate your effort, yet regret your attitude towards a veru qualified but ignored candidate in this race,,, the snorty attitude you present is exactly the what makes me sick of you and the rest of the media,,, if you did your homework you may find that ron paul is infact right-in-step with what the gop used to represnt,, but beyond that he trully stands alone when it comes to morality, honesty, adn plain old common sense,, i hate what this country has become,, and ron paul is the man that woke me up to it,,, you just pissed me off,,,
Posted by angelo santangelo on 02/07/2008 at 1:58 pm
If you are sorry, cover Dr. Paul NOW. Today he has added foreign policy staff members. Start there. We will see if you are sincere.
Posted by DPKennedy on 02/07/2008 at 1:59 pm
There’s no need to apologize. Ron Paul is a fringe candidate with neo-Confederate and neo-Nazi affiliations whose main base of libertarians, racists, and conspiracy theorists is much noisier than it is influential. His strong showing in parts of Montana is more reflective of the higher ratio of survivalist types to the lower population density than it is of any actual solid support.
Ron Paul’s message of thinly-veiled bigotry and unashamed free market anarcho-capitalism, epitomized by the decades of racist conspiracy newsletters he claimed never to have read despite having his signature and first-person accounts on them, is worth neither attention or mention in your esteemed publication, and you would do well to ignore the mob of demagoguic ideologues attempting to bully you into submission to their fringe politics with their numbers.
Posted by Ron Lulz on 02/07/2008 at 2:02 pm
This is a very refreshing article. This is one of the few examples of any form of media admitting a mistake or lapse in judgment. Now if national media would follow your lead and start reporting fairly, this would be a much closer race.
Posted by Brad Hinderliter on 02/07/2008 at 2:08 pm
Sean, your job is to report on ALL the candidates, not just follow the lead of others. A reporter with integrity WORKS at his job. By work I mean THINK about the ideas of the people you write about. If you had, you would have discovered the story of the century. Every candidate is essentially the same, except Ron Paul. It’s not too late. You can research RP and write to other reporters explaining your mistake.
Help stop this mindless journalism. That would be a real apology and your own salvation.
Posted by Don Duncan on 02/07/2008 at 2:08 pm
"Kaimin” Is that Latin for moron? This idea that you did not include objective information concerning the candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul for President because you thought he was an “odd ball” demonstrates exactly why you deserve a big fat F in journalism. That opinion, and that is exactly what it is, an opinion, would be acceptable on the editorial page, not in an objective account based on old fashioned true journalistic standards of who, what, when, where, how. With this lazy narcissistic approach to journalism you will go far in the current media industrial complex. Can you say “Fix News”? We will call your program the No Spine Zone. I think I might mail you a box of crayons to do your next story. To use the current vernacular, “Get a full length mirror and dig yourself.” Your work ethic is so small you would need a raincoat so the ants wouldn’t piss on you.
Posted by Daniel Reddish on 02/07/2008 at 2:15 pm
Too little too late. And to use the words “broad-based national support” to describe Mike Huckabee’s appeal is laughable. Huck does great in the South but struggles to eclipse double digits anywhere else save Iowa. And Mitt Romney’s “broad-based national support” was due to using his fortune to prolong a lost cause. The fiduciary integrety of our currency is at stake. Our politicians are corrupt, the system is corrupt, and our media neutered. The Constitution works! Ron Paul is the only choice for freedom and I strongly encourage him to launch a third party candidacy should this despotic media blackout continue.
Posted by Jason Cooper on 02/07/2008 at 2:17 pm
The apology is appreciated, it takes a big person to admit they were wrong. However, the entire nation’s media has done the very same thing - making this election an undemocratic election; because not all candidates have been heard due to unfair exclusion.
Ron Paul and his supporters are fighting to protect YOUR Constitutional rights of freedom of speech along with many other rights that are in danger or have already been stripped from us - thanks to our current government. We’ve been thanked by exclusion from most of the media across the nation. I would think that the media would at least have enough respect for the right to freedom of speach to make sure he is at least heard.
Posted by Ralyn Speerly Schraceo on 02/07/2008 at 2:23 pm
I hope the people and communities of Montana aren’t buying into these crocodile tears that the Kaimin is peddling.
This is simply an attempt to minimize the potential economic blowback for deliberately undermining the democratic process.
You don’t need to be a Ron Paul supporter to despise these calculating treasonous traitors posing as journalists.
Let this rag fall.
Posted by Barney Palmerston on 02/07/2008 at 2:40 pm
Fuck you Montana Kaimin. How DARE you apologize and then stab the same people you are apologizing to in the back by calling them names. You are as un-American and treasonous as the rest of the main stream media.
Posted by John on 02/07/2008 at 2:46 pm
wow, thank you for this article. You have shown that your organization really stands for this republic. Thanks again for doing the honest thing.
Posted by Frank on 02/07/2008 at 2:54 pm
Hey, you’re a student newspaper, entitled to make mistakes in the learning process. I hope you’ve all learned something.
I was first attracted to Paul on his stance on the Constitution—something all students in this country should be learning. As a political phenomenon, his campaign certainly should have been covered if only to show the kinds of looneytune individuals who have been drawn to him. Paul’s right about one thing: Undeclared wars have been a disaster for the U.S.
Posted by John Young on 02/07/2008 at 2:57 pm
Your apology is noted – not accepted!
Your premise for excluding Ron Paul from receiving balanced election coverage is not excusable and regrettably typical of thousands of local media that naively feed off the agenda driven wire service of mainstream media. Your publication is obviously not socio / politically sophisticated and lacks the ability to recognize or discern orchestrated agendas at national level regarding media election control.
Hopefully, your staff at Montana Kaimin will learn from this and begin to develop toward conducting real journalism with your editors, reporters and columnist – which demands that you don’t just sit on your can and take the stories and polls from AP – you must do your jobs!!
It is essential in a representative Republic such as ours to have a free press that reports objective, balanced news coverage for all candidates during elections so that the populace can be informed on honest evaluation and logic and not agenda driven emotion.
Unfortunately, you have taken part in what will become one of the most notorious examples of media control of the presidential election process in our Nation’s history.
I am a social scientist – be assured that I and thousands of others world-wide have placed your contributions in this 2008 election on file for future analysis. Who knows – perhaps three – maybe four or five years from now university students in Montana will purchase text books and research case studies on “Media and Control of the Democratic Election Process in America” – you may be in the index or footnotes – you must be very proud?
Posted by Thomas A. O'Brien on 02/07/2008 at 2:59 pm
This is just a scam, worthless “woeds” that don’t ring hollow.. they don’t sound at all.... waste of any attempt to “look as if they are trying to fit in”... hahah you’re even more moronic to do ANYTHING. YOU REAP WHAT YE SOW.
THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE
F~R~E~E~D~O~M ! ! !
Posted by Tim-Ozzy on 02/07/2008 at 3:04 pm
oddball?you may have more brains than Ron Lulz but just barely.May your corporate pandering rag go bankrupt.
Posted by gary on 02/07/2008 at 3:06 pm
ditto…
Posted by Steve Rathjen on 02/07/2008 at 3:07 pm
I really appreciate the appology and it shows that you are not above making a mistake and admitting it.
I would like to point out that Huckabee wouldnt have been as popular if it wasnt for all of the free media attention that he was getting nationwide.
Posted by Nick Falco on 02/07/2008 at 3:09 pm
