Ron Paul's
10% In Iowa Shocks Establishment Media
Even
Fox News' own talking heads think decision to exclude from
presidential forum should be reversed
Ron Paul's double
digit support in Iowa has shocked establishment media figures who
have long derided the Congressman as an insignificant candidate with
just 2 or 3 per cent of the vote. Even Fox News' own talking heads
now agree that Paul should not be excluded from the upcoming
presidential forum as campaign momentum builds.
Dr. Paul blew "national frontrunner" Rudy Giuliani out of the water,
who got just 4% of the vote, and is handily placed behind McCain and
Thompson heading into New Hampshire.
The Congressman's strong showing has led to new calls for Fox News
to reverse the decision to exclude him from the January 6th
presidential forum, not from Ron Paul supporters but from Fox News'
own flagship hosts.
"Ten per cent is
not insignificant - that's a huge number," said Fox's Greta van
Susteren, appearing with host Shep Smith last night. Smith noted
that Paul had more than doubled Giuliani's total.
"Should Fox News reconsider?" asked Smith, to which Susteren
responded, "I'm not sure why he's out of it (the forum)."
"Here you have a candidate that 10 per cent of the people caucused
in his party really want him and it's not like he's an insignificant
player," she added.
"He didn't just drop in yesterday to the process, he has been
running for president for a long time, and certainly many of the
issues he's raised are rather provocative and certainly stimulate
the debate, that's not a bad thing - and why not pull up another
chair?" Susteren concluded.
Watch it.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer
and Larry King also noted Paul's double digit finish during a
discussion last night.
"Ron Paul I think is gonna be a factor in New Hampshire on the
Republican side much more than he was in Iowa given all the
Independents there so let's not neglect Ron Paul when we're talking
about this," remarked Blitzer.
