Candidate Mitt Romney's comments about Ron Paul are mean-spirited and
show a complete lack of understanding of Paul's positions. He says "I
sure am laughing at Ron Paul. I gotta tell you anybody who says we've
got to get rid of the CIA and FBI and the reason we were attacked by
Jihadists is because of us is a guy who deserves a little bit of humor
to come his way."

Listen to Mark Larsen's interview of Mitt Romney:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lAFfLy05_Y&eurl=http://www.dailypaul.com/node/30991

McCain claims to have supported the increase of U.S. troops in Iraq
when no one else did, and he says it is working.

So, is the surge really working?

Not according to an NPR report dated January 8, 2008.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17899543

The report says military officials disagree on the impact of the surge.

According to the report, some officials believe the decrease in
violence is occurring because the U.S. military is paying Sunni
insurgents to be its allies.

Here is part of the NPR report.

"Petraeus [the U.S. commanding general in Iraq] seems to have
concluded that it was essential to cut deals with the Sunni insurgents
if he was going to succeed in reducing U.S. casualties," [Retired Army
Colonel Douglas] Macgregor says.

The military now calls those "deals" the Concerned Local Citizens
program or simply, CLCs.

It's a somewhat abstract euphemism. The CLC program turns groups of
former insurgents, including fighters for al-Qaida in Iraq, into paid,
temporary allies of the U.S. military.

[General Barry] McCaffrey just got back from a five-day trip to Iraq
where, he says, he "went to a couple of these CLCs, you know, five
awkward-looking guys with their own AKs standing at a road junction
with two magazines of ammunition — and they're there as early warning
to protect their families in that village. I think that that's good."

Some 70,000 former insurgents are now being paid $10 a day by the U.S.
military. It costs about a quarter billion dollars a year.

It's a controversial strategy, and Macgregor warns that it's creating
a parallel military force in Iraq that is made up almost entirely of
Sunni Muslims.

"We need to understand that buying off your enemy is a good short-term
solution to gain a respite from violence," he says, "but it's not a
long-term solution to creating a legitimate political order inside a
country that, quite frankly, is recovering from the worst sort of
civil war.

January 30, 2008

Every movement in history has faced some time of testing, some
experience that either forges it into something strong and unified, or
forces it to fade away into the history books as another failed
experiment.

Dr. Paul has written to you that we are heading straight for Super
Tuesday. Our opponents are free to beat up on each other and wear
themselves down while we gather our supporters and prepare to storm
the convention with delegates.

Last night, over 60,000 people stood up and asked for an end to the
runaway violation of our liberties. But contrary to the impression you
may be getting from the mainstream media, no national delegates have
yet been won in Florida. Those delegates will only be awarded between
February 6 and April 30 at delegate selection caucuses, and many of
those delegates will be supporters of Dr. Paul.

Ron Paul is the only candidate not to give up on any state in the
Republican race, and just as we competed strongly in overlooked states
like Nevada and Louisiana, so too will we compete in Maine, Minnesota,
and other states that the so-called "top-tier" candidates are content
to ignore.

Now, as the focus shifts to Super Tuesday, Rudy's campaign is crushed,
Huckabee is losing momentum by the day, and McCain and Romney are
fighting over who is the most liberal.

We've been here before. In 1776, despite a courageous effort at
holding onto the city, George Washington ceded New York and quickly
retreated to New Jersey.

1777 brought the British recapture of Fort Ticonderoga, as well as
American defeats at Brandywine and Germantown.

And then, during the winter of 1777-1778, Washington and his army
faced perhaps their most humiliating moment, forced to endure a harsh
Pennsylvania winter with limited supplies at Valley Forge.

The American revolutionaries dealt with their defeats, focused on
their goals, and emerged from Valley Forge as a force that would
defeat the most powerful nation on earth.

Our momentum is building. Each one of us, from Dr. Paul himself down
to the grassroots supporter who donates the last $5 he or she can
give, is focused on the goal.

Early in the struggle for American independence, George Washington
wrote: "Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages." Even
then, Washington realized that a fierce struggle for self-government
can only be won with a spirit of determination equal to the challenge.

Today, in the midst of our new revolution, let's consider Washington's
words once again. The task before us is enormous. The foes of liberty
are deeply entrenched, and they will not relinquish their power
without a struggle.

But fighting in our favor is the unconquerable human spirit, the
innate desire to be free. We must embrace this inner strength, dig in
our heels, and persevere, just as Washington and his rag-tag
colonials, the first American grassroots patriots, did before us. And
if we must pass through a Valley Forge or two along the way to
victory, let those times of testing temper the steel of our
determination.

If Ron Paul is to continue his fight for liberty to the Republican
Convention, we need your help in two critical ways:

1. Become a precinct leader today: It's easy, but more importantly,
it's vital to Ron Paul's success: https://voters.ronpaul2008.com.

2. Donate: Just as the Continental Congress supplied General
Washington's troops in the field, we too must raise as much money as
we can to equip our grassroots supporters.

Help us win this revolution and usher in a new era of freedom, peace,
and prosperity. Donate today: https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate.

Matthew Hawes, Policy Assistant
Daniel McCarthy, Internet Communications Coordinator
Jonathan Bydlak, Fundraising Director
Ron Paul 2008

Paid for by the Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Campaign Committee. Used
without permission.

Enoch,

In my mind Romney is a politician first. He will do whatever his advisers say in order to get elected, whether it is be pro-life, attack the other candidates, or write articles for the CFR. I'm still left with the view that he is the best politician we've got. Too bad America won't elect a statesman like Ron Paul.

I think JBS has said we need 1000 like minded people in a Congressional District to decide who the Congressman will be. We need to elect more people like Ron Paul. Maybe this election process will help identify the 1000 people in each Congressional District. For this movement to last and have impact we need to act upon the gains we are making now.

Our Congressman is likely to lose in the upcoming Democratic sweep. We need to build on what we have started here in order to have a nominee in place for 2010. Events are on our side. The economy and world affairs will do nothing but get worse.

John

On Jan 30, 2008 12:24 AM, Enoch wrote:

Hmm. I really want to believe that he has just changed his mind and finally came to his senses. However, he hasn't done a good job of convincing me yet. Ideally I'd like to sit down with him and just ask him. At the same time, he just doesn't seem to be the kind of guy that will open up to the average person. I'd like to know if he would continue his current position if he were to run for governor of Massachusetts again. If he did, I'd not wonder anymore. Hopefully he is truly a good man and just has some major weaknesses that he can (and would be willing) to overcome like many of the rest of us.

Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:45

From: fisherhouse to Enoch

Subject: Mitt Romney - the Politician

Does this video show the real Romney character?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has re-released a video which responds to common questions about the church and dispels myths as well.

First released for the 2002 Olympics, the video shows former NFL quarterback Steve Young and former Miss America Sharlene Hawkes, both Mormons, talking the viewer through three major misperceptions the public has about the Church.

The video tackles polygamy first. "Groups that practice polygamy and claim they are Mormons are not associated with the 13-million-member Church headquartered in Salt Lake City," Steve Young says. He adds that the term "Mormon" should never be applied to these other religions and there is no such thing as a "Mormon Fundamentalist."

The video also acknowledges that perceptions that Mormons are a closed society, only caring for their own members, still linger. Yet most of the Church's humanitarian and welfare efforts, all funded by Church-member donations, benefit people of all faiths.

Sharlene Hawkes addresses the issue of whether Mormons are Christian, saying that Church members are "Christian to our core." Surrounded by her family, she talks about why her faith is so important to her.

Click here to watch the video.

Comment from USA Today, January 24, 2008:

Mitt [Romney]'s church, the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is often accused by Evangelical pastors of not believing in Christ and, therefore, not being a Christian religion. This article
http://mormonsarechristian.blogspot.com/ helps to clarify such misconceptions by examining early Christianity's comprehension of baptism, the Godhead, the deity of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) adheres more closely to First Century Christianity and the New Testament than any other denomination. For example, Harper's Bible Dictionary entry on the Trinity says "the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament."

One Baptist blogger stated "99 percent of the members of his Baptist church believe in the Mormon (and Early Christian) view of the Trinity. It is the preachers who insist on the Nicene Creed definition."

Glenn Beck, it's time you admitted that you agree with Ron Paul on almost everything he says.

• Ron Paul is in favor of allowing Americans to keep more of their own money by eliminating the IRS. Glenn Beck thinks we need to reduce government spending and cut taxes.
• Ron Paul is well-known among his colleagues for never having voted for higher taxes or unconstitutional spending. Glenn Beck is against higher taxes and excessive government spending.
• Ron Paul is a strong proponent of a secure border and against extending welfare to illegals. So is Glenn Beck.
• Ron Paul supports putting doctors and patients back in charge of health care decisions. He is a staunch defender of health freedom and against government-managed medicine. Glenn Beck says the same thing.
• Ron Paul adamantly defends our 2nd amendment rights and opposes federal gun regulation. And so does Glenn Beck.
• Ron Paul is strongly pro-life and in favor of repealing Roe v. Wade. Glenn Beck is also pro-life.
• Ron Paul does not support a military draft, and strongly opposes going to war with Iran. Glenn Beck thinks radical Islam is our worst enemy and they should be stopped from coming into the U.S. Going to war in Iran would extend our forces too far.
• Ron Paul is in favor of capturing Bin Laden and believes that it is critical for the United States to have a strong national defense. I think Glenn Beck would concur.
• Ron Paul is for protecting individual rights and opposed to unnecessary violations of our privacy like the "Patriot" Act. Yup, that's what Glenn Beck says too.
• Ron Paul supports removing troops from Iraq as soon as possible and allowing Iraqis to take responsibility for their own protection. How can you be opposed to this, Glenn Beck?
• Ron Paul believes that it is important to maintaining our national sovereignty by opposing trade organizations like NAFTA, the UN, and the WTO. Glenn Beck is among the few opinion leaders who think that there are plans for a North American Union.
• Ron Paul wants to stop corporate and banking interests from controlling the U.S. economy. He supports eliminating out-of-control inflation by getting rid of the Federal Reserve. Glenn Beck thinks that the Federal Reserve's policies are preventing the free market from correcting itself.

So Glenn Beck, it seems to me that you are 95% in agreement with Ron Paul. How come you constantly ignore him when listing the Republican candidates? Like every other media pundit you talk about Rudy Giuliani, but ignore the fact that Ron Paul has beaten him in every primary so far. Come on Beck, be fair. If you can't support him, at least don't say his ideas are crazy. They're all taken from your book.

Congressman Ron Paul knows as much about the Federal Reserve as anyone in Congress. As part of his committee assignments, he meets twice yearly with the feds chairman, Ben Bernanke. His ideas are not so crazy after all and they come from years of experience and understanding.

This is what Ron Paul says about the Federal Reserve Bank:

Transparency in monetary policy is a goal we should all support. I've often wondered why Congress so willingly has given up its prerogative over monetary policy. Astonishingly, Congress in essence has ceded total control over the value of our money to a secretive central bank.

Congress, although not by law, essentially has given up all its oversight responsibility over the Federal Reserve. There are no true audits, and Congress knows nothing of the conversations, plans, and actions taken in concert with other central banks. We get less and less information regarding the money supply each year, especially now that M3 is no longer reported.

The role the Fed plays in the President's secretive Working Group on Financial Markets goes unnoticed by members of Congress. The Federal Reserve shows no willingness to inform Congress voluntarily about how often the Working Group meets, what actions it takes that affect the financial markets, or why it takes those actions.

But these actions, directed by the Federal Reserve, alter the purchasing power of our money. And that purchasing power is always reduced. The dollar today is worth only four cents compared to the dollar in 1913, when the Federal Reserve started. This has profound consequences for our economy and our political stability. All paper currencies are vulnerable to collapse, and history is replete with examples of great suffering caused by such collapses, especially to a nation's poor and middle class. This leads to political turmoil.

See Ron Paul's complete statement at
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/articles/227/monetary-policy-is-critically-important/

This video reminds us of the importance of recognizing and correcting our mistakes. watch video "The original title of this video was "America, have you forgotten history". The idea was to remind people of the message some of the earlier leaders and heroes were not shy to promote; Peace, prosperity and liberty. This is the message of the Ron Paul campaign. If you like this clip, you can download it from: http://xs2.lhi.is/~oskar05/ronpaul.wmv You can use it in any way you like. Some have suggested burning it onto a CD or DVD and handing it out.

Using YouTube YouTube Help Check the Help Center for answers to common questions. Your Account Settings To change your preferences, settings, or personal info, go to the 'My Account' section. Email Notifications To change or cancel email notifications from YouTube, go to the Email Options section of your Profile.

Jon Meacham of Newsweek discusses how the media cover elections with Jon Stewart.

Here are some highlights that interested me.

Jon Stewart says Ron Paul has beaten Rudy Giuliani in every primary; yet, when the media talk about Ron Paul on air they just laugh.

Meacham says he believes the media is not ideologically driven but is conflict driven. If there is any bias, it is a bias toward conflict. Conflict is inherently interesting and makes the news interesting.

Listen to the complete interview at:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=148076&title=jon-meacham

Comedy Central
NY: 1775 Broadway NY, NY 10019 212.767.8600 fax:212.767.8592
CA: 2049 Century Park East, Ste. 4000 LA, CA 90067 310.407.4700 fax:310.407.4767

Copyright (c) 1995-2007 Comedy Central. All Rights Reserved.

NBC uninvited Dennis Kucinich from its Tuesday night Democratic candidate's debate, claiming he didn't fit new rules the network had established for qualifying for the debate. Question's linger as to whether network officials changed the rules to exclude him because they don't like his stands on the occupation of Iraq and nuclear power. (He is against both. NBC is owned by General Electric.)

I admit that NBC as a private company has the right to invite whomever it wants on its programs. However, I'm also concerned about the public's right to know and the impact of the media in choosing presidential candidates. When the media narrow the field of candidates by excluding some from debates or from commentaries, they select the candidates the public considers.

(Agenda-setting theory suggests that the media don't tell us what to think but rather what to think about. If there is no coverage of some candidates, the public doesn't think about them nor their positions.)

It seems strange to me that the media covers Rudy Giuliani who constantly polls after Ron Paul, and they give very little coverage to Ron Paul.

Recently, Congressman Duncan Hunter said the constant question he gets from the media is when he is going to quit the presidential race. He said he's in it for the long haul. Good for him.

For more information, read http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3246

Here's a transcript from Glenn Beck (CNN, January 16, 2008) where he describes religious bigotry in the media and how it affects the Romney and Huckabee campaigns. Huckebee's religious extremism is ignored while Romney's religious beliefs are always brought up, even though he says its not an issue in his campaign.

Coming up, the win in Iowa cast Mike Huckabee as the evangelical candidate of the right, but is there a double standard when it comes to religion and the media`s coverage of this race? You will not believe what I`m going to show you, coming up in just a second….

Now, we`ve had race injected into this presidential election, gender, age, experience. Not a lot of issues, but oh, here`s the one I really appreciated. Most of the stones have been thrown over religion.

Now Republican candidate Mike Huckabee, he`s a retired Baptist minister, intensely strong beliefs, and I respect him for it. During a recent speech in Michigan, he went so far as to say the United States Constitution should be changed to reflect the word of God.

Now, I didn`t know about this speech. I didn`t see anything. But this morning I turn on the NBC "Today Show," and how does "The Today Show" choose to cover this statement? Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, NBC`S "THE TODAY SHOW" QUESTION TO MITT ROMNEY: Last night, your opponent, Mike Huckabee, who favors a constitutional ban on both abortion and gay marriage, said this to a crowd of supporters. He said, "I believe it`s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God. And that`s what we need to do, is to amend the Constitution so it`s in God`s standards, rather than trying to change God`s standards."

Do you agree with Governor Huckabee that the Constitution should reflect God`s standards?

ROMNEY: You know, I think the Constitution is a fine and appropriate document as it is. I`m not looking to change the Constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Just a second. Yes. That was Mitt Romney, wasn`t it? Why the hell are they asking Mitt Romney about this? If Mitt Romney would have made that statement, it would make sense. In fact, if Mitt Romney would have made that sentence, it would have crippled his candidacy, but he didn`t make that statement.

So why are they asking a question of Mitt Romney and not Governor Huckabee? It`s Huckabee`s thoughts on God and country that have nothing to do with Romney.

I believe there is a double standard here. I feel it is laced with religious bigotry that I have never seen. It is un-American, and it has got to stop. Call me a crazy dreamer, but I still believe it`s the media`s job to ask questions, not letting (ph) judgments and set people up.

Tom Dickinson is a contributing editor for "Rolling Stone" magazine, and I -- Tom, I have to tell you, I -- you`re the magazine that said this is possibly the weirdest news show ever on television. I can`t believe that we`re actually going to agree on something, but we do, on this one. Don`t we?

TIM DICKINSON, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "ROLLING STONE": Well, I think we do. But let`s agree on my name first. It`s Tim. And...

BECK: Oh, it`s Tim.

DICKINSON: That`s all right. That`s all right, no problem, Glenn.

BECK: I disagree. It`s Tom.

DICKINSON: My brother is -- my brother is glad for the shout out.

BECK: Yes. OK. But first of all, let`s -- let`s get your view on the statement. That`s got to -- I mean, you being...

DICKINSON: It is the most ridiculous statement. I mean, I respect Mike Huckabee`s religion. I respect his faith. But the minute he tries to impose his faith through the document that`s truly sacred to me, which is the Constitution, I mean, it gets my dander up. It should get everybody in America, their hackles up. It`s outrageous.

BECK: Now let`s -- let`s proceed from there. If Romney would have said this, do you believe this would have been on the front page of every single newspaper and led the news on every newscast all across America?

DICKINSON: Absolutely.

BECK: So -- so what...

DICKINSON: What gives there? There`s two things. I mean, Mike Huckabee, this is -- this is taking what Mike Huckabee has said before and turning it up to 11. So the sense in which this is Mike Huckabee at his most Mike Huckabee yet, and I think he let the veil slip and let us see him as a theocrat. I don`t know if he wants to be America`s first mullah, but...

BECK: Hang on just a second. This is exactly -- I have been saying this for a while. That anybody on the right, if you`re looking for a guy who`s a religious guy and they`re all coming for you. They`re going to put crosses in your bed at night. This is the guy who is on the record saying things that should scare people like you.

And yet, I don`t see coverage of it anywhere. Why?

DICKINSON: Well, he`s a charmer. I mean, I`ve spoken to the man, and he`s the most affable politician, maybe, in a generation. He is just super at speaking to his audience and making people feel comfortable.

And every time they gave him a hardball question in the debates, talking about wives being subservient to their husbands, he`s got a very genial, affable answer that seems to diffuse the tension.

And so you know, I think it speaks to his skills as a politician. It speaks to his ability to pitch something to an audience. But you -- you end up with the very disconcerting moments where he`s pitching something to one audience and it`s played for another, like this amending the Constitution in God`s name.

BECK: May I...

DICKINSON: Yes.

BECK: May I just say, that sounds like a load of bull crap. I mean, come on, man. He`s likeable. He`s -- he`s just likeable. Are you saying that Mitt Romney is not likeable?

DICKINSON: I`m saying that Mitt Romney is not as talented in diffusing...

BECK: But Mitt Romney has also not said half of the things that Huckabee has said. Here`s my theory.

DICKINSON: But here`s the second part.

BECK: Yes.

DICKINSON: The second part is the bigotry about Mormonism, which I find really appalling in this race.

BECK: OK.

DICKINSON: I mean, we`re in -- we`re in a race here where you could have the first African-American president, the first woman president. I want to be in an America where we don`t have to ask what kind of underwear Mitt Romney is wearing. I want to be in an America where Mike Huckabee isn`t comparing the blood relations of Satan and...

BECK: I got it, I got it. I`ve got to ask you this. This is my theory. My theory is the liberal media would love to have Mike Huckabee as the candidate. They`re just holding back on all of this stuff. If he`s the candidate, then they just go, and they just tear him apart for all of this stuff.

DICKINSON: You know, I don`t know that it`s liberal media, but certainly, liberal advocates are not pushing these stories in the way that they would if they thought he were a more viable general election candidate.

BECK: There is no difference between the two. I`m trying to hypnotize you. There is no difference between the two.

Tim, as if that is your real name, thanks for being on the program. I appreciate it.

DICKINSON: A pleasure.

Source: Glenn Beck. (2008, January 16). GOP Race Gets Closer; Religious Prejudice in Coverage of Romney?; Highlights of Conservatives` Thoughts on Race. CNN.

I have always heard that the news media get their news from each
other. The local editor opens the New York Times to learn what the
day's headlines will be.

An interesting turn on this is to watch how the news media cover each
other. It used to be that the newsman was a neutral observer, but in
today's world of television coverage the news person is now a
celebrity.

And Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times perpetuates that
celebrity status. Recently, she wrote about Chris Matthews (MSNBC)
coverage of the Iowa caucus.

"Mr. Matthews sat in dark suit and white shirt in a New York studio,
against a presidential-like backdrop of waving American flags, and
sounded off like a superenergized ESPN commentator revving up for a
bowl game kickoff."

Although he is "hardly neutral," she writes, "his chief passion is process."

"He seems pushily, happily obsessed with the art and science of
politics and political drama."

This is unlike other cable commentators like Lou Dobbs of CNN who she
derides. Because his comments don't fit Stanley's viewpoint, he is a
"not always representative opinion-shaper." Of course, her viewpoint
and Chris Matthew's are representative, right?

She laments: "Viewers choose these days from a dizzyingly vast array
of television news personalities. There are not just the few trusted
network or cable anchors and the panelists and political reporters
recruited from newspapers, magazines and Web sites but also the roving
video savants: citizen journalists who deluge the Internet with their
own videocasts and blogs and who are given ever more voice on sites
like YouTube."

"In all that noise, cable-news talk shows function as a kind of couch
potato caucus, a gathering of self-selected, not always representative
opinion-shapers who push forward the media consensus. Emboldened by
Fox News, cable hosts are freer than ever to hawk their own opinions;
Lou Dobbs of CNN has turned into the William Jennings Bryan of the
immigration debate, a nut about border crossings instead of a cross of
gold."

So, who makes these anchors, panelists and reporters celebrities? You
do, Alessandra Stanley.

It's seems the news media has nothing better to do then to comment
about each other.

See the Stanley's New York Times column at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/04/us/politics/04watch.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Conservative Fox News is trying to control the outcome of the presidential election and it's doing it by excluding the most conservative candidate of all - Texas Congressman Ron Paul - from the Republican debate in New Hampshire Sunday night.

"We look forward to presenting a substantive forum which will serve as the first program of its kind this election season," David Rhodes, vice president of Fox News, claimed in a statement. All Republican candidates were invited to the Fox debate except Congressman Paul and California representative Duncan Hunter.

Paul was excluded from the Fox News debate despite polling higher in New Hampshire than other candidates who are included in the Fox forum, and raising nearly $20 million dollars last quarter. Paul finished fifth in Iowa with ten percent (10%) of the vote, well ahead of Rudy Giuliani, who is invited. The latest Rasmussen Reports Survey has him tied for third place in New Hampshire with Iowa winner Mike Huckabee at eleven percent (11%). Giuliana is at nine percent (9%) in the state poll and Fred Thompson is at four percent (4%).

Because Fox is snubbing Paul, the New Hampshire Republican Party has dropped its sponsorship of the debate. The New Hampshire GOP views the state primary as an opportunity for lesser known candidates to get known nationally.

Ron Paul supporters claim it is because Paul is against the war in Iraq. Ron Paul's campaign sponsored its own question and answer session with independent voters Sunday evening. The town hall meeting was broadcast on television across New Hampshire and on the www.RonPaul2008.com website.

This move demonstrates once again the news media's disregard for the public need-to-know and their efforts to control events. In this case, Fox's move may have in fact backfired by giving Paul more publicity and a bigger forum inside New Hampshire.

Why did Huckabee and Obama win in Iowa?

According to NPR, they have something in common. They are both media favorites.

On NPR Friday, January 4 reporter DAVID FOLKENFLIK said: "No one loves
an underdog more than the press. For very different reasons, it's
given a one-term senator and a folksy weight-dropping former governor
an awfully gentle ride."

"Until around November, Huckabee made little impact on the media
radar," said Folkenflik. "But he gravitated to just about every
microphone that would have him."

And his keen sense of humor made him a welcome guest. About foreign
affairs, Huckabee said: "You know, I may not be the expert of some
people on foreign policy, but I did stay in the Holiday Inn Express
last night."

How can we take this candidate seriously?

Before Iowa, he scored big with two craftily handled media events.
One, a commercial had him giving a Christmas greeting. Very sincere,
it made a splash in the media and on youtube because it was so
different than the usual political messages we are getting this
political season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMUI2XExdIA&feature=PlayList&p=793E9F419BA36188&index=28

With Huckabee's rise in the polls prior to Iowa, Mitt Romney struck
back with his own commercials that were meant to set straight the
Huckabee record. Huckabee in turn developed a anti-Romney commercial.
However, rather than put it on the air, he called a press conference,
showed it to the media, and said he decided he wouldn't stoop to such
lowness. He got his message out, the commercial aired, without paying
a cent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEDoPYsbXZY&feature=related

So, what are we to conclude? The media have a major role in making or
breaking candidates. And Mike Hucabee is a natural player - as is
Barack Obama.

Hear the NPR story at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17854246&sc=emaf

I'm a sucker for the news. I wasted most of my evening last night
watching CNN commentators talk about the results from the Iowa caucus.
Typically, the pundits were annoying.

Firstly, the media give the impression of winners and losers. I
thought state caucuses and votes were all about gaining delegates for
a national convention to be held sometime in August. After one state's
vote how can you declare winners. Isn't the winner decided in August?

Both Clinton and Romney were declared losers. I believe it was
Woodward of Watergate fame who described how Clinton's loss was
devastating for her. "Over 70 percent of Democratic caucus goers
voted against her," he said. I thought the 70 percent voted for
someone else; not against Hillary. Hillary took at least 30 percent
of the delegates with her to the convention. Good for her.

Some comments were made about the religious factor. NPR said over 60%
of Republicans attending the Iowa caucus were Evangelical Christians.
Did I not hear that correctly? Or was that 60% of the voters for Mike
Huckabee were Evangelical Christians? I think it's safe to say Mike
Huckabee's win was a vote against someone - that someone was Mitt
Romney. Romney has tried unsuccessfully to woo religious conservatives
and it seems like he has been largely unsuccessful. Religious bigotry
is alive and well in the Midwest.

Ron Paul got 10% of the Republican delegates in Iowa, but the media
said little about it. A CNN pie chart showed the top four vote
getters, but didn't have space to show Ron Paul's 10 percent. Giuliani
who got less votes than Paul was interviewed, mainly about his poor
showing and future chances. No analysis was made of Ron Paul's vote.
Who are Ron Paul supporters? If Ron Paul takes 10% of the delegates
to the Republican convention in August, that's pretty significant.