Seattle Times running Hit Piece the day Ron Paul is in Town!

[Electrostatic]

I can't believe this BS.. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003884035_paul14m.html

[QWE]

What the hell.

Damn you "truthers", you make all Paul supports look crazy.

[Corydoras]

Sickening.

[Electrostatic]

Oh, no.. It's not even that... God knows Hillary gets supporters who are communists, and Rudy has plenty of Organized Crime on his side... It's all in what the reporters choose to talk about.

[themanhere]

I can't believe this BS.. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003884035_paul14m.html

I dont consider it that bad, it had a lot of quotes from his supporters. I'm pretty sure seattle loves herb.

[jpa]

That is a hitpiece??!! What exactly was the hit?

That was nothing compared to what is going to be written once the campaign picks up steam...

[Electrostatic]

Ummm, It tries to paint him as a wacko with no chance of winning...

[themanhere]

What the hell.

Damn you "truthers", you make all Paul supports look crazy.

Yeah i know i wish they cool it. They need to be waving Ron Paul sign not that 911 truth shit.

[Electrostatic]

"Also in his tent are plenty of anti-government conspiracy theorists — the folks who a decade ago warned of black helicopters, a coming U.N. invasion, and chaos surrounding the Y2K computer bug."

"Paul has raised only about $38,500 from Washington state, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That's less than Democrat Thomas Vilsack, who dropped out of the race early this year."

"But Sundberg said his $500 check probably won't help Paul get to the White House.
"I'm the sort of person who responds to principle instead of practicality," he said."

"he said, and former President Clinton may, in fact, be the illegitimate son of the Rockefeller family.
The Capitol Hill elite wants to merge the United States, Canada and Mexico into a single country, Ohearn said. But Paul is different." (without giving ANY background...)

Now, compare that to what a REAL reporter in Seattle wrote...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/331321_joel12.html

[Perry]

What the heck?! Damn OP had it right. If ever i have seen a hit piece that is it!

[syborius]

Yeah i know i wish they cool it. They need to be waving Ron Paul sign not that 911 truth shit.


can't you good people here talk to all the truth leaders out there and tell them to take it down a notch or two and explain it to them that the truth right now does diddly squat for Ron Paul..it can hinder the campaign tremendously. The truthers need to support Ron Paul, and sit tight until he gets elected.

[FreeMind]

Seemed very fair to me. How is it a hit piece?

[jpa]

the 2nd article linked is a columnist, not a reporter. He wrote his opinion.

the first article interviewed Ron Paul supporters, and took the juiciest, most sensational quotes from them. That is not a hitpiece, that is called selling papers (or clicks).

Again this is tame compared to what is going to come.

[Electrostatic]

Seemed very fair to me. How is it a hit piece?

Are you kidding me? Over half of the article is an ad hominem attack on his supports...

[Electrostatic]

Funny... When I see it (some others, aparently, it appears to be a hit piece), but other people do not see it that way...

When did Ron Paul (or any of his supporters) say the the UN was going to invade and take over the USA?

I don't know, maybe I'm reading to much into it.. But to me it was Spun so that anyone who reads it will think him an unelectable fringe candidate who is anti-environmental and is afraid of the black helicopters.

Seriously, If this was THE FIRST article you ever read about Ron Paul, what would it make you think?

[walt]

afryer@seattletimes.com

"I hope the Constitution speech after you see him paints a new reality for you in your follow up article. Enjoy the rally, I know you will clearly see why Ron Paul is the most qualified individual to be our next President. Take care."

[FreeMind]

"Also in his tent are plenty of anti-government conspiracy theorists — the folks who a decade ago warned of black helicopters, a coming U.N. invasion, and chaos surrounding the Y2K computer bug."

"Paul has raised only about $38,500 from Washington state, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That's less than Democrat Thomas Vilsack, who dropped out of the race early this year."

"But Sundberg said his $500 check probably won't help Paul get to the White House.
"I'm the sort of person who responds to principle instead of practicality," he said."

"he said, and former President Clinton may, in fact, be the illegitimate son of the Rockefeller family.
The Capitol Hill elite wants to merge the United States, Canada and Mexico into a single country, Ohearn said. But Paul is different." (without giving ANY background...)

Now, compare that to what a REAL reporter in Seattle wrote...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/331321_joel12.html

I don't see any ad hominen attacks. It's true that Ron Paul attracts the large Alex Jones conspiracy crowd, so your first example isn't really proof of a hit piece. The quote on how much money he's raised is not an attack either. The rest of your examples are quotes from his supporters. If you have an issue with what they said then take it out on them for sounding stupid. It seems like a lot of supporters here get overly defensive about things like this. If you're looking for something negative in an article, chances are you'll think you found something

[davidhperry]

"I hope the Constitution speech after you see him paints a new reality for you in your follow up article. Enjoy the rally, I know you will clearly see why Ron Paul is the most qualified individual to be our next President. Take care."

Walt, thank you for responding in such an appropriate and respectful way.

I wanted to urge all of Ron's supporters to NOT attack those you attack Ron, the campaign, or any of Ron's supporters. A campaign never wins votes by attacking back - it only puts people on the defensive and they dig in their heels.

We much exercise an enormous amount of patience and maturity when dealing with people with differing views from ours - that goes for MSM reporters as well. The best way to deal with people who are being negative towards the campaign is to try to determine the underlying cause of their attack. Then, we can focus on what they are actually concerned with as we try to earn their vote.

Please, Please, Please, do not attack anyone for having different views. They just happen to be misguided. Trust me, it only makes it worse for us if we do.

[Electrostatic]

Actually I was hoping for the best.. The Seattle Times and the Post Intelligencer are owned by the same company.

As I said... If this was the FIRST thing you'd ever read about RP what would it make you think?

[Electrostatic]

Walt, thank you for responding in such an appropriate and respectful way.

I wanted to urge all of Ron's supporters to NOT attack those you attack Ron, the campaign, or any of Ron's supporters. A campaign never wins votes by attacking - it only puts people on the defensive and they dig in their heels.

We much exercise an enormous amount of patience and maturity when dealing with people with differing views from ours - that goes for MSM reporters as well. The best way to deal with people who are being negative towards the campaign is to try to determine the underlying cause of their attack. Then, we can focus on what they are actually concerned with as we try to earn their vote.

Please, Please, Please, do not attack anyone for having different views. They just happen to be misguided. Trust me, it only makes it worse for us if we do.

signed.. that's not what I'm trying to do.. it just pissed me off.

[trispear]

Also in his tent are plenty of anti-government conspiracy theorists — the folks who a decade ago warned of black helicopters, a coming U.N. invasion, and chaos surrounding the Y2K computer bug.I'm pretty sure the Y2K was pretty much advocated by some professional programmers and an entire industry built up to "fix" the problem. Oh wait, it was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y2K

[B964]

Y2K computer bug was a conspiracy theory? If I remember right the Gov and big companys were the ones all freaked out about that.

[Electrostatic]

Ya, there really was a problem.. but they spent the money to fix it.

[BarryDonegan]

what qualifies as a hit piece varies locally by quite a bit.

i know in the south some things that might appear loony to Californians here is the good word.

You've gotta remember the federal government razed atlanta to the scorched earth in its somewhat recent history, so 2nd ammendment stuff, mistrust of the government, etc, is an ingrained tradition.

a get off my land, anti abortion, gimme my assault weapons back classifies as a glowing review here, where in california that would be a major smear piece.

[BarryDonegan]

you know, and to the credit of the 911 truth movement, which to be honest the only problem i've had with them is that they attempt to place blame on people for things without proper evidence, although they have clearly made their case that the official stories are inaccurate, just their attempts to place blame are always speculative, and not any better than the reports they are upset about... but one of the things that turned me on to Ron Paul, is that someone like Alex Jones approves of him. not because i agree with everything Alex Jones says, but because he makes a profession out of digging up dirt, tearing down, and mistrusting government officials. that means anyone who is approved by him has gone through the most thorough possible inspection for any type of shady stuff and come up clean.

not to mention whistleblowers are the only possible check and balance for secret corruption in the private sector. they are the internal affairs of the people, if you will, and without them, certain injustices committed by government would have, in the past, gone unnoticed. many of these are accepted as official accounts now, and after being discovered the govt stepped up and discontinued the offensive project or activity. if whistleblowing stops it just one time, then all the time spent fretting about stuff that may not have happened is a valuable, brave service for the american people.

[walt]

Walt, thank you for responding in such an appropriate and respectful way.

I wanted to urge all of Ron's supporters to NOT attack those you attack Ron, the campaign, or any of Ron's supporters. A campaign never wins votes by attacking back - it only puts people on the defensive and they dig in their heels.

We much exercise an enormous amount of patience and maturity when dealing with people with differing views from ours - that goes for MSM reporters as well. The best way to deal with people who are being negative towards the campaign is to try to determine the underlying cause of their attack. Then, we can focus on what they are actually concerned with as we try to earn their vote.

Please, Please, Please, do not attack anyone for having different views. They just happen to be misguided. Trust me, it only makes it worse for us if we do.


Thanks.

It's just like engaging a blogger. Make them nuetral first. Then convert.

[anewvoice]

""Paul has raised only about $38,500 from Washington state, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That's less than Democrat Thomas Vilsack, who dropped out of the race early this year.""

Washington State really? I find that hard to believe.


And Y2K was not a conspiracy theory, but I am a still pissed about how much bullshit I personally had to deal with to "make us Y2K compliant".

[JPFromTally]

I think you guys "misunderestimate" the actual number of "wackos" that are out there.

Truthers
Moon landing denialists
Roswellites
NWOers
NAUers
Endtimers

The list goes on and on... Most of these people don't usually vote. If they need a home then give me your tired and your "wacko".

[jpa]

Actually I was hoping for the best.. The Seattle Times and the Post Intelligencer are owned by the same company.

As I said... If this was the FIRST thing you'd ever read about RP what would it make you think?


True.. its not very good for us in that respect. But papers are going to print anything sensational because frankly presidently campaigns are boring. We need to create news or interest pieces that show Dr. Paul in a good light.

[constituent]

maybe the author is a media-adept Ron Paul supporter.

think about it. the people in Seattle have certainly heard
the blacklisting hubub. ron paul comes to town and their
paper greets him like this (i'm sure they feel about their
paper the way you probably feel about yours, half crap
most the time). this not only unifies the fan base, but
aggrevates those who don't want their news source
as a life censor.

in short, perhaps he is trying to help. use that logic
and write a thank you note.

[Cindy]

"But Sundberg said his $500 check probably won't help Paul get to the White House."

That was the only hit line in the whole piece and it came from and RP supporter.

At this point, a paul supporter should NEVER be caught saying that Paul doesn;t have a chance. They should all be caught saying, " he is going to sweep it and become our next president.

The fund raising numbers for Washington state from Q2 were irrevelant. Since when does Washington state decide the next president.

That was the only sentence, I would credit the news outlet for hitting us with though.

The rest was good. It's still early in the game and the rest was enough to stir a lot of interest and curiousity about Paul and get him some name recognition.

[Jojo]

What the hell.

Damn you "truthers", you make all Paul supports look crazy.

Stop it right there with that truther nonsense, we've been there.
This was not a hit piece. Merely focuses on how diverse Ron Paul's supporters are.
Some readers might be turned off by some of Ron's stances mentioned in the article (abortion is one), but overall I think the piece will make people curious about Ron Paul.

[Alabama Supporter]

The truth hurts folks.

Although it is not necessarily a positive piece, it represents a large group that are following Ron Paul. I advice you not to speak to the media unless you are 'normal'

[ButchHowdy]

I thought that was a GOOD article, but you had to read it to the end . . . .

[Paulitician]

It was crappy, but hardly a hit piece. Personally I'm tired of hearing "OMG Ron Paul brings in a lot of conspiracy nuts & white nationalists." Who really gives a damn? It get's boring to read after a while, and it's not like we're drawn to him because we perceive him to be either of those. Why don't these articles ever explain why Ron Paul draws such large, enthusiastic crowds without having to put their own negative spin on it? Why don't they ever discuss the issues in depth? That's what we care about. We're drawn to Ron Paul because he talks about the issues, and is honest! No wonder we hate traditional mass media so much, they do the exact opposite.

[Elwar]

I started writing a scathing letter to the author of the article but checked back here just before I hit send.

I agree that being nice is probably the better way to go about it (not that I was being mean, but I did say I was upset about his hit piece that he wrote on Ron Paul).

I changed my e-mail and told him that I hope he gets a chance to meet Ron Paul while he is in town considering his supporters know that the best person to explain Ron Paul's positions is Ron Paul himself. And that I look forward to reading his next Ron Paul article after he gets to speak with the man himself.

[ghemminger]

wow - seattle sucks

[JMann]

What the hell.

Damn you "truthers", you make all Paul supports look crazy.

We should refer to the 'truthers' as dumb ass, ignorant fools.

[stones88]

you guys are paranoid. if that's a hit piece, keep em coming. anyone who reads that and decides they won't support paul because a few crazies support him shouldn't vote for the Dr anyway.

[Original_Intent]

Not a hit piece. Not every article is going to be "candy and flowers" to RP but this was not a hit piece by any stretch of the imagination.

[quickmike]

Like Kent Snyder said a few months back. "if theyre not talking about you , youre not doing something right"

Are they talking about Huckabee? Are they talking about Duncan Hunter, Tancredo,McCain, or any of the other candidates who dont have 100 million dollars? NO. Thats because the only one that has true grassroots support is Ron Paul. They see him as a real threat and trying everything they can to make him look bad. They are doing this because they know hes picking up steam, picking up money and supporters. Its growing day by day and theyre scared.

This is a good thing.

[American]

I sent the author an email thanking him for introducing me to Ron Paul and how RP is uniting people of all parties and all walks of life, and that he doesnt sound like another political talking head. and finally a real conservative shows up

[quickmike]

I sent him this email.

I was sure to say something not so positive and not seem so polished in the email so not to seem like too much of a "fan-boy":D

"I just wanted to thank you for the piece you did on the candidate Ron Paul. Ive heard the name before but never really thought anything of it. After reading this I went and checked him out because the article seemed very interesting and I thought it was time I started checking out candidates for 2008. So far I like what I see and just thought I'd send this thank you for it. I was wondering if you would be doing anything on other candidates in the future. Im just now starting to get interested in the 2008 race and this was a good start. This guy seems alot different than most politicians Ive voted for in the past just from what ive seen on his website. Seems a little out there on some issues, but seems like a very honest man with a good history of voting against bigger government, which is what we need right about now."


Thanks again,

Mike Q

[4Horsemen]

Yeah, the government never lies to the people. :rolleyes:

[JayDee]

The Seattle Times is a FAR FAR Left wing news paper. (Actually the Seattle P.I. is further left wing, but they are both owned by the same people)

They are smart enough there to realize that Ron Paul beats every other democrat in the two most important topics for this election. The War and Immigration.. (in fact he beats ALL16 contenders) and they don't like that.

Liberty is the death blow to Socialism.

[Dubaruba]

Here's my letter to the editor:

To the Editor:

I am dismayed by Alex Fryer’s piece on Congressman Ron Paul, which ran in Friday’s Times. Congressman Paul is running on a platform of ending the war in Iraq, enhancing personal liberty and limiting government power in accordance with the Constitution. Mr. Fryer’s article paints Congressman Paul and his supporters as paranoid, anti-environmentalist, radical, conspiracy theorists. The article is misleading, and just plain wrong.

While some fringe characters may be drawn to support Congressman Paul as an “anti-establishment” candidate, Paul himself has been steady, sober and consistent through his many years of public service. Paul was a flight surgeon in the Air Force, and practiced as an OB/GYN for 20 years. He has served in Congress in the 1970 and 80s, and again since 1997 as an unwavering advocate for personal liberties, reducing taxes and government spending, and for a non-aggressive, non-interventionist foreign policy. He is not an isolationist. He just doesn’t believe we should go to war against countries that are not threatening our national security.

Ron Paul voted against the war in Iraq. He voted against the Patriot Act. He has never voted for an unbalanced budget. As President, Paul would not wiretap the phones of Americans or spy on our computers without warrants. He would not suspend Habeas Corpus. He would end the War in Iraq. He would reduce government spending and he would work tirelessly to preserve our freedoms. In short, he would obey the limitations imposed on a President by the Constitution.

I am not a fringe radical and I personally resent being characterized as one. I am an ordinary attorney living and practicing in Seattle. I am not waiting for the UN to invade and I am not afraid of black helicopters. I do not think Bill Clinton is the illegitimate son of anyone, and I am not a conspiracy theorist.

I do believe in the Constitution, in the creative power of the American people, in peace and in freedom. The Republicans and Democrats have both become parties of big government. Both have no problem with using the coercive force of government, both at home and abroad, to accomplish their ends. Congressman Paul is trying to change that. While you and your writers may disagree with his policies, it is dishonest and inappropriate for you to paint Paul and his supporters as radical, fringe characters. Perhaps you should consider saving such spin for the opinion page.

Matthew D. Dubin

[AgentPaul001]

I love how both Republicans and Democrats wanna-bees try to paint us Ron Paul supporters as fringe-right lunatics when that is hardly the case. I for one consider all these neocons to be the lunatics, and that my views of limited-government and low taxation to be "normal"

Seems insane to want me to pay for healthcare for other people or to invade countries without provacation, but I guess I'm crazy like that.

I've seen many Ron Paul supporters in all spectrums of life, and I feel like he will win this election once the masses begin to realize just how powerful the message of freedom is.

[empirenine]

I sent the author an email after reading this article. I explained that I wasn't too fond of how it portrayed such a bleak outlook for Dr. Paul.

His response (apparently through proxy) was this:


Mike,
Thanks for your note. First, the comparison with Vilsack illustrated that Paul hadn't raised much money in Washington State so far. That's a fact. Maybe it will change after the fundraisers. If it does, we'll report that, too. As for Paul winning every debate, I think you'd have plenty of views opposing that opinion from the other Republican candidates. When you say people themselves are the only reliable journalists, you're really saying you only want to hear or read news that conforms perfectly to your opinion. That doesn't seem a very good way to test your assumptions or learn another point of view.
Finally, the story recieved lots of e-mails like this:


I just wanted to thank you for the piece you did on the candidate Ron Paul. Ive heard the name before but never really thought anything of it.

After reading this I went and checked him out because the article seemed very interesting and I thought it was time I started checking out candidates for 2008. So far I like what I see and just thought I'd send this thank you for it. I was wondering if you would be doing anything on other candidates in the future. Im just now starting to get interested in the 2008 race and this was a good start. This guy seems alot different than most politicians Ive voted for in the past just from what ive seen on his website. Seems a little out there on some issues, but seems like a very honest man with a good history of voting against bigger government, which is what we need right about now.



Thanks again,

Mike Q

[drednot]

...
His response... was this:

LOL.

I'm looking for an adjective to describe this, irony doesn't quite fit. :D

[ItsTime]

Now, compare that to what a REAL reporter in Seattle wrote...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/331321_joel12.html

good piece!

[quickmike]

I sent the author an email after reading this article. I explained that I wasn't too fond of how it portrayed such a bleak outlook for Dr. Paul.

His response (apparently through proxy) was this:

Hey, that response he sent you with the email he got...................... that was my email !!!! LOL

[speciallyblend]

Hey, that response he sent you with the email he got...................... that was my email !!!! LOL

YOU JUST PLACED YOURSELF IN WRITING AS THE NEW REVOLUTIONARY CITIZEN HERO:):) hehe:D

[empirenine]

Hey, that response he sent you with the email he got...................... that was my email !!!! LOL

LMAO...too funny. I guess we both took different approaches to getting RP more attention.