The following recent articles, and a democratic blog commentary, update the West Virginia Republican Convention still in progress, since it yielded no initial winner, which requires over 50 percent of the vote. Note that MSNBC below offered better coverage of Ron Paul, the first candidate speaker, than local radio or TV.
GOP ESTABLISHMENT AND MEDIA COLLUDE TO OUST RON PAUL
If you wanted to hear any excerpts of the speech from the the most principled conservative republican that raised the most money in West Virginia--Ron Paul--you could not hear him via local radio since West Virginia Radio Corporation, both in their reporting and state wide radio with Hoppy Kercheval, blacked him out. But it was covered live apparently via internet (see link below). (Do recall that John Raese, Chief Executive of WV Radio, ran against Robert C. Byrd in the Senate, and is tied to the state party establishment). Media bias and deliberate interventionism by deciding who is interviewed and recorded on their website is blatant and obvious, especially since interviewing Ron Paul always increases ratings (the basis for ad revenues). Fearing to alienate their Christian listeners they included Huckabee probably as a "Christian" alternative to Romney's Mormonism (while neither candidate pass the conservative tests of the republican party planks based upon their respective records). This was the extent of their "balanced" coverage. On WCHS Charleston radio's 58Live yesterday (a local station in the network covering the state's capital) even the "moderate" Rick Johnson only mentioned "three" candidates and deliberately did not mention Ron Paul as a candidate for which delegates could vote for despite that he was the first confirmed speaker. This is typical of that program's views (disclaimed in its daily introduction as a part of West Virginia Radio Corp.) usually expressed only by the neocon sycophant Mike Agnello. Though West Virginians have a right to the public airwaves, and it is in the public interest to have a well informed electorate, West Virginia Radio Corporation decided to apparently collude with the GOP establishment to push particular candidates and eliminate Paul. Note also that McCain is even excluded in their coverage (see link above).
It is entirely possible that the stratagy of the establishment was to consolidate behind Romney in the first round in order to oust Ron Paul, which they did, and then permit McCain into the picture in the final voting without Paul. This is how the party collusion, in tandem with West Virginia Radio, appears to be working. The evidence of this is in the Charleston Gazette which stated that Thompson and Giuliani supporters were moving toward McCain, which was not evidenced in this intial vote. The strategy to oust Paul as a priority is evident, and worked. The outcome is pending.
PLAYGROUND "DEMOCRACY" AT WORK--PUBLIC ELECTORATE DISENFRANCHISED
Complaints by the republican electorate yesterday were numerous on talk radio expressing the largely held belief that they were disenfranchised by the establishment. The state GOP claimed they ran numerous ads in newspapers and thousands of emails, but listeners said they heard nothing, and the newspapers ran stories that showed 1,100 delegate nominees were still needed with only 5 days left before the deadline. (The last minute rush to fill delegates refutes the argument of heavy or timely advertising. The fact is the state GOP wanted to save money, and control the outcome, for a very profitable convention for them). Interestingly, Chairman McKinney's favored candidate (now that Don Surber and Vic Sprouse have lost their favorites of Fred Thompson and Giuliani, respectively), Mitt Romney, appears to be positioned to win as the establishment consolidates its power in this "winner take all" convention, which usurps 18 delegates from the republican electorate, largely uninformed, and unpersuaded. (Horse trading and vote pushing is hardly persuasion, but playground "democracy" of "majority rule").
There is no doubt that the republican establishment, rather than the electorate, with the help of West Virginia Radio Corporation (which virtually controls state-wide radio coverage in audience listenership), deliberately intervened and colluded to control the outcome to THEIR desire, sacrificing a truly informed general public in the process.
Romney Gets Enthusiastic Response At WV Convention
CBS News - New York,NY,USA
Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee were also scheduled to speak in Charleston. The winner of the convention will receive 18 of West Virginia’s 30 delegates. ...
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Paul speaks at WV convention
MSNBC - USA
Ron Paul was the first Republican to speak this morning at the West Virginia GOP convention, which today awards 18 winner-take-all delegates. ...
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Paul Eliminated; W.Va. GOP Convention Voting Ends Without Winner
FOXNews - USA
(AP) — West Virginia’s GOP convention failed to select a winner during a first round of voting Tuesday, following personal appeals by Mitt Romney, ...
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Second round of voting needed for W.Va. GOP Presidential Convention
Huntington Herald Dispatch - Huntington,WV,USA
John McCain received 176 votes and US Rep. Ron Paul with 118 votes. Together 1133 delegates from all 55 West Virginia counties cast their votes. ...
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Could Ron Paul win the W.Va. Republican caucus?
By Clem Guttata
Now that Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are slated to make personal appearances in addition to Ron Paul, no. Rep. Paul appears to have the most dedicated band of genuine grassroots support in West Virginia, but the Republican party ...
West Virginia Blue - Front Page - http://www.WVaBlue.com
NOW PLAYING: LIVE Ron Paul Speech Charleston, WV on RonPaulRadio
By hannon44
ATTENTION Brothers and Sisters of the Ron Paul Revolution! NOW PLAYING: LIVE Ron Paul Speech at Rally in Charleston, WV on www.RonPaulRadio.com LISTEN LIVE NOW!
Ron Paul Forums - http://www.ronpaulforums.com
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