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Paul and Kucinich supporters find common ground: disaffection with the media

Posted by csavage January 8, 2008 01:50 PM

By Charlie Savage
Globe Staff

CONCORD – As Ward Five voters arrived at the Green Street Community Center, they were greeted by two campaign volunteers handing out free copies of the US Constitution on behalf of two maverick candidates – Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul.

Although the two congressmen – Kucinich is an Ohio Democrat and Paul is a Texas Republican – both oppose the Iraq War and the Patriot Act, they otherwise have very little in common. Paul is an anti-abortion rights libertarian, while Kucinich is perhaps the most liberal candidate in the race.

But the two volunteers – who stood apart from packs of people with signs for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain – today found common ground in their disaffection over the media exposure their candidates have received.

In particular, both were angry at the fact that their candidates were excluded from debates last weekend. ABC News did not let Kucinich participate in its Democratic debate on Saturday, and Fox News excluded Paul from its Republican debate on Sunday.

“The press definitely tried to suppress [Paul’s] message,” said Paul supporter Nathan Balon, a 34-year-old software developer from suburban Detroit who stood on the right side of the sidewalk.

Across from Balon on the left side of the sidewalk, Kucinich supporter David Fallick, a 44-year-old community college teacher from suburban Washington, D.C., echoed that sentiment. He called the exclusion of Kucinich from the recent debate "unconscionable" and said the media, by focusing too much on the top three Democrats in the polls, wasn't doing its job.

“I think the press should run equal coverage to all candidates in the race,” Fallick said, adding that he wanted “equal and substantive coverage of Kucinich’s policies, not just stories about Kucinich’s wife.”

Balon eventually ran out of Constitutions and started handing out Paul campaign DVDs instead. But Fallick still had a large stack of Constitutions with Kucinich’s picture on the inside cover, and he kept offering them to people passing through their gauntlet.

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3 comments so far...

  1. I just like both of these candidates. I don't agree with either of them on everything, but where they find common ground is on issues that really matter to me. I also just like their tenacity and their understanding and respect for both the Constitution and the people of this country.

    Posted by Jann Holladay January 9, 08 01:14 AM

  1. I just read several articles by Ron Paul and I found myself agreeing with everything I read so far, particularly his views on illegal immigration, the Iraq war, the draft and the fact that "America" always has to be the "policeman".

    Talk about change....the American people would certainly have more "change" with Ron Paul than with Hillary Clinton or John McCain. I think if any one of the top-called candidates get elected, there will be very little change.

    Not much will be done about illegal immigration -- we'll still be giving them a free ride. Wars will still be going on at the expense of little kids without their dads and
    wives and parents worrying every day about their husbands/sons. And the list goes on.

    I truly believe that if we are in an honest election, then all candidates should be given an equal amount of time, whether it be to the press, round table discussions, etc.

    Posted by Joan Gregory January 9, 08 12:37 PM

  1. I just read several articles by Ron Paul and I found myself agreeing with everything I read so far, particularly his views on illegal immigration, the Iraq war, the draft and the fact that "America" always has to be the "policeman".

    Talk about change....the American people would certainly have more "change" with Ron Paul than with Hillary Clinton or John McCain. I think if any one of the top-called candidates get elected, there will be very little change.

    Not much will be done about illegal immigration -- we'll still be giving them a free ride. Wars will still be going on at the expense of little kids without their dads and
    wives and parents worrying every day about their husbands/sons. And the list goes on.

    I truly believe that if we are in an honest election, then all candidates should be given an equal amount of time, whether it be to the press, round table discussions, etc.

    Posted by Joan Gregory January 9, 08 12:58 PM
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About political intelligence Field reports from Boston Globe reporters and editors covering the 2008 presidential campaign and the national maneuvering of Bay State politicians.

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