Edwards Says No To Nevada’s Fox Debate While State Democratic Party Plans Conference Call To Discuss
>image courtesy of Daily Kos
Gee, I can’t imagine why Edwards doesn’t want to participate in a debate televised on Fox News?
Nevada State Democratic Party Chair Tom Collins has summoned the Executive Board to a conference call at 11:45am Wednesday morning. I think we can only conclude that they are meant to discuss the status of the Fox News debate.
But things just got really interesting because John Edwards just said no thanks to a Nevada debate broadcast by Fox News. And can you blame him? From DailyKos (Thanks Gleaner commenter Bill in Henderson):
“As I mentioned earlier today, I’ve been asking campaigns whether they plan on attending the Fox News debate.
Several of the campaigns I contacted are still trying to make a final determination, but the first to definitely say “no” is John Edwards. Deputy Campaign Manager Jonathan Prince emailed me the great news:
We will not be participating in the Fox debate. We’re going to make lots of appearances in Nevada, including debates. By the end of March, we will have attended three presidential forums in Nevada - and there are already at least three proposed Nevada debates. We’re definitely going to debate in Nevada, but we don’t see why this needs to be one of them.
Great job by the Edwards campaign on this, showing real leadership on this issue. Hopefully others will soon follow.”
Hmm, wasn’t that my strategy? We knew there was a reason we liked Edwards besides his populist message and in spite of the way his campaign handled the Marcotte/McEwan affair. Edwards must have listened to us during that exclusive interview when we suggested that if there ever was a debate in Nevada televised on Fox News, he should boycott it. Anyway, I bet when the Executive Board finds out about this the debate will be off after a short discussion during tomorrow’s conference call. Reid stepped in it big time with this one.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–think the discussion about the state party’s sponsorship of the Fox News debate and the revolt against it from within the party is a triumph for state Democrats. It will not only force party officials to clarify how party decisions are made and communicated, but if the deal with Fox is killed, it will empower the party rank and file who expressed dismay at the decision and made it known. It should also demonstrate to certain party leaders that anything they say does not go (Do you think someone from Reid’s campaign is reading?). The people make up the party–not the leaders–they are elected by us. But most of all, if the deal is killed, it will show the nation’s Democrats that we have taken control of our party and our politics, and that like true Nevadans, we are not going to just do what someone tells us to, even when that person is another (albeit important) Nevadan. And to the journalists who said this wasn’t worth the fight……watch what happens. Winning this fight is going to be great for Nevada Democrats (after some of the embarrassment wears off).
On a more parliamentary note….
Nevada Up North found the updated NSDP by-laws, and from the way I read them anyway, the decision on the debate appears to violate the Executive Board, State Central Committee, and Chair roles as outlined. My computer won’t let me paste the text from the PDF document into this post, but I am referring to Article I, Section I and II; Article VIII, Section I; Article X; and Article XI, Section I. Its clear that the Chair shall “direct the affairs” of the Central committee and the Executive Board and can make statements of policy, but does not appear that the bylaws permit the Chair to make such a decision on behalf of the Central Committee, particularly if the Central Committee does not agree with the decision.
I haven’t done the checking yet, but I’ve heard from some sources that MSNBC and its local affiliates have a much higher market share of the evening viewership than Fox News and its local affiliates (9% to 19% or something like that). It that is the case, it would rule out the argument that the party would reach more viewers by broadcasting on Fox News. It doesn’t rule out the idea that broadcasting the debate on Fox News would reach a more diverse audience, but it also doesn’t rule it in by any stretch of the imagination. I’d say its time to get started on the new negotiations quick.
Similar Posts:
- Carson City Democrats Say No To Fox News Debate
- Taking The Night Off, But First More On Nevada’s Fox News Debate
- Annoucement From Tom Collins On Fox News Debate
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Is it okay if I call Marv a “drunk faggot?”
I think “drunk freak” would be more appropriate.
Hallelujah days!! I love this man! And he basically stands with Barack Obama against Faux now! This is great news! I just got to surfing my Google Reader and this was the post at the top!!
Can’t wait to hear how the meeting goes! I am feeling a teeny bit better about the state party if they seek a decent resolution to this. They need to be a party of the people and not a select elite.
I am tired of having someone else’s candidate shoved down my throat at such an early stage. Let’s have a decent debate so we can see what they all have to offer!
Hey, what happened? That great photo of Edwards just changed into a photo of a breaking news thing on Scooter Libby?? How’d you do that??
You mean you don’t like staring at the bejowled Mr. Hume? I can put it back up……;-)
Scooter Libby is the Art Garfunkel of the Bush Administration.
Hey, I just looked at this again and realized it was a Fox news screwup! This is great!!!!
PS
I like Edwards!! And his dimples and yes, I am sexist!! HAHA!!
Thank you for putting it back up!
F. Scot Fitz. Good comment!
Good night!
Nevermind. One more thing …
imagine an Edwards-Obama ticket!!
Fox would have a stroke!
Imagine having to look at Edwards-Obama on TV after 8 long years of the Chimp and Mr. Killer Potatohead!
Now it’s good night!
Dy-no-might post!~!
“Gee, little girl, what big ears you have” to paraphrase.
The boycott has begun and Collins is crawfishing. What a great day to wake up to!
I’m on the east coast for a few days so keep us posted on the Exec Bored call.
Hey Myrna - thanks for the shout out. If I’d realized I was going to get statewide publicity I’d have called them ‘Faux News’ - I can have such a potty mouth.
Dugg!
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/John_Edwards_says_NO_to_Nevada_DNC_debate_on_Fox_News
(now don’t go and delete this post on me)
It is a great day for the common people of the Nevada Democrats - but, it’s also sad that we had to do our dirty laundry publicly - and there are those that will pay the price of political recriminations for just doing the right thing - that’s really sad!
Only 5% of FOX viewers are even persuadable, that means 95% are NOT, and, more importantly, the deal with FOX is extremely risky and the odds are FOX will gain far more than the Democrats would - it’s just a stupid idea!
This is one of your best posts yet Myrn - you ARE such a Minx!
Great news! Re: Chris Wicker’s concern that backing out would
generate negative publicity towards party. I think he can make the point (legitimitaly) that backing out represents the reasserting of the voice of not only the party membership, but the bulk of party leaders like himself who did not like this agreement to begin with. (He, and others, voiced displeasure about this decision last night at the central committee meeting.)
Odom, not after you dugg it. Of course, to make sure that I never delete a post again you will have to digg every one of them.
Chris Wicker’s concerns about how bad the NSDP generates negative publicity - is largely because a few NSDP so-called “leaders” are behaving like “monarchs” or “dictators” - that’s who Chirs and the Washoe Dems need to focus on fixing!
This whole thing could have been avoided - and, still, could be solved much easily if we could just, PLEASE, get some answers to some basic, straight forward questions - and could we have our Executive Board included in future issues - PLEASE?
Would it be too much to ask that the NSDP State Central Committee also be allowed access to the facts as well?
GEEEEEEZ! What a bunch of idiots! Everyone is worrying about the NSDP looking like the Clampetts hillbillies - well, vote out the idiots from any and all leadership positions they have and vote in some competent people and that might be a good first step - Duuuuh!
i faxed sen. reid expressing my displeasure.
i also contributed to edwards as a reward for not showing up to fox noise debate.
i suggest everyone who follows my lead tack on an extra .08 cents to their contribution to signify that it came from the netroots to show our pleasure at his boycott.
content of the fax sent to reid’s office over at skippy.
(ps i’m also mailing back my “team reid” t shirt i got at ykos alst year! without washing it!)