Ron Paul ignored by media

I've been reading up on this whole debacle heavily ever since the Ames Straw Poll, and have been incredibly irritated and frustrated by the pure disrespect given to Ron Paul by a multitude of media outlets. It became so blatant that even Jon Stewart did a segment on it on Monday's Daily Show.

So, today, the big news was, hey, the media is ignoring Ron Paul, and the argument became whether or not he deserved to be ignored. Arguments in favor included his poll, his strong fundraising, the difference in the level of professionalism between 2011 and 2007, and the fact that he has been right about the economy over and over.

The arguments against him basically amount to: he doesn't have a chance no matter what. And that's it. The most obnoxious piece I saw was probably one that claimed the media was actually doing its proper job, namely filtering the news. Since when was that the appropriate mission of the media??? I thought they were supposed to be unbiased. But seriously, a large majority of the pieces talking about Paul being ignored slipped in subtle little digs about him even in the midst of discussing the media blackout.

Something else I think I've figured out now, however, is that a lot of people are actually discussing this issue because they know they'll get a ton of hits from Ron Paul supporters. They don't even really care about him one way or the other. I was going to suggest ignoring the negative pieces, but I don't think I can do that in good conscience, since I think it is important for readers to see that Paul does have a lot of support.

Instead, I have a few suggestions for my fellow Paulistas when commenting on these pieces. First, make sure you get your facts straight. I read one comment in which someone claimed Ronald Reagan endorses Ron Paul in 1988. That's obviously nonsense, since George Bush, Reagan's own VP, was running for president that year. Second, try not to be too rude. :) I know it can be frustrating, but it's important to present a good face to the public, as we don't want to drive potential supporters away. And finally, maybe it would be better to figure out who is just fishing for hits, and ignore them, but keep an eye on the major sites.