[Sosfbay-discuss] Fwd: [usgp-media] SF Chronicle editors explain why they bar Greens from debates

Thu Oct 19 01:00:19 PDT 2006

--- Scott McLarty <scottmclarty at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Scott McLarty <scottmclarty at yahoo.com>
> To: usgp-media at gp-us.org, natlcomaffairs at green.gpus.org
> Subject: [usgp-media] SF Chronicle editors explain why they bar
> Greens from debates (fwd)
> Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 22:19:07 -0700 (PDT)
> 
> (Courtesy of Larry Gross; forwarded to me by
> Scott Tucker.  Note that SF Chronicle editor John
> Diaz, in providing these explanations, writes
> "Feel free to forward to Larry or Bob or anyone
> else who inquires." -- Scott)
> 
> 
> SF Chronicle and candidates:
> 
> Hello Larry (and Bob),
> 
> Here is the explanation from John Diaz, our
> editorial page editor, who made the decision to
> exclude all four third party candidates from the
> debate, for the reasons expressed below. Let me
> add that in local races, the editorial board
> always includes Green candidates along with Dems
> and Repubicans because in the Bay Area, they make
> a strong showing and actually have a chance of
> winning (witness the last mayor's race where a
> Dem -- Newsom -- and a Green - Gonzalez, made the
> runoff. In the race for US Senate, John
> interviewed the Green candidate because she stood
> a chance, not of beating Pelosi, but of getting
> as many votes statewide as the Republican.
> 
> Here are John's thoughts:
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diaz, John
> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 11:20 AM
> To: Zacchino, Narda
> Subject: RE: What's the Chronicle up to?
> 
> 
> Hello Narda: Here is my thinking. Feel free to
> forward to Larry or Bob or anyone else who
> inquires. It really is the perpetual question we
> face in the media: Whether to provide "equal"
> coverage to minor party candidates and thus
> dilute the resources & attention we apply to the
> major party candidates. Neither Forrest Hill nor
> any of the minor-party candidates for secretary
> of state has shown any sign of becoming a factor
> in the race. I have been meeting, and will
> continue to meet, with Green Party candidates for
> various offices, but on a live Webcast, our time
> is inherently limited.
> 
> FYI, here's the statement I'm putting out for any
> media inquiries ...
> 
> There are six certified candidates for secretary
> of state. Two of them - Republican incumbent
> Bruce McPherson and Democrat Debra Bowen - have a
> plausible chance of winning. All indications are
> that this is an extremely close race and the two
> major-party candidates have two distinctly
> different visions about the role of secretary of
> state. This is their first - and only scheduled -
> debate of the campaign. So the question comes
> down to whether Californians would be better
> served by a more focused and extensive comparison
> of the two major-party candidates - one of whom
> will be secretary of state for the next four
> years - or a forum that also included the Green,
> Libertarian, American Independent and Peace and
> Freedom party candidates. Our judgment is that
> Californians need this chance to directly compare
> Bowen and McPherson.
> 
> -John
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Zacchino, Narda
> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 11:12 AM
> To: Diaz, John
> Subject: FW: What's the Chronicle up to?
> 
> 
> This is the chair of the communications
> department at usc
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Larry Gross [mailto:lpgross at usc.edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 9:00 AM
> To: Robert Scheer
> Subject: What's the Chronicle up to?
> 
> 
> Bob,
> what's this all about? What was Narda think about
> this exclusionary, anti-democratic decision by
> the Chronicle? Who decided to do this anyway, and
> why? Larry
> 
> 
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> Larry Gross
> Professor and Director
> School of Communication
> Annenberg School
> University of Southern California
> Los Angeles, CA 90089-0281
> [213] 740-3770
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> 
> 
> > To: info at voteforrest.org
> > Subject: Weds. 1 pm: Debate Protest
> > Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:01:02 -0700
> > From: Forrest Hill for Secretary of State 
> <info at voteforrest.org>
> > Reply-to: Forrest Hill for Secretary of State 
> <info at voteforrest.org>
> >
> >
> > PLEASE FORWARD
> >
> > Protest Forrest's exclusion from SF Debates
> >
> >
> > Forrest has called a press conference for
> tomorrow 
> (Weds.) at 1 pm to
> > protect his exclusion from the San Francisco
> Chronicle's 
> debate.
> >
> > We need your support to let the media know that
> it is no 
> longer
> > accepted to discriminate against third party
> candidates.
> >
> > If you live in the Bay Area please come down to
> KPIX-TV, 
> 855 Battery
> > St. San Francisco, at 1 p.m. and help us make
> some noise. 
> We will have
> 
> > signs, but feel free to bring your own.
> >
> > See press release below for details.
> >
> > URGENT NEWS ADVISORY
> > Tuesday October 17, 2006
> > Contact: Cres Vellucci, press secretary,
> 916.996-9170
> > civillib at cwnet.com
> >
> > ATTN: Daybook/Assignment Desk
> >
> > Chronicle called undemocratic by candidate
> > excluded from Secretary of State debate;
> Pickets
> > expected at campaign forum Wednesday
> >
> >
> > SAN FRANCISCO - Green Party Secretary of State
> candidate 
> Dr. Forrest
> > Hill charged today that the San Francisco
> Chronicle may 
> have excluded
> > him from a televised debate on Wednesday either
> because 
> the paper
> > "does not believe in democracy (or) because I
> am the only 
> openly gay
> > candidate running for statewide office."
> >
> > Hill has called a news conference - and a
> picket of the 
> debate -
> > WEDNESDAY,at KPIX-TV, 855 Battery St., at 1
> p.m., shortly 
> before the
> > debate is due to begin.
> >
> > The debate will feature incumbent Republican
> Bruce 
> McPherson and
> > Democrat Debra Bowen, but the Chronicle
> excluded Hill, 
> who has a
> > doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of
> Technology 
> and is a
> > former campaign advisor to Ralph Nader.
> >
> > In a letter to the Chronicle, Hill said he
> found it 
> "simply
> > irresponsible for a powerful news outlet like
> the 
> Chronicle to limit
> > voter choices by promoting only two points of
> view...in a 
> city where
> > Greens often out poll Republicans.
> >
> > "The Chronicle has an opportunity to take the
> high road 
> by opening up
> > the debate to candidates running outside the
> two 
> mainstream parties.
> > (The Chronicle) can play an important role in
> rebuilding 
> confidence in
> our Democratic system by allowing me to take part
> in 
> Wednesday's
> Secretary of State debate," said Hill.
> > -30-
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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JamBoi
Jammy The Sacred Cow Slayer

"Live humbly, laugh often and love unconditionally" (anon)
http://dailyJam.blogspot.com

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