Remember reading George Orwell's 1984 in high school? I do, but it never really scared me until I experienced censorship first-hand. So here's what happened...
October 9th, 2007
CNBC sponsors and televises the "Your Money Your Vote" Republican Debate. After the debate, they post an online poll to determine who won. The word gets out and thousands of Ron Paul supporters start casting votes.
Allen Wastler, Managing Editor, CNBC.com writes here, "The numbers grew ... 7,000-plus votes after a couple of hours ... and Ron Paul was at 75%." What did they decide to do? They shut down the poll!
Well, that is simply the wrong move to make when you've got (75% of 7,000) 5,250 Ron Paul supporters coming at you in a couple of hours. And here's why...
October 10th, 2007
According to Wastler from the same article linked above, "The next day, our email basket was flooded with Ron Paul support messages. And the computer logs showed the poll had been hit with traffic from Ron Paul chat sites. I learned other Internet polls that night had been hit in similar fashion. Congratulations. You folks are obviously well-organized and feel strongly about your candidate and I can't help but admire that."
October 11th, 2007
This is when Wastler actually writes the letter from above. So, today, I begin my own correspondence with CNBC. Here is my first letter:
Dear CNBC,
I watched the Republican Debate the other night and found the questions you asked Ron Paul to be degrading and absurd. This man is the frontrunner on most issues and it seemed as though you only gave him a small window to respond to questions which seemed to insult the breadth of his knowledge on many of the issues. You've done a great disservice to the people of this nation by not giving this man a fair window.
Furthermore, once you realize that he's won the debate, you pull the poll off the internet. What is the deal here? I am one of many Ron Paul supporters here in San Diego and all of us are irate.
As a software engineer, I will tell you 1) it's highly unlikely that people are hacking your polls, and 2) if it is true, then you need to hire some better programmers. Get your act together. Or am I being naive and you really are corrupt?
Sincerely,
Jordan Fowler
October 12th, 2007
After the initial automated response, I received the following from CNBC:
Dear CNBC Viewer,
Thank you for your note to the CNBC Customer Care Team.
Below please find a a recently published message related to this issue. Click on the link below to access it.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/21257762
Thanks again for visiting CNBC.com. We have already forwarded your feedback to the appropriate team.
If this message did not provide you with the information you requested, please respond to this message with as much additional information as possible. We will do our best to respond to you within 24 hours.
Regards,
Vinay Anand
CNBC Customer Care
Good deal, looks like I might be talking to a human. He references the correct article (we're literally on the same page). I respond with the following:
Dear CNBC,
Yes, that link is what I'm pissed off about. For instance, in the letter, Mr. Wastler states: "When a well-organized and committed "few" can throw the results of a system meant to reflect the sentiments of "the many," I get a little worried. I'd take it down again." Essentially what Wastler is saying is that his decision (the "few" in the most literal sense) is more important than a public outcry (75% of 7,000 is 5,250 is "the many" when compared to a single person). If your polls are not scientific and you're unhappy with the results, then make them scientific!
Furthermore, please tell me what the purpose of the poll was. Is it truly your job to judge who can vote in the poll and who cannot? Just think about that for a minute, then tell me how that ISN'T censorship. You have a unique responsibility to be impartial and deliver the facts.
Lastly, I just want to point something out. If we the people don't have the one last vestige of hope (the media) on our side, then we're all doomed. This country is crying out in every possible way for a new direction and we will see that through, you have my word.
Very Sincerely,
Jordan Fowler
Now is where I make my point. We need to get this article out in the open, to force CNBC to respond directly and to let all other major networks see that we the people are making a stand. It's time to rise up and show them our true strength.
Let us join together in the fight for freedom, constitutionality, and individual freedom!
Ron PAUL
Put Ron Paul on the News! He is the Man we need to run this country! VOTE RON PAUL
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