Town takes revenge on paper that backed Kerry

The Age ^ | November 8, 2004 | By Julian Coman

[johnny7]

As Democrats resign themselves to four more years with George Bush in the White House, one beleaguered newspaper is discovering the consequences of taking on the President in his own backyard.

The Lone Star Iconoclast, in Crawford, Texas, where Mr Bush has a ranch, usually covers high school football games and local court cases. But a week ago, in an editorial misjudgment of staggering proportions, the newspaper - circulation 920 - decided to endorse John Kerry in the race for the White House. Readers, wrote the paper's editor, Leon Smith, "should not rate the candidate by his home town or even his political party, but instead by where he intends to take the country". President Bush, he continued, "has let us down" on Iraq and the economy. His words did little to sway the electorate, and the President held Texas with ease. But the Iconoclast's readers, many of whom profit from the regular visits of tourists, journalists and the occasional world leader to Crawford, are furious.

The newspaper has been flooded with angry letters, readers are boycotting it and shops refusing to stock it. Mr Smith is considering pulling out of town. "The hate mail hasn't stopped," he said. "There have been about 2000 letters in all, from Crawford and the rest of our circulation area. We knew some people wouldn't like it, but the vehemence of the reaction has been extraordinary. People just glare at me in the street." The Kerry endorsement was a bold move for a paper dependent on local advertising income. Road signs around Crawford proclaim the area to be "Bush Country". Shops sell Bush badges, Bush mugs and Bush T-shirts. About 80 per cent of Crawford's 700 residents are declared Bush supporters. Almost all, it seems, have penned an angry letter to The Lone Star Iconoclast. Advertising revenue has collapsed and football coaches are refusing to allow reporters to cover their matches.

But while local readership of the Iconoclast has halved, its now-famous editorial has attracted new subscribers from Barcelona, Toronto and Dublin. Despite his plummeting circulation and the ostracism of his reporters, Mr Smith has no regrets. "We did that editorial based on principle," he said.

This week, the Iconoclast is working on an election conspiracy theory, involving possible tampering with electronic voting machines in Florida and Ohio.

[jackbill]

This week, the Iconoclast is working on an election conspiracy theory, involving possible tampering with electronic voting machines in Florida and Ohio.

The Diebold Conspiracy. It's all over C-SPAN, with those who can't accept reality. And with Greg Palast, that idiot, who is still talking about disenfranchised voters in Florida in 2000 but still can't come up with the name of one single individual who was not allowed to vote.

When I voted here in Maryland, I had to vote on a Diebold machine, which my former RAT governor and the RAT legislature imposed on me. I'd be as happy as a clam if they threw them out and gave me back my optical scanned voting system.

By the way, didn't most Ohio voters use the punch card system to cast their votes?

[Tom602]

No doubt he will show up as a columnist somewhere in the near future, at some liberal rag in a blue state.

Just another glaring example of how liberals create lose jobs for the very people who work for them.

Liberal idiot makes his point and the people who work under him lose their jobs as a result.

Way to go idiot!

[Tom602]

By the way, didn't most Ohio voters use the punch card system to cast their votes?

By the way, didn't sKerry carry Maryland by some 800,000 votes using said same machines?

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

I VOW to the 58,000 + names on
The Viet Nam Wall who never came home

"I will do everything I LEGALLY can
to expose Hanoi Kerry once and for all."

MSM still refuses to tell the real story about Hanoi Kerry!

ABC, AP, CBS, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, NBC, NY Times
is part of THE cover up of the election.

Do you wonder why the Left whines about the election results?

They still think Hanoi Kerry is a "war hero"

They don't know what a traitor he is!

And I don't know about you but
I'm sick and tired of the Right media saying
"what an honorable man Senator Kerry is"

Why isn't the Right all over Hanoi Kerry
to be impeached from the US Senate?

"In a bombshell development that could have turned President Bush's victory into a landslide
had it come out before the election, John Kerry wrote in his Vietnam war diary that
he met with "terrorists" in Paris - a revelation that "flabbergasted" his running mate John Edwards."

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/11/7/101350.shtml

And still the MSM,
ABC, AP, CBS, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, NBC, NY Times
hide the truth from America.

And still 99 US Senators refuse to impeach this traitor.

Timeline of John Kerry

http://www.archive-news.net/Kerry/JK_timeline.html

Hanoi Approved of Role Played By Kerry and VVAW

http://www.nysun.com/article/3756

The whole 42:09 Stolen Honor online FREE right now! E-mail it NOW!

Stolen Honor nails Kerry and the VVAW
and how they lied at Winter Soldier.
And how Kerry lied to the US Senate in 1971
And how Kerry and his pack of liars caused our POW's to suffer!

Kerry and the DNC cannot stop
EVERYONE on the internet from seeing this!

http://stolenhonor.com/documentary/watch-video.asp

EXPOSE HANOI KERRY!

Distribute these url's!

http://tonkin.spymac.net/hanoikerry1.html

There is a backup site
if the 1st url is unavailable.

http://stophanoikerry.150m.com/

[Melas]

You're reading way too much into what I said. I'm again questioning how they can keep this paper's reporters out of football games that are open to the public, and all that's needed to enter is the purchase of a ticket.

[Melas]

I don't believe that this is anywhere to be found in the Constitution.

I don't believe I ever said it was. Man, this is setting a record for most misunderstood statement on Free Republic ever. Everyone is reading way more into what I wrote, than what I actually wrote.

[daybreakcoming]

***(In an interview with the New York Times, Mayor Smith explained, “Bush has been a part-time president. There’s a work ethic here in Texas, people work hard, especially the middle class – they don’t get two or three months vacation a year.”)***

I'm sure the NYT lapped this up but even they knew that President Bush has not been "taking vacations". They had to be snickering at this dumazz statement but rushed it to the presses, I'm sure.

[Melas]

Sigh...no...I meant none of that, and said none of that. More words in my mouth...sheesh.

[ridesthemiles]

You might have done this based on principle, but you will die on the vine for lack of PRINCIPAL. No LOSS, here, I think.

[Casloy]

Democrats slash tires, Republicans simply keep their wallets closed.

[Melas]

I think they mean, for example, locker room coverage, or sitting in the press booth, or access to the coach at halftime. I don't think those items have to be given to just any Tom Dick or Harry that wants them. He's gone below the relevance and credibility threshold and does not need to be given any more consideration than some kid's pretend newspaper that he hands out to relatives, so they are now ignoring him.

Maybe you're right about that. However if that's what they meant, they should have done a better job explaining it.

I don't know about the credibility threshold. I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with a paper's credibility tied solely to who the paper endorses in a political race. I'm just not wired that way.

[Ciexyz]

Free market forces at work. Hope his paper tanks.

[Melas]

Oh well, and the press is supposed to be objective and nonpartisan too and they are obviously in violation of that.

Whatever gave you that idea? Papers have been endorsing candidates since our nation's founding. Who says the press is supposed to be nonpartisan?

[CIB-173RDABN]

The only thing that bothered me was, "Football coaches are refusing to allow reporters to cover their matches." That sounds like genuine interference with the press. Press is supposed to have equal access, and this is obviously in violation of that.

---

I sure wished they would teach the constitution in school.

The Constitution prohibits the Federal Government from restricting the freedom of the press, it says nothing that would require a high school coach speak to reporters.

This editor showed a lack of judgment and good business sense when he wrote his editorial, and now he will have to accept the consequences.

[daybreakcoming]

He probably was not allowed at the bench or the locker room. Remember, this is Texas and high school football is King on Friday nights in small towns. :o)

[Balding_Eagle]

I'm again questioning how they can keep this paper's reporters out of football games that are open to the public, and all that's needed to enter is the purchase of a ticket.

Quit being so thick headed and read the replies to you that have already pointed out why you're wrong.

[Squantos]

2000 pieces of hate mail in a city with a population of 700....LOL and the idiot editor is gonna run a vote fraud story next ?

ROTFLMAO !

[Melas]

I sure wished they would teach the constitution in school.

Not only was I taught the constitution, but I've been tested on it. My first major was political science. I'm getting a bit tired of how insulting this thread is getting. If someone's not putting words in my mouth, they're insulting my intelligence.

[Melas]

He probably was not allowed at the bench or the locker room. Remember, this is Texas and high school football is King on Friday nights in small towns.

Don't I know it. I lived in a tiny (population 882) town in East Texas for almost 10 years. HS football is a religion there. I don't even like football, not on professional, college, high school, or pewee level, so you can guess how well I fit in.

[Hat-Trick]

That sounds like genuine interference with the press. Press is supposed to have equal access, and this is obviously in violation of that.

Where is it stated that the Press is supposed to have equal access? A free press and an equal access press are two entirely different things. This doesn't bother me a bit. If they are going to go beyond the boundaries of reporting news, then they should demonstrate the courage of their convictions and not be surprised when ostricized by the majority of the community who disagree with their editorial positions.

They'd have that leg to stand on if they didn't shoot it off endorsing candidates.