Dancing Producer Responds to Voting Controversy (Free Republic, Jim Robinson in People Magazine!)

People ^ | Friday, November 19, 2010 | Monica Rizzo and Sandra Sobieraj Westfall

[kristinn]

The million-dollar question among Dancing with the Stars fans these days? How did Bristol Palin make it into the season 11 finals?

"She deserves it," DWTS executive producer Conrad Green tells PEOPLE. "And a significant portion of our viewing audience believes that, too."

SNIP

Speculation has arisen about whether members of the Tea Party, many of whom strongly support Bristol's mom Sarah Palin, are involved in an organized effort to promote Bristol.

On one conservative Web site, Freerepublic.com, some of the site's 300,000 registered users have recently used discussion threads to encourage votes for Bristol. One asked users to "make liberal heads explode and vote for Bristol" on Nov. 8 to advance her to the semi-finals.

But Jim Robinson, who founded the site, says there is no larger plan at work. "An organized conspiracy? I sincerely doubt that," he told PEOPLE. "The Tea Party's not that organized!"

And Green agrees that there's no stuffing of the virtual ballot-box, saying that the entire process – text votes, call-in votes and email votes – "is all overseen by the Broadcast Standards team, independent of us and the network to make sure that everything is absolutely done scrupulously."

SNIP

[kristinn]

Woo hoo! Jim was also runner up for their Sexiext Man Alive cover!

[kristinn]

Ping!

[Tax-chick]

But wait, I thought it was Jim Thompson who was so sexy!

I have such a hard time keeping up with this pop-culture stuff.

[Jim Robinson]

LOL!

[GinaLolaB]

Congratulations Jim!

[ColdOne]

OH my how wonderful Jim!

[Lancey Howard]

BUMP!

[Palladin]

HAH! I am on the thread mentioned in the article, and cries like this go up every Monday night:

“Do your ACORN best for Bristol!”

“Vote like a Democrat!”

“Vote like a Chicagoan!”

It is hysterical. We have a good time on Dr. Scarpetta’s DWTS weekly thread, but I think there are hardly enough of us there to bring in the millions of votes Bristol and Mark have racked up.

Silly leftist conspiracy theory nuts!!!

[Free in Texas]

It would seem that liberal heads are exploding all over. Heh, heh, heh.

[MrEdd]

How many people here would really take time to vote on a celebrity dance contest?

On the DBM threads a fair number of us havn’t owned a television in years.

[onyx]

On one conservative Web site, Freerepublic.com, some of the site's 300,000 registered users have recently used discussion threads to encourage votes for Bristol. One asked users to "make liberal heads explode and vote for Bristol" on Nov. 8 to advance her to the semi-finals.

But Jim Robinson, who founded the site, says there is no larger plan at work. "An organized conspiracy? I sincerely doubt that," he told PEOPLE. "The Tea Party's not that organized!"

[McLynnan]

What power! The winner of DWTS will be decided by Jim. A Nobel Prize should follow.

[Retired Greyhound]

Wow, that is so cool.

Way to go, Jim.

[BenLurkin]

You can count me as one FReeper who hasn’t voted and won’t be voting for anyone on that show.I don’t watch it, and besides — I’m too lazy to dial the number.

[smokingfrog]

Dang it. That’s supposed to be a secret!

[Palladin]

Power to the people!

We are rocking the vote!

[dynachrome]

“300,000 registered users’

pony up $5 for the next fundraiser, dang it. it would be over with in a day!

[2ndDivisionVet]

I see a reality show deal about FR!!

[theDentist]

I came is a close 8th!!

[Drango]

Jim could cut a better rug than most of the contestants on the show.