StrictConstruct

Ron Paul re-affirmed today on CNN that he has not dropped out of the race for President, despite press reports to the contrary. To those who watched his March 6th video, this will come as no surprise, and to those who only received their information from the press, this will also come as no surprise as this is not the first time he has been reported to be out incorrectly. Paul stated in today’s interview that he feels compelled to stay in the race and allow voters a conservative alternative to McCain, and to not turn his back on the thousands of supporters who have campaigned for him in the upcoming states.

When asked if he would endorse McCain for the sake of “party unity” as Romney and Huckabee have before him, he refused to do so because McCain is so far removed from the principles he stands for. He was no more eager to endorse Obama, who he noted is no less interventionist than McCain, and whose rhetoric often lacks follow through.

You can watch the whole video here.

It seems unlikely that the press will make any sort of formal acknowledgment that they messed up, though such an acknowledgment would certainly be welcome. Reporting that a candidate has dropped out, or is considering dropping out without actually being told this directly from the campaign itself hasn’t just happened to Ron Paul, it happened to Fred Thompson in Iowa, as some might recall. Doing this interferes with the electoral process negatively, and does not benefit the voters, or the country. Because of their position in today’s world, the press has a great deal of responsibility to live up to, and this time around it really seems as though they have dropped the ball. But it is not too late for them to change.

(Photo credit to VNH.)