Lou Dobbs
Lou Dobbs, the tough-talking anchor for CNN, is expert at riding popular opinion. Last week, a group called Americans for Legal Immigration attached itself firmly to Dobbs’ popularity as it launched an effort to draft him for president.
If nothing else, it was a good public relations move by ALIPAC, headed by William Gheen. The group shares Dobbs’ fervor against illegal immigration.
Kevin Horrigan reported in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that in the first 24 hours Gheen’s group received campaign pledges, should Dobbs choose to run, totaling $160,000. (Story continues below interactive map.)
Compare that to ALIPAC’s own fund raising. According to the most recent Federal Election Commission reports, through June of last year, the group raised $72,418 for the 2007-08 election cycle. It raised $47,433 in the 2005-06 cycle.
In his column headlined “Loupublicans and Dobbsocrats,” Horrigan wrote that when he first saw the email announcing the draft Dobbs effort, he thought it was a joke. He probably wasn’t alone.
But it would be a mistake to discount the appeal of the Harvard-educated broadcaster who has transformed himself into a raving populist. Dobbs says free trade costs American jobs. He regularly bashes big business, big government and the established political parties. CNN calls Dobbs the “leading media advocate” for America’s working men and women.
“The truth is not ‘fair and balanced,’ Dobbs told the New Yorker in 2006.
The Dobbs-for-president buzz is not new. It received a jumpstart in early January when the The Wall Street Journal ran a story about Dobbs gaining attention as a possible independent candidate.
The story quoted Gheen and Dobbs, who said he wasn’t a candidate but he had not ruled out the possibility.
Later that day, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer interviewed Dobbs about the Journal’s story. Dobbs said he was flattered by the interest and repeated that he wasn’t a candidate but could never say never.
“I’m an advocacy journalist and I’m having a great, great time right now,” Dobbs told Blitzer.
Whether he runs or not, Dobbs will have an impact on the election because of the audience he appeals to. Writing in The Politico last October, Christopher Gacek said that Dobbs “may be the most important person in the 2008 presidential election aside from the candidates themselves.”
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6 Comments
#1. zeezil 01.20.2008
What a huge breath of fresh air should Lou Dobbs throw his hat in the ring. I would definitely vote for him. Not only is he the only MSM news anchor taking on illegal immigration (which he is totally correct on), he has taken on the economy, special interests, lobbyist influence peddling, government corruption, truth in government, religion in politics, free trade and favored trade status issues, national security, the folly of the Iraq War and how contractors are becoming enriched from it, middle class erosion and American worker protection, outsourcing jobs for larger corporate profit, excessive issuance of H-1B visas, our crumbling infrastructure, education, food safety and inspections, the environment, China’s dangerous imports and its influence on our national deficit, NAFTA, SPP, NAU, LOST, ridiculous government treaties, crime, drugs, racial issues and the list goes on.
Lou Dobbs has talked about, taken stances on, exposed and researched more issues than any other presidential candidate ever has or ever will.
#2. Bluecollar 01.20.2008
Lou Dobbs is a demagogue living on a 16 mil a year salary in a 300 acre home. He has found a way to be relavant in a world where he has to compete with the likes of oreilly and Hannity. I will vote for a candidate who is sincere on issues. Ron Paul is a believer. Lou Dobbs is a phony.
#3. mightymouse 01.20.2008
Because of Lou there are more than 800,000(nightly viewers) American Citizens that know what’s going on in this country. Meddling foreigner leaders controlling our Politicans all the way up to our President!
The newspapers and television telling us that we are not smart enough to think for ourselves and telling and showing only what they want. Even they although, they’re probably fearful of losing their jobs…won’t admit the truth. Into days world, wrong is right and right is wrong, the is, at least, one person who see through the murky lens and tell the truth based on facts.
Because of that, he is shot down as an over zealous tv personality looking for ratings. Well guess what…….they’re wrong and the silent voices were listening and are now being heard. Guess that makes some people and governments nervous, so be it……LOU will get my money and my time if he runs!!! We need an American for America and not for businesses or foreign countries!
#4. zeezil 01.20.2008
Lou Dobbs quote from his book ‘Independents Day’:
The key difference between our two parties is purely partisan: While Democrats describe themselves as liberal, progressive, and committed to civil liberties, and Republicans describe themselves as conservative and committed to tradition and social stability, the truth is, their only guiding principles are that Democrats are anti-Republican while Republicans are anti-Democrat. They have become nothing more than two wings of the same bird.
If the distinction between Republicans and Democrats is blurred and increasingly unclear, it’s in large part due to the fact that both parties are dependent on the largesse of corporate America and the influence of special interests. Bush has sent tens of thousands of our troops around the world to fight the war on terror, and hundreds of thousands to Iraq and Afghanistan, yet for 6 years he has insisted upon leaving our borders and ports open to the illegal traffic of millions of illegal aliens and billions of dollars in illegal drugs.
#5. Jacky 01.20.2008
LOL, he will go as far as Tom Tancredo. I hope he runs. The guy is a LOSER
#6. SOSAFORUS 01.21.2008
We also need someone who has the guts to stand up to the President of Mexico who can not get it through his thick head we are a sovereign Nation run by “we the people”. Lou Dobbs is the only one to stand on national tv and tell Caleron to “stuff it” and mind his own business. Has our so called President or any member of our congress done this yet….I think not.
And because they haven’t, expect Calderon’s visit in Feb.to be apart of a pandering visit with our congress to try to stop what he calls the rhetoric in our presidential campaign by the GOP against illegal aliens. Something he can not get though his pea brain that citizens are demanding the issue be talked about.
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