Contact: Rina Shah
rina@fredkarger.com
202-507-9583

Fred to NBC/Facebook: Let Me In to Sunday’s NH Debate

We sent the letter below to all the organizers of Saturday’s Debate in New Hampshire. They have not publicly released the debate criteria, so by all reasonable standards, I should be allowed on that stage.

Please read my letter below:

January 2, 2012

Mr. Steve Capus
President of NBC News
30 Rockefeller Center,
New York, New York, 10112

Chuck Todd
Political Director
NBC News,
4001 Nebraska Avenue,
Washington, DC 20016.

Mark Zuckerberg
President & CEO
Facebook
1601 S. California Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94304

Katie Harbath
Associate Manager for Policy
Facebook
1611 Connecticut Ave NW.
Suite 300
Washington DC 20009

Betsy Fischer
Executive Director
Meet the Press, NBC News,
4001 Nebraska Avenue,
Washington, DC 20016

Re: Let Fred Karger into the NBC – Facebook Debate

Dear All:

I am writing to officially request an invitation to the NBC – Facebook Debate on Sunday January 8, 2012.

I am currently tied with Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum in two recent New Hampshire polls. New Hampshire’s WMUR TV and The Boston Globe have confirmed that I have spent more time campaigning in the Granite State than any other candidate for president. I have walked precincts and campaigned all over New Hampshire during my 25 visits. I have conducted more campaign events than any other candidate during my more than 200 days in the Granite State since February of 2010. I have met with nearly every editorial board: The Concord Monitor, Foster’s Daily Democrat, The Nashua Telegraph, The Keene Sentinel , The Portsmouth Herald , The Citizen of Laconia and The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript. I was the first candidate to file in person for the New Hampshire ballot. I am now only one of eight Republicans actively running for president who will appear on Michigan’s GOP ballot in February, and I will be competing in other state primaries and caucuses as well.

Eight Is Enough

The overwhelming majority of Republican primary debates have included eight candidates. I am currently one of the top eight in the 2012 Republican presidential primary field since Herman Cain has suspended his campaign, Gary Johnson is seeking the nomination of the Libertarian Party and it appears that Buddy Roemer is seeking the nomination of Americans Elect. I have scored 2% or 1% in more than a dozen national polls that have included me and have tied Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann , Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry and beat Rick Santorum in many of these. That is correct; I have tied all of my Republican presidential primary opponents in methodologically sound polls of primary voters except for Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.

Mark McKinnon – Harvard Kennedy School Weigh in on Debates

Mark McKinnon, former Senior Media Advisor for President George W. Bush, Global Vice Chair for Hill & Knowlton and the Reidy Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, just published an extensive research paper on the 2012 Republican Primary Debates that will be released very soon. In his 30 page report, “Going Rogue: Time to Reform the Presidential Primary Debates,” Mr. McKinnon found that “the selection criteria for the 2012 Republican primary debates and forums have been constant only in the candidates excluded.” The four excluded candidates were my three peers and me. The other three have let the Republican Primary: Gary Johnson, Thaddeus McCotter and Buddy Roemer. The main criteria for these debates have been polling. With the help of researchers from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Mark McKinnon has proven that “given the insignificant difference between a one percent or 2 percent polling number, particularly early in the primary calendar, it is easy to question the entire system upon which the criteria for entering into primary debates has been constructed.” In his conclusion, McKinnon asserted, “The 2012 presidential primary debates went rogue.”

Extensive International, National and Regional Media Coverage


Google’s search engine has 1,740,000 listings for me. I have been interviewed and profiled in thousands of stories including the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Jerusalem Post, the Observer, The Guardian, The OC Weekly and Chicago Magazine. BBC’s HardTalk interviewed its first 2012 Republican candidate when Steven Sackur interviewed me. Fox News, ABC, MSNBC, CBS News, New Hampshire’s WMUR, The Manchester Union Leader, The Des Moines Register, Politico and The Huffington Post all regularly include me in their lists of 2012 candidates. I have appeared on CBS, ABC, CNBC, NPR, Rachel Maddow, Comedy Central and Thomas Roberts’ show on MSNBC as well as hundreds more TV and radio shows.

NBC & Facebook Can Make History

The Time Has Come. I should be included in the NBC – Facebook Debate on January 8, 2012 with the other leading Republican candidates. As the only moderate Republican running for president this cycle, I have many different views on issues and many new ideas that have not yet been talked about in previous debates. As the first openly gay candidate of a major political party, my appearance on your debate stage will be historic. What a proud moment that will be for millions of Americans.

I look forward to hearing from you, and hope to see you in Concord next Sunday!

Thank you.

Best regards,

Fred Karger
fred@fredkarger.com

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We’re sending thousands of pieces of direct mail to Independent voters with the same “Fed Up With the Republican Party?” message. Please help us send even more direct mail out to these important voters:

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Fred’s Campaigning in New Hampshire all Week

Heather from Bow, NH sent Kevin a text message yesterday:

“Just went to my town clerk and voted for Fred.”

Heather goes to law school in Washington, DC and voted by absentee ballot since she will be out of state on January 10th, the day of the New Hampshire Primary.

Thank you Heather! What a great message to send the Republican Party – student support for the only moderate Republican candidate running for President.

In fact that is the closing theme of our campaign in New Hampshire.

We have a new commercial running statewide beginning tomorrow, and we’ll be sending thousands of pieces of direct mail to Independent and Republican voters with the “Fed up with the Republican Party?” theme.

Fred is tied with Bachmann and Santorum


With your help, I can beat Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum in the New Hampshire Primary. The last two New Hampshire polls have me tied with them! What a powerful message we could send the country if Fred Karger, the first openly gay candidate in history, could compete with the two most homophobic candidates running for President.

Jam Packed Schedule

We were all over the Granite State this past week. Today we are off to Peterborough, Keene and end up at a House Party at 7 pm tonight, Monday, January 2nd at Bob Thompson and Mike Jacobsen’s – 748 Beech St., Manchester.

We have lots of volunteers staying at the New Hampshire White House now and helping out.

Fred in the News

Here’s some of the great New Hampshire Coverage we received this week:

Keene Sentinel

AOL’s Patch.com

WMUR ABC TV

WMUR ABC TV


Thanks for all your help and support. We will keep you posted on everything that we have going on this final week before the first-in-the-nation Primary next Tuesday.

Five for Fred – PLEASE HELP OUT

Please forward this email to 5 other New Hampshire voters. You will be a part of history.

Thank you so much and a very Happy New Year!!!


Best wishes,

Fred 


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