JihadWatch.com Wins CPAC 'People's Choice Award' but is Barred from Receiving it

by Thomas Lifson

In a shocking development that should alert all conservatives to behind-the-scenes manipulation of CPAC and other conservative organizations, the winner of the voting for an important award for bloggers has been barred from receiving it. Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs reports:

I was surprised and honored that Jihad Watch was among the nominees for the People's Choice Blog Award, sponsored by Right Wing News and TheTeaParty.net, to be awarded at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2013. [see voting results below:]

As you can see from the vote above, Jihad Watch won decisively, getting over 50% of the vote in a field of fifteen. And I received confirmation of the victory from one of the organizers of the CPAC blog awards when I asked him when voting officially ended:

From: XXXXXXXXX

Subject: Re: You've Been Nominated For A People's Choice Award At the CPAC Blogger Awards

Date: March 2, 2013 2:58:26 AM EST

To: Robert Spencer director@jihadwatch.org

Robert

It officially ended at midnight. You won!

But as time went by and no announcement was made of this victory, and the voting continued despite my having been told that it officially ended last Friday night and that I had won, and the promised links and other placement promised to the winning blog didn't materialize, I started to wonder. So I contacted the organizer who had written me telling me I won and asked him what was going on.
He told me that there was a slight problem: the Tea Party group, which co-sponsored this People's Choice Blog Award, didn't want to allow me to receive it at CPAC next week unless I promised not to criticize Grover Norquist and Suhail Khan as I accepted the award.
I told the organizer that I couldn't agree to that. He asked me if I had planned to talk about Grover and Suhail. I said no, I hadn't, but I had to now.
So that's that. The People's Choice Blog Award is now the Grover's Choice Blog Award. I will not be going to CPAC and will not be receiving this award.

Click here to read Robert Spencer's  bill of particulars on Grover Norquist and  Suhail Khan, whose sensitivities to Islamic supremicism are now being reflected by conservative organizations willing to ignore the threat of jihad.

I would like to hear from CPAC, Right Wing News, and especially TheTeaParty.net about why the voters have been overruled. All three organizatiosn should tell their constituents -- that includes all conservatives -- their versions of the story, and specify how much direct and indirect financial suppport they receive from Norquist, Suhail, and organizations in their sphere of influence.

Thomas Lifson

Source: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/03/jihadwatchcom_wins_capc_peoples_choice_award_but_is_barred_from_receiving_it.html

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