.... am getting sick of haveing two choices for the person who runs this entire country. i have historically voted for third parties so that perhaps some day we WILL have more than two lousy choices. Seeing how i live in NY i will probably again be voting for a third party. last time i checked, one reason the US was so great was choice.
I totally agree that two options are not enough. Furthermore, why, when several of the "third party options" are on the ballots in all 50 states, or at least enough to theoretically carry the election (for example, if everyone decides to vote Libertarian in November then we'll be calling a guy named Badnarik the President), why are they not allowed to be in the "official" presidential debates? When Ross Perot got into the debates in 1992 he succeeded in getting the other two parties to focus on trade issues (NAFTA) more than foreign policy (Iraq). I don't think there will ever be a President from the Green, Libertarian, or Reform parties, but they should have the opportunity to have their voices heard in the debates!
Furthermore, why, when several of the "third party options" are on the ballots in all 50 states... why are they not allowed to be in the "official" presidential debates?
Just FYI, the first Presidential debate occurred this past weekend, between the Green Party candidate David Cobb [votecobb.org] and the Libertarians' Michael Badnarik [badnarik.org]. C-Span covered it -- there's still an audio/video link from their homepage [c-span.org].
Not that the current duopoly will ever allow a third-party player in the debates again. But they're very hand
The debates are managed by a group called the Commission on Presidential Debates [debates.org] (CPD). To get into the debates, a candidate needs at least 15% to get in. (To put that in perspective, Ralph Nader has been polling 3%-5% in most polls i've seen; he got 2.7% in 2000).
The grandparent post notes correctly that Ross Perot got in the debates in 1992. The reason he got in was that he was invited by GHW Bush & Clinton.
There had been lawsuits against the CPD to overturn this rule. Perot sued after the 1996 elec
The solution to a problem changes the nature of the problem.
-- Peer
Well i for one (Score:1)
Debates Format (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Debates Format (Score:3, Informative)
Just FYI, the first Presidential debate occurred this past weekend, between the Green Party candidate David Cobb [votecobb.org] and the Libertarians' Michael Badnarik [badnarik.org]. C-Span covered it -- there's still an audio/video link from their homepage [c-span.org].
Not that the current duopoly will ever allow a third-party player in the debates again. But they're very hand
Re:Debates Format (Score:1)
The grandparent post notes correctly that Ross Perot got in the debates in 1992. The reason he got in was that he was invited by GHW Bush & Clinton.
There had been lawsuits against the CPD to overturn this rule. Perot sued after the 1996 elec