The number of debates featuring “third” party candidates seems significant to me. Naturally neither Romney nor Obama will accept the invitations they’ve received to several of these, both earlier and upcoming. But that so many people want to hear from non-Duopoly candidates, and that ways for that to happen are being created … that’s a message from some of the “99%,” and it’s being sent as much, maybe more, to others of the “99%” as it is to the Republican and Democratic parties, and to the Commission on Presidential Debates they control.
First, if you haven’t already seen it, check out yesterday’s Democracy NOW! special, “Exclusive: Expanding the Debate with Third-Party Candidates Jill Stein, Virgil Goode, Rocky Anderson” here.
President Obama and … Mitt Romney sparred last night in their second of three debates. Today, in a two-hour special, we expand the debate by including the voices of three presidential candidates shut out of the official debate. We are joined by Jill Stein of the Green Party, Constitution Party nominee Virgil Goode, and Justice Party candidate Rocky Anderson. We re-air parts of last night’s presidential debate, pausing the videotape to give third-party candidates a chance to respond to the same questions put to the major-party candidates.
October 18, 2012, 4:00 pm PDT / 8:00 pm EDT, Independent Voter Network
IVN will host
… the first ever, online presidential debate. … (It) will include Libertarian candidate and former Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein. Governor Johnson will be joining from Laramie, Wyoming and Dr. Stein will join from Seattle, Washington.
IVN.us is working with Google+ Politics to host the event using a live Google+ Hangout. Each participant will appear using videoconference technology and respond to questions submitted online and from one another.
October 22, 2012, 10:30 pm EDT, Democracy NOW!
Democracy NOW continues its
… ‘Expanding the Debate’ series with a live broadcast during the third presidential debate with real-time responses from Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein and Justice Party nominee Rocky Anderson. [We have extended an invitation to Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson.]
Note the invitation to Gary Johnson.
October 23, 2012, 8:00 pm CDT, Free and Equal
Free and Equal hosts a live, online debate.
The “top six candidates” were invited. Confirmed participants: Gary Johnson – Libertarian Party; Jill Stein – Green Party; Virgil Goode – Constitution Party; Rocky Anderson – Justice Party.
Larry King will moderate the debate. More:
Ora TV, Russia Today, and the Free and Equal Elections Foundation will broadcast the debate live on the Internet.
The Stein Campaign also indicates a second Free and Equal debate on October 30.
(Photo via Free and Equal)
I read the transcript at that Democracy Now page. It’s great that the third party candidates were given a chance to add their statements, but that’s all it was. That’s one of the real problems with the current debates format, IMHO. There’s no give and take, and no real discussion of the issues. That’s what makes a debate worth watching, at least to me. It’s watching the candidates analyze each other’s positions, and defend their own. Otherwise, you might as well read their press releases.
That’s not a criticism of DN, whose efforts I appreciate. It’s a problem with the basic format of these “debates” as they’ve been done for at least the last decade.
Ever since the RNC and DNC hijacked the Presidential debates away from the League of Women Voters in 1987 there has been no attempt to present REAL debates. The Republican and Democratic parties spend months negotiating at infinitum the even the smallest detail of the debate format. 21 pages this year I believe. The “rules” they create wipe out any possibility of spontaneity and in depth discussions on issues. In my opinion we need a pan-partisan group to be responsible for the Presidential debates otherwise they are no more informative or necessary than the annual Christmas play. We know the story we only watch to see if our children will embarrass us or be as outstanding as we know they can be. Debates should include ALL candidates not just Republicans and Democrats. Having access to third parties has convinced me to support form er two term Mayor of Salt Lake City Rocky Anderson. He is everything I had hope our President would be and then some. The best part is he is not bought and paid for by corporate America.
Hopefully all the questions and criticisms raised related to the CPD this time around will serve to increase the critical attention even more. I can’t say I’m hopeful about that, but if more people will tune in and support the various “alternative” options being created, that can be very helpful. We all know the Duopoly isn’t going to let go of the rigged system, so creating and building and supporting alternatives are very significant.
I’ve been watching the IVN-sponsored debate. It’s an example of what is possible, both good and bad, over the Internet. Both candidates had trouble with the sound systems. For a while, Gary Johnson’s feed was down for some reason. Still, they managed to keep it going for most of the hour.
I wish there would be actual discussion, too, but as you, I’m grateful for the efforts being made. The IVN thing had its ups and downs, no doubt some of the technical problems related to a “making do” kind of budget. Still, the efforts are worthwhile. At least there are people trying, and at this point, that’s encouraging in itself.
Thanks for posting the schedule. What is so odd is that I am on Virgil Goode’s email list and I did not get any heads up that he is going to be debating.
My guess is that at least in part, the lack of up-to-date information from “alternative” candidates has a lot to do with lack of resources. Checking out websites regularly is the best thing I know to do.