Debates need more voices

Al Gore and George W. Bush spent weeks hammering out the perfect debates, with both presidential candidates making offers for formats and venues. Everything is complete, but still one person is missing, Ralph Nader.

Add to that list Pat Buchanan, Harry Browne and John Hagelin. What do Nader and the three other men have in common? All four are presidential candidates. Also, all four are shut out of the presidential debates.
 The Commission on Presidential Debates has been set up mainly to douse any conflict between the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates.

At the same time, this commission, made up of both democrats and republicans, has excluded minor party candidates from standing shoulder to shoulder with Gore and Bush by ruling that a candidate must get at least 15 percent in five selected public opinion polls.

Since minor party candidates do not get campaign contributions like democrats and republicans, there is very little chance of them launching expensive presidential campaigns.

Fortunately, minor party candidates are getting a second look, mainly because millions of Americans are fed up with this year's tepid campaign. Increasingly, Americans do not feel they could get behind two candidates who were picked for their fund-raising prowess over their leadership abilities.

If Nader, Buchanan, Browne and Hagelin took their rightful positions at the debates they would delve into issues Gore and Bush are afraid to discuss.

By shutting out minor parties from debates, the commision colludes with Democrats and Republicans to prevent the two parties from losing votes to candidates who stand firmly behind their convictions, instead of letting political action committies and polls to determine ideology.

Chris Leddemuller is a staff writer for the Daily Forty-Niner.