Twitter
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Delicious
Digg
Newsvine
Google
Yahoo
TechnoratiSunday's C-Span Opportunity: 3rd-Party Candidates Debate
WASHINGTON - Third-party presidential candidates finally will have their own debate: at 8 p.m. Sunday at Columbia University in New York.
The debate, which will be
announced Wednesday, will include at least three of the four
third-party candidates - independent Ralph Nader, the Green Party's
Cynthia McKinney and the Constitution Party's Chuck Baldwin.
Libertarian Party nominee Bob Barr said he has a scheduling conflict,
but debate organizers say he wanted to appear only with Nader.
(Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain are
also invited.)
Nader and Barr are on the ballot in 45 states, while the Green Party is on 31 state ballots and the Constitution Party is on the ballot in 37 states. Nader and McKinney also are on the District of Columbia ballot.
Organizers say the debate is an important exercise in democracy, especially because the debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates (the last of which is Wednesday night) exclude candidates scoring below 15 percent in national polls. Nader, the best known of the candidates, has an average of 2.5 percent in recent national polls, according to realclearpolitics.com, while Barr averages 1.5 percent.
Nader maintains that if he could get into the debates run by the Commission on Presidential Debates, his numbers would immediately climb because "two-thirds of the people don't know we're running."
"It's a Catch-22."
Nader describes the debate commission as "a two-party dictatorial company that doesn't want anybody else on the stage." The commission, created in 1987, is a corporation headed by two former chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties.
But third-party critics of the system recently got some traction: the second of the presidential debates prompted a chorus of criticism of the "boring" format and the lack of follow-up questions.
Nader also will give the issue more visibility at a rally to open the debates Wednesday night at New York's historic Cooper Union Great Hall, where presidential candidates back to Abraham Lincoln have spoken.
The format for Sunday's third-party debate is still being finalized. It will be moderated by Pacifica radio host Amy Goodman. The issues promoted by the candidates strike a different chord from the major party standard-bearers - all four are against the $700 billion economic bailout and all oppose the Iraq war.
In addition, each has his or her own agenda: Nader rails against corporate greed while McKinney promotes environmental causes. The Libertarian Party is a critic of monetary policy and likes to invoke a return to the gold standard. Baldwin of the Constitution Party represents a conservative, small government, anti-abortion party that wants to "restore the government to its biblical foundations."
The third-party debate will be streamed at www.thirdpartyticket.com and will be shown on C-Span.
111 Comments so far
Show AllI put a homemade "Nader 2008" bumper sticker on my car one week after the 2004 election was stolen by Bush. On 11/4/08 I will vote for Nader for the third time.
Those who oppose the two-party ruling-class consensus and its vetted candidates work year round opposing the system. Some work to construct third parties with little or no help from Democrats. In fact, Democrats mostly get 3rd party candidates flack and the same sort of arguments made in election years. You've heard it: "Get real", "Third parties can't work", "Work within the system to change it", "You are just working for the 'other side'."
Here is the fact. The "U.S." -- i.e., the ruling institutions, parties, and "we the people" -- has very few friends around the world. And those of us within the U.S. who also are not friends of that same "U.S." need to stop supporting its institutions, parties, and people. Win Obama or win McCain, the vast majority of those opposing third parties in the U.S. will continue to oppose them because in the end they believe in the "U.S. dream" and what it has brought them through its system of racism, militarism, classism, etc. The lack of analysis is mind-boggling.
The U.S. system and the U.S. populace are increasingly an obstacle to the well-being of the planet, the peoples of the world, and global peace and freedom. As can be seen in Latin America and elsewhere, the peoples of the world are standing up to reject us and our system, our international institutions, and our CIA/military. Currently the peoples of the world largely see us as non-players, having given up our power and authority to an oligarchy. Whether they pray for us as they go against our government and our army, I have no idea. But clearly Obama will be little reprieve. He is a capitalist imperialist or he would have been shut out of the debates, news coverage and campaign months ago just as Kucinich, Nader and others have been. The U.S. is only a democracy if preceded by the word "bogus".
We can get on board with this global effort to create a better world or we can rot in this quadrennial con-game of mutual self-delusion that we play with each other fighting over whether we get the Republican iron fist or the Democratic iron fist in a velvet glove. Ask people around the world. Both fists smash and devastate in murderous ways. Either way the global system headed by the U.S. kills millions every year, by war, starvation, etc.
For the person who asked about Nader on Iraq, here are issues and his positions http://www.votenader.org/issues/
If you want out of Iraq, you won't get it with either McCain or Obama.
David Brookbank -- "Hasta donde debemos practicar las verdades?"
Jesus! Isn't Nader dead yet? He's been f**king around in every election since I was a kid! Is he what - about 80 years old now?
Knock yourselves out watching that 3rd party debate. All these 3rd party candidates need is somebody who gives a shit and a ton of money. Who cares. I think there are reruns of Lawrence Welk on another channel.
Hey dmia.
Come on now? What type of a response is that. "Isn't nader dead yet?" Purely negative and it shows us something about your poor taste in rerun selections and the fact that you should probably turn off the t.v. and perhaps write a letter to your local newspaper about how third parties have been excluded from the debates which makes it so important for everyone to tune into the few chances they have to see who else is running for president. those who aren't be sponsored by Monsanto, GM, Healthcare giants etc.
and most importantly, as you probably were a little spoiled brat as a kid and completely disrespected your elders, with age comes wisdom (for most people). so being 80 is a good thing not a bad thing.
yours,
getoffyourbutt!
hehehe, wow -You know Ralph is nearly 80, and yet I think of him as 'hip' & very cool. Check that video of Ralph & Obama Girl Show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4nIpvhlgpo too funny!
Did you know Ralph wants to legalize marijuana? Its true. Ralph is on THE CUTTING EDGE of many issues like that. And Ralph isn't FOR legalization of Marijuana just so he can bribe abunch of youthful voters, NO NOT at all, it is because he is against filling the prisons with 'drug offenders'. Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez Independent President candidate realizes that the 'war on drugs'...aint makin it! Drug users should try healthcare options instead of criminalization. Nader says it alot better than I have. Young Obama won't openly support something like that.
For all Americans the 700b swindle should have been an easy decision to vote NO. And yet young Obama voted with old McCain-the politically correct thing and voted YES to the 700b swindle. Nader say NO to 700b swindle. Of course the 700b swindle is important to all Americans but especially the young, for the government that currently rules has literally passed the buck to 'futures'. If your too young to have lived it yet, let me just say that our current government has a long & rich tradition of neat little tricks like this...and often is the tradition to steal it now & pay later. I watched my dear ole government clean out Social Security back in the old days around '85. Years later they changed the rules & pushed the Social Security eligibilty age out from 65 to 70, to cover up the theft back in '85.
Nader being a kindly old gentleman, gives me confidence in him because he can handle the most delicate & extreme troubles in a diplomatic way that puts the hotheads to their shame. Notice Nader speaks primarily from his vast knowledge...he keeps a few notes handy, to publicly document facts. I'm fairly sure he doesn't have speechwriters...you know...the obscure little guys behind the curtain talking sweet nothings into the ear of the other candidates. I call them 'pervs'. hahaha ...gulp....I was going to make another really cool point...but I forgot what it was.
I'll try again laterzzzzzzzzz
wild;)
Check out today's Democracy Now. McKinney and Nader answer the same questions as Obama and McCain, except they make sense and put forward real proposals.
The debate on Sunday is apparently in doubt, due to infighting among the organizers.
Please help Cynthia McKinney and the Green Party. We have much less money than the other candidates, so we're campaigning the old fashioned way - door to door.
We need volunteers. Get the message of peace, justice, democracy and environmental wisdom out to regular Americans.
I was so disappointed that Democracy Now! didn't show up this morning when it should have been on (for unknown reasons). ):
Have you noticed that whenever alternative party articles are on here they are marginalized, pushed out of the main area, and disappear quickly?? But we must of course have all of the rationalizing why we should vote for pro-war pro-corporate pro-Wall Street Obama ad nauseum!
Progressive parties face a "catch-22": we can't get corporate funding & media attention because we are AGAINST corporate funding & media; we can't gain traction because most people still refuse to boycott corporate media; we are sniped at for not reaching percentages that can only be reached when people can find us through the very same corporate media! and round and round and round.... so we get President Obama, who will murder hundreds of thousands, justify cuts in funding for real needs, appease his corporate sponsors, tinker with a BROKEN system, and lead us to someone worse in 2012!
.
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/10/16/breaking_the_sound_barrier_third_party
October 16, 2008
Breaking the Sound Barrier: Third-Party Candidates Ralph Nader & Cynthia McKinney Respond to Final McCain-Obama Debate
Senators Barack Obama and John McCain met last night for the final debate before the November 4th presidential election, sparring over the economy, tax policy, negative campaigning, trade agreements, abortion and the educational system. As with the other debates, third-party candidates were not invited to participate. We break the sound barrier and hear from Green Party presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney and independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader. [includes rush transcript]
.
Hey, what's wrong with band geeks?
What so many people don't "get" is that Nader has been organizing since the 60s. He founded Nader's Raiders, and a bunch more groups that I can't remember right now. These groups work for consumer and environmental protection, and citizen involvement in government.
If you don't know about them, it's because the corporate media doesn't educate. You have to educate yourself.
I know about Nader's Raiders. I also know that Nader is a bit of an authoritarian and forbade his Raiders from unionizing.
Why isn't my party's candidate, Brian Moore, in the debate? Even the band geeks won't let some people sit at their table.
Just a couple of observations.
1. The libertarians and constitutional people are right-wing fringe psychos.
2. Nader and McKinney wouldn't get 15% even if they got to debate in the official debates. Why? Because they lack popular support. If they were able to rack up 7-10 percent that would be significant and should indicate that they can participate. Nader doesn't get the fact that you need to build a movement-- that running for president every year solves nothing.
3. Fifteen percent is a bit high to enter into the debates, but perhaps the line should be drawn somewhere? 5 or 10 might be more fair.
4. It's not surprising that the DNC and RNC don't allow third parties in the debates. Nobody should be surprised. Further, getting in the debates isn't going to help the cause. Until we organize people, namely the working classes, who think we need to go in a radically different direction the left won't do alot electorally. In short the left has a lot of organizing to do and elections aren't the way to go at this point. Only after a popular movement arises can we have a serious electoral option at the national level.
It's a real shame that Brian Moore isn't included in this debate, democracy now pretty much has ignored his campaign, Nader doesn't want anyone getting in his way, I assume. Brian should go and crash it, Nader has tried that in the past with the major party's debates, perhaps if Brian showed up they would give him a seat at the table. Gloria La Riva should be allowed in too.
Thank God for C-Span. Shame on you MSM.
Obama and McCain have been invited. Who wants to bet they won't show?
I'm predicting tens of viewers for this debate!
Nanoo
Wow, this is exciting news. Here I'd been debating the long expensive drive to the Cities because Nader was to be there Sunday afternoon. So now I'll stay home and watch the debate. We all really couldn't ask for a better moderator than Amy Goodman. After watching the last crap debate last night, this 3rd party debate will be the one to hear real differences in solving our problems with a vision forward.
Cheers everyone, and tell everyone you know to watch.
Too bad it is so late. In all future elections, from the first debate or TV appearance, every fair person should be pushing for including all candidates that got on the ballot. That would enrich the content of the debates.
Joe
Yup..Like all those who have pushed for paper ballots and an end to voter fraud since 2000. It's all out of our control until we come up with an alternative stream media (ASM). AND, sorry to say it's not the internet.
Here is Elizabeth may on the War we are in on. Look in on minute 3:17 and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfNUvAfNFQs
the conservative even agrees there needs to be a pull out date (already set) and argues for holding to it. The others want us to look at broader contexts.- it is an advantage to have multiple critics because then you as a leader cant be lazy- you need to answer those concerns. He mirror will never get polished without a few rubs (Rumi paraphrased)
enough from me, I'm being a media hog sorry.
The point- let the smaller parties in- strength through diversity!
in surveys of how the people regarded the different parties' leaders she sky rocketed above the leaders of the Conservative and Liberal parties in popularity that night. they are equivalent to the nearleft-democrats and the left-democrats in your country. nd like in America it was the NDP (equivalent to Socialists in the USA) who put up the biggest fuss over her inclusion in the nationally televised debates.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qcE_ISIYB0
the effect of the green presence is that all the parties rush to seem green and include green policies in their platforms, even the right wing parties!. thanks to game theory. sorry this is from the french debates so they are translated. Can American candidates have fluid debates in several languages? probably spanish or soon Mandarin Chinese as they own your economy.
unlike Nader Elizabeth may is a hyper informed Mary Poppins type. She is a lot of fun. sorry for the Bush references in the debates, I know you will miss him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CJA5JJspbY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCq01Fz7hMc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWErqgNgotc GROUP HUG!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNKHfTUYy8s
By the way with many parties there are many environment critics in the parliament
In Canada we just had our Federal Election and the greens only had 7% of the final vote nation wide, But the difference is that The Green Party's Spokesperson Elizabeth May was allowed to debate, and in her riding she received 32% of the vote in a traditionally highly conservative riding, and she ran against a key Caucus member, the Minister of Defence (although why we need to kill afghans in their own country to defend our people makes no sense to me, but the oil pipeline is going well...).
I just made the mistake of watching the Obama/McCain debate. I just cannot go with either of these guys.
Best thing after subjecting yourself to that BS display is to take a good purgative.
Define "winner". I can tell you who is always the loser...WE THE PEOPLE!
hello-kitty - I read your post two ways - from the convoluted perspective of someone who agrees with the .00000001% of "Americans?" who've decided the winners for some time now, and from the perspective of one of the disinfranchized and screwed Americans who know they have been. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt because I tend to express my views of things in this same manner.
People like you don't deserve "America."
Martin Sullivan of AIG recieved some five million dollars [$5,000,000] cash, and
another fifteen million [$15,000,000] parachute goodbye payment for his
work on the Bail-out..
Where does McCain and Obama stand on this issue?
The Corporate press has chosen to not print anything that the third party candidates raise on issues..
The Press controlled by Corporate America has chosen Obama and Mccain..
They have yet to talk about our industrial base being sold out to China.
The Clintons and the Bush Family are responsible for this, yet no one has the
courage to raise the issue,,why? How can our economy improve if we have no
Industrial Base? Shining each others shoes will not do it..[a service eonomy]
I'm so looking forward to the debate on Sunday. The one tonight bores me, more of the same old same old...
Obama has 354, not 277, electoral college votes, if the election were held today.
I'm depressed that the Liberals & the NDP don't put aside differences and form a minority government in Canada, leaving the PM spot to that evil Stephen Harper. Grrr!!!
Stop with all the sniping: the corporate media is the enemy, not other progressives. I love Ralph Nader & Cynthia McKinney!!! Yeah!!
Anybody in Boston, MA want to watch with me? (;
Where did you see that 354 number?
CNN.com is projecting him at 277, but that's the only projection I looked at.
Wow, they finally rose to the bare minimum standards for a campaign.
Are they even running a campaign? The Left needs a strategy. We have perfect opportunities with the war, the financial crisis, the public scorn for the President and Congress to draw people away from the duopoly. So much for striking while the iron is hot.
Common Dreams won't even lift a finger to support third party candidates.
Shouldn't every Left-Wing site have a banner saying "elect Cindy Sheehan" or "support the Greens" or "elect Nader"?
Instead, I get a letter from the editor (Craig Brown)telling me to give CD money and vote Obama.
Its always interesting to see where people really stand when push comes to shove.
Your comments are correct. And they add up to the conclusion that when push really comes to shove, CD is not a left wing side. Its a center-right site just like the center-right candidates they do push in support.
When push really comes down to shove, you see where people and groups really stand.
Give your donations to real left wing sites, not CD. I'm sure they can suck up to the Democrats and all the corporate money to fund this site.
I'd strongly ask everyone to support real left wing alternative media. Just be clear that any site that supports Obama and the Democrats is not really a left wing or alternative site.
----------------------------
"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
www.samsonsworld.blogspot.com
"When push really comes down to shove, you see where people and groups really stand."
Everything from Grannies' tea parties to the Pentigon has been infiltrated. Maybe it's time for a serious Independent website where all of us who see the need for a serious third party can unite, using the same principles as the Perspective.com sites do to keep the dissenters out.
.
Nader/Gonzales is looking better and BETTER...
http://www.votenader.org/index.html
For more information on the Nader/Gonzalez campaign,
Support by giving DONATIONS to make this happen ...
VOTE NADER 2008 !!!!! WORLD PEACE !!!!!!! End THE WARS......
.
I like Rachael Maddow.
But she just said on her Air America radio show that tonight is the last Presidential debate.
If "Progressive" Rachael won't acknowledge the 3rd Party Presidential debate, which features two candidates FAR MORE Progressive than Obama we're sunk.
We truly have no voice in any mass media.
Maddow seems "nice" enough--you have not noticed that MSNBC is just a neo-liberal FIX News?
Yeah, they assume you are as dumb as neo-cons.
MSNBC during the day is garbage. Missing blonde toddler beauty-queen journalism.
The first twenty minutes of Olbermann's show is usually good, although several of his regular "experts" are lacking. There are many outstanding progressive/independent journalists who are much more worthy than Howard Feinman.
Olbermann's Special Comments regarding the Constitution are excellent.
Olbermann's in the tank for Obama and gives him a free pass for his FISA vote, war funding, bailout position and anti-impeachment stance.
I had hoped Olbermann would be consistent and take Obama to the woodshed.
If I want to watch cheerleading I'll turn on ESPN.
I had hoped that Rachael Maddow would be willing to talk about the issues that everyone else is terrified of: media consolidation, the fairness doctrine, GM food, water privatization etc.
On that front she's been a disappointment.
She sticks mainly to the issues and framing of them that everyone considers correct.
I liked Olbermann at first. I liked Maddow at first.
Then I realized that, since they were just regurgiatating the viewers opinions back to them, they must think that I was a progerssive who was as dumb as a FOX watching neo-con.
They think I am a neo-liberal and i want my verison of FOX--I am not that dumb.
Look, here's the con. Obama is just a different pretty face on the same mess. And the corporations like Microsoft and GE that put MSNBC on the air know it. That's the whole idea. Its fake change. Its really the same policies, but under a different name with a different 'leader'. But it all stays the same.
The Democrats are corporate America's B-team. Their whole role is to step in during times like this when the Republicans have lost all credibility. The Democrats will protect the gains that corporate America got during the Republican years, and won't roll any of them back. And they'll probably push through something the Republicans couldn't even pass on their shift.
If you think Air America and MSNBC are going to offer you real alternatives, you are dreaming. Its all a part of the con. They present fake change as the answer. And its there to deflect popular anger into the fake change instead of any real change.
You don't think Microsoft and GE spent millions to create a network that is going to lead to real change that hurts them, do you?
One easy thing to remember. The corporations that run the country are not going to just hand you real change on a platter. Why would they? Nope, if you want to find real change, you got to turn this junk off. Start looking for it in the people around you. Start creating real change yourself in the people around you.
But stop watching the paid fools on corporate TV thinking that will lead to any real change. That is there to block real change, not promote it.
----------------------------
"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
www.samsonsworld.blogspot.com
Spot on Samson, you are smarter than the average bear!
Yes he did
The Wall Street bankers that have tight leashes on Obama and McHoover will not allow their front men to participate in debates not hosted by the Military Industrial Media Complex.
Just as AARP limited the Democratic Party Primary debates to candidates who agreed not to support single-payer health insurance, the Military Industrial Media Complex demands full control of the debates and the questions that are asked.
If the GOP is running McHoover, does that mean the Dems are running Barrack Deleno Roosevelt?
NO! it does not--I wish
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5WiE6MnmCM
Three way Presidential debate...
.
Thank goodness. A real debate. Real candidates. A real moderator.
I feel like I've been walking in a desert for a hundred years and someone is finally offering me a cup of water.
The Obama/McCain "debates" have been the nutritional equivalent of cotton candy.
Finally, we will have questions about the Constitution and Executive Power.
Maybe even a question or two about the media and the fairness doctrine.
If I can dream, and if Amy happens to read this, can the candidates address the nation's food policy and GM crops?
That'd send both Obama and McCain running and hiding!
Is your handle a astrophysics joke?
That's fantastic ;)
I can see McKinney for sure wanting to talk food and agriculture.
Betcha Goodman does include some variant of this.
ding ding ding ding
Tell the lucky contestant what (s)he's won!
"Matti" is the Finnish way to say Matthew.
All our names sound like "girl names" in English.
I hope I won a plush Carl Sagan doll!
Man, I wish those existed:
"But mommy!"
"No sweetie, we talked about this. You're too OLD to sleep with Carl Sagan anymore. And he's too smelly. We'll just put him right here in your closet. He can listen for deep-space radio signals from there."
"Ok"
And where are the rest of the "progressive" media in this?
Why aren't they taking iniative?
How many times has Amy Goodman (or any of the so-called progressives) had Nader or any of the other candidates on her radio show?
This is a good start, but c'mon people...
I love the fake lefties who come out here and find ways to attack the people doing good work on the left for change like Amy Goodman and Democracy Now!.
This little sequence is a wonderful example. A good article on this alternative debate draws in a fake lefty who makes completely incorrect attacks on good people. After all, if it was really a real question, our little fake lefty friend here could have gone to democracynow.org and searched just like the people who correctly responded to this junk did.
You gotta watch for this sort of crap. Realize that at least some of what you see is designed to disrupt us. There are always campaigns to try to create division among the left. Its one reason the left has such a hard time organizing.
We've got to learn who our friends are and support them. And ignore the total bull you'll hear from fake lefties trying to disrupt us. I'm glad to see there were already some suppotive comments for DN! pointing out what junk this comment was.
----------------------------
"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
www.samsonsworld.blogspot.com
Actually, if you search the DN! archives you will find that she has had Nader on several times in the last few months, she has had Matt Gonzalez on at least twice--once with Rosa Clemente, and Cynthia McKinney has been on twice also, I believe.
Beat ya!
But your's was more detailed and "research-y" so you still win.
He's been on a few times recently.
Hell, even Matt Gonzales was on there, with Rosa Clemente too.
Moderated by Amy Goodman too. You know this'll be good and much more exciting than the other so-called "Debate".
Now that's what I call "Democracy".
Finally, now We are talking. Thank God for Amy Goodman for tell Us the truth.
Now if the public would get past the "Wasted Vote" mentality. THat would give the Republicrats a big needed message.
Even if a third party candidate says everything you want to hear
some people
maybe a lot of people
will not vote for them because they want to be on the winning team.
Obviously
if the media treated nader etc as a real candidate and not a distraction or joke
his poll numbers would skyrocket.
Maybe people will be surprised on voting day and he will get more votes than expected.
FINALLY, AT LAST, MY FAITH IN HUMANITY HAS BEEN RESTORED.
I LOVE C-SPAN.
I LOVE NADER !
Right on, Rose. Can we keep those positive vibes flowing?
Right on, Rose. Can we keep those positive vibes flowing?
.
Nader can win....... The voters will decide.
Nader will change things.
Nader is our only hope.
Nader is the only choice.
Fight the Two-party system.
VOTE NADER 2008… You’ll be glad you did and so will I…
http://www.votenader.org/index.html
.
Thank you, Commondreams, for finally acknowledging reality.
Not only the reality that there is more than just the duopoly, but also the reality that a LOT of your readers support real progressive parties and candidates.
I haven't been contributing because of the site's blatant censorship. Keep this up and you'll cost me some money.
Oregoncharles
Baldwin of the Constitution Party represents a conservative, small government, anti-abortion party that wants to "restore the government to its biblical foundations."
Which Baldwin brother is he? I thought Stephen was the religious nut of the family?
"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing, to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts." - John Keats
If anyone has money out there, like unions, colleges and universities, or all of the other approx 100 political parties in the U.S., perhaps they could fund some Democrat + Republican + other cadidates debate.
The Likud bars its candidates (Demok/Repuk) from participating in mixed debates.
Hahaha I like this one :-)
John,
The Dem and Rep candidates REFUSE TO COME when the others are invited. Note that they were both invited to this one. They WON'T SHOW.
That's because they don't want to be embarassed by losing in an HONEST debate.
you think the exclusion is about lack of debate funding?
When exclusion of debate participation can lead directly to pillage of the Treasury at the whim of those who control the debate... why would you possibly believe that active dissent would be welcome in any form?
It IS about money... but not as you suggest.
And how many probably watch C-SPAN at 8 on a Sunday night?
A few thousand choir members, at best.
maybe...but C-span also reruns some segments, for the nightowls.
wild;)
.
CSPAN VIDEO PLEASE WATCH
http://www.cspan.org/search.aspx?For=Nader
RWH: Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader (I) "INFORUM" Event
This week on Road to the White House, Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader held a campaign event in San Francisco at the Commonwealth Club of California. Mr. Nader answers questions about his presidential campaign and past runs for the White House. The independent candidate will be on the ballot in 45 states this Nov. 4th and is polling 5 to 6 percent nationally, according to the candidate's website.
Sunday : Washington, DC : 9-05-2008
VOTE NADER/GONZALEZ 2008…
.
Well, let's see... perhaps MANY if it was advertised in ANY SORT of way. But wait, the corporations who sell us all of our "needful" daily products refuse to endorse this sort of thing.
Sweet, I'm hosting a watch party for it in my dorm room :-)
The 'impotence' will be the lack of a credible opposition at the upcoming Cooper Union Great Hall,NY. In the face of an open invitation to debate...the 'impotent duplopity' will once again fail to show up.
Because of the 'impotent', we won't get their direct arguments FOR: war, 700b swindle, FISA 08, drill baby drill, torture, concentration camps, war on drugs...just to name a few. C-span has gone one extra mile.
The President/Vice-President United States ballot in my state, shows/vote for 1:
Bob Barr/Wayne Allyn Root (LIB)
Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez (IND)
Barack Obama/Joe Biden (DEM)
John McCain/Sarah Palin (Rep)
Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente (GRN)
Chuck Baldwin/Darrell L. Castle (CON)
Gloria La Riva/Eugene Puryear (SOC)
wild;)
Good to see the Socialist Party USA is still on the ballot in a few states.
The are states like Lousiana and New Jersey where all it takes is some paperwork, no petetion signatures to get on the ballot. I wish more states were like that.
Can you give me a link for their site?
In Oregon, the Socialist Party merged with the Pacific Green Party some years ago, giving us some of our most dedicated members. Of course, there are still Socialists (several different flavors); and the national Socialist Party refuses to recognize the merger, threatening to throw out a member running on our ballot line (they don't have one, possibly because of this sort of thing.) We're glad to have him.
In case you're in Oregon: his name is Walter Brown, and he's running for Attorney General.
Oregoncharles
Nader had a short but substantive interview on public television (the News Hour) the other day. It is hard to believe, with Americans finally receiving their September fund statements, that Nader's poll numbers are not shooting up.
This is the perfect election year to insert a third party into the corporate duopoly. It looks like Obama will landslide McCain, leaving progressives free to give Nader over 5% of the vote. If there is any danger of McCain/Palin winning this election the country is too dumb to survive anyway. Let's consider Obama a fait accompli and put our eyes on the future. If we had done that 8 or 12 or 16 years ago Nader's party would be viable today.
"This is the perfect election year to insert a third party into the corporate duopoly."
Excuse me, but what third party? Nader is running as an independent, not as a standard bearer of any third party.
I supported Nader when he came down for a 3rd party. Ever since, he has represented a party of one.
C'mon, if we're really going to be honest, why don't the Nader supporters really say what they're in favor of: NOTA! You're in favor of None Of The Above, a non-entity, a negative, a protest vote - not a party or a movement!
Big goals.
Yes.
This year there is room for Nader to get 5%.
Just saw that CNN's State-by-State Poll map put VIRGINIA as "lean Obama" or whatever they call it.
This projection therefore shows Obama getting 277 electoral votes to McCain's 174 with only 87 in "tossup" States.
The relevant bit to your post is that the only made this switch on how they're "calling" Virginia once Obama's poll "lead" got to "double-digits". What do you wanna bet that they're factoring in the "Bradley Effect" here? Double-digit poll leads only net Obama a "maybe" projection?
Sounds like there's room for 5% of "Obama voters" to go Nader in VIRGINIA (if he's on the ballot there) let alone Washington or Oregon!
I know we anti-Corporate Party people tend to not put much stock in this sort of "projection" but Dem-types do.
I invite all Obama supporters to look at this map on CNN.com, absorb its information, realize they are backing a "landslide" candidate, relax a little, and then come back to this site and apologize for all the crap you've given all of us "third party" people and fear-mongering you've engaged in.
Remember the "safe-state" vote campaign for Nader in 2000? This year almost EVERY state he's on the ballot in would qualify.
Forget the fear and propaganda, 2008 is actually a "safer" time to vote "third party"!
Don't Panic,
-matti.
P.S.-
The above was a reply to ~voxclamantis~ way above.
Wonder if we could get an automatic "reply target heading" at the top of our posts indicating who we are replying to?
Ex: This post would say "reply to: matti October 15, 2008 6:47pm"
Clarity would be improved.
Yup, I signed on in '96.
.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec08/nader_10-14.html
Ralph Nader PBS Interview
.
Nader was also on the MSM networks - CNBC, CNN, and FOX. I do not watch them normally but had to tune in yesterday to see what he would say. If he were afforded even 10% of the air time given to Obama or McCain, his numbers would soar much higher.
The fact that these MSM news outlets "gave" Nader ONE day of coverage is disgusting. The constant graphics during his interview(s) were even more discouraging.
Nader's viewpoints are 90 - 100% in line with the majority of the American public right now, especially when it comes to corporate fraud, Wall Street bailout, public education, and health care. But the news outlets - like the Democrats and Republicans - are owned by these corporations.
I am surprised that only C-Span will be running this debate on Sunday. What about PBS, the supposed "progressive" outlet?
PBS is not progessive. They never criticize the Bush administration on anything. If you want progressive media, you need to be watching Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman.
Agree that PBS is not progressive and have never challenged the status quo with other than occasional fluff pieces. When you see that they are 'sponsored' by some of the very corporations that are working against the interests of the general public, you may understand that they measure the health of the economy by the state of Wall Street instead of the health care being provided to Main Street.
And though I like Democracy Now, I find that it still marginalizes Nader, Kucinich, Mike Gravel etc instead of headlining them.
In Nader's last appearance on Democracy now, Amy Goodman asked Nader if he is willing to support Obama. Nader responded that he is waiting for Obama to support him.
Where was the outrage on Democracy Now or Common Dreams when the Democratic Convention excluded any criticism or conflicting views (like the Iraq War/Occupation). Hillary and Obama worked hand in hand to make sure that there was no vote that could show possible differences and that not all are on board for the carnival ride.
Vote third party, don't support the corporate candidates.
www.NotOneMore.US
Side note re: PBS, the "progressive" outlet. Here in Dallas, without warning or any announcement whatsoever, KERA moved the only PBS money program, Nightly Business Report, from 5:30p to 11:p just as the economic news went super-sour. Clearly, they decided (or were told) to move the bad news to the least watched time-slot - wouldn't want Americans learning facts and truth now, would we?
This is great news AND I support Obama. Short term and Long term we need to hear more and more of 3rd parties. Short term, we still need Obama, because there's a far greater chance of making 3rd party debates "stick" long term under his presidency than under McShames.
Please provide some factual basis for your belief that an Obama win would help make '3rd party debates "stick" long term' .... whatever the heck that is supposed to mean anyways.
The Democrats consistently attack any third parties. The Democrats work hard where they can to keep 3rd parties off the ballots. The Democrats are equally responsible with the Republicans for no alternative candidates being allowed into the fake debates like the one tonight.
There is absolutely no reason to believe that a Democratic win in any way would help 3rd parties in this country. That is total nonsense to anyone who's been paying attention.
----------------------------
"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
www.samsonsworld.blogspot.com