Great Must Read Article! It Is Time To Fight Back !
Joanne O'Neill
Great Must Read Article! http://truth-out.org/news/item/10766-a-road-less-traveled-presidential-candidate-rocky-anderson-speaks-candidly-on-the-crumbling-state-of-the-union
IT IS TIME TO FIGHT BACK !
The 2 party duopoly have created a system of making it practically impossible for 3rd parties to gain ballot access in most states. Just in the past week, the Republicans in Pennsylvania, challenged Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party and Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party.
In order to qualify for the ballot in Pennsylvania, the major parties have to submit only 2,000 signatures, but third party candidates had to collect more than 20,000 this year.
The Constitution Party withdrew its presidential candidate, Virgil Goode, from the state ballot on Tuesday. The party submitted 35,000 signatures, but state law would have required them to cover the cost of legal fees if the Republicans had been able to successfully challenge enough of the signatures to bring them under the state threshold.
Libertarian Party, presidential nominee Gary Johnson, campaign submitted more than 49,000 signatures — more than twice the amount required to gain access to the ballot in Pennsylvania.
Not only Pennsylvania but there are numerous other states that present these types of road blocks for 3rd party candidates. Calif-172,859, No.Carolina- 85,379, Oklahoma- 43,890 http://www.ballot-access.org/
In 1987, we saw more of a grab for control by the two major parties. The campaigns of George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis met without the knowledge of the League of Women Voters (LWV) and drafted a memorandum of understanding. This secret document specified who would be allowed to sit in the audience during the '88 debates and who would serve as panelists, as well as abolished follow-up questions.
Under these terms, the LWV would be left to merely host and would have no say in how the debates were held. In disgust, the League of Women Voters exposed the memorandum and resigned as hosts of presidential debates, citing the "fraud on the American voter" being carried out by the two major parties.
To fill the void left by the LWV, the Democrats and Republicans formed the joint nonprofit bipartisan organization the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) and making the CPD the only organization allowed to host presidential debates. http://www.debates.org/
After 1992, when Ross Perot poll ratings jumped from 7% to 19% after the debates, the duopoly decided to exclude all 3rd party candidates from participating .
Plus corporate owned media avoid 3rd party candidates from receiving any kind of equal air time coverage. With the duopoly controlling every aspect of having meaningful exchanges on the issues, I believe it is time to launch a full blown campaign to break the hold of the corrupt 2 party system and the time is NOW.
The CPD is just a front group for the Republicans and Democrats, which contacting them really is useless, but I believe contacting:
* the UNIVERSITIES and stating that either 3rd party candidates be included, or cancel the use of their facilities for the debates. If they don’t agree to go along, do a mass social media campaign against the university and them not supporting freedom of speech.
* and TELEVISION NETWORKS ask them to demand 3rd party candidates be included or you will contact their advertisers and boycott their products. All candidates should receive equal air time. We have seen recently where these tactics have worked with Rush Limbaugh and ALEC.
Below is a list of the Debates to be held:
> October 3, 2012 – 1st Presidential
Topic: Domestic policy
Air Time: 9:00-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: University of Denver in Denver, Colorado
Sponsor: Commission on Presidential Debates
Participants: President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney
Moderator: Jim Lehrer (Host of NewsHour on PBS)
> October 11, 2012 - Vice Presidential
Topic: Foreign and domestic policy
Air Time: 9:00-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Centre College in Danville, Kentucky
Sponsor: Commission on Presidential Debates
Participants: Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan
Moderator: Martha Raddatz (ABC News Chief Foreign Correspondent)
> October 16, 2012 – 2nd Presidential
Topic: Town meeting format including foreign and domestic policy
Air Time: 9:00-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York
Sponsor: Commission on Presidential Debates
Participants: President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney
Moderator: Candy Crowley (CNN Chief Political Correspondent)
> October 22, 2012 – 3rd Presidential
Topic: Foreign policy
Air Time: 9:00-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida
Sponsor: Commission on Presidential Debates
Participants: President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney
Moderator: Bob Schieffer (Host of Face the Nation on CBS)
TIME TO SAY ENOUGH OF THE DUOPOLY! LET CANDIDATES WHO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE BE HEARD !