Citizens' Debate Commission - from Ralph Nader

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://www.ralphnader.com/interest/011704.html

You have heard, no doubt, about Michael Jackson's troubles, but have you heard about a new Presidential Citizens' Debate Commission being established that could give Americans more choices and voices when they watch these debates later this autumn?

Probably not. This is the trouble with the media's sense of what is news and what is important to their readers and audiences. But is it an accurate sense? One story deals with allegations against an entertainer. The other deals with the major way that voters get to see, hear and evaluate candidates vying for the top political position in our country with immense power to affect their lives.

I know a little about the present Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). It is a private corporation created in 1987 by the Republican and Democratic Parties to replace the League of Women Voters as debate sponsor and seize complete control over the Presidential Debate process. Its principal objectives are to exclude competitors from 3rd parties or independent candidacies, control the number of debates, their format and questioner(s).

[The Zanti Regent]

1. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Haven't you done enough damage, Ralph?

[Terwilliger]

2. incredible

just unbelieveable

[KG]

6. heh.

yep.

[Terwilliger]

3. Debates? Dems: We don't need anybody challenging Bush

It is typical....and self-serving in the extreme. If Dems want to control the debate, then they did a SHITTY job in 2000.

[Iverson]

4. kick

kick

[The Zanti Regent]

5. Time to remind folks of the Nader Skelton Closet Site again

http://www.realchange.org/nader.htm

"We spent a hundred years trying to clean sweatshops out of our system and what happens? Along comes the first major reformer of any impact, and he starts doing the same goddamned thing. ... My wife had to tell Ralph once to stop phoning after midnight." -- Jim Turner, former Nader lieutenant

[repsac3]

7. I welcome it.

Real debates would be a good thing.

CPD corp. serves to insure that neither of the major party candidates has to actually say anything important or answer any real questions. It's a bipartisan mutual protection society, plain & simple...

Democratic government demands change. I support the People's Debate Commision (along with proportional representation, Instant Runoff Voting, ...)

Nothing changes if nothing changes.