Open Debates

[redqueen]

George Farah, Executive Director of this excellent organization, has made it his quest to reform the process of presidential debates.

Please read, explore his website, and let's hear your thoughts. :)

http://www.opendebates.com/theissue/

The Issue

The Presidential debates -- the single most important electoral event in the process of selecting a President -- should provide voters with an opportunity to see the popular candidates discussing important issues in an unscripted manner. But the Presidential debates fail to do so, because the major party candidates secretly control them.

Presidential debates were run by the civic-minded and non-partisan League of Women Voters until 1988, when the national Republican and Democratic parties seized control of the debates by establishing the bi-partisan, corporate-sponsored Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). Posing as a nonpartisan institution committed to voter education, the CPD has continually and deceptively run the debates in the interest of the national Republican and Democratic parties, not the American people. The CPD, co-chaired by the former heads of the Republican and Democratic parties, secretly submits to the demands of the Republican and Democratic candidates. Accordingly, the CPD insulates the major party candidates from challenging questions, difficult issues, and popular third party and independent candidates. As a result, under the CPD's control, the debates have been reduced to "glorified bi-partisan news conferences," where the major party candidates merely recite prepackaged soundbites and avoid discussing many important issues.

Under CPD sponsorship, the major party candidates never pay a political price for their antidemocratic practices. Were the major party candidates to openly host their own debates, employ their own stilted formats and exclude all third-party challengers, they would be held accountable by voters on Election Day. The CPD, however, publicly assumes responsibility for the presidential debates, shielding the major party candidates from public criticism. The CPD exists to decieve American voters in order to protect the major party candidates, and that deception unacceptably harms our democracy. Open Debates wants a transparent debate process that forces the candidates to be held accountable for their decisions.

Open Debates has established a truly nonpartisan Citizens' Debate Commission comprised of national civic leaders to sponsor presidential debates that are rigorous, fair, and inclusive of important issues and popular candidates. The higher values of democracy and voter education will be restored to the presidential debates by the Citizens' Debate Commission.

[redqueen]

1. One kick for comments

:kick:

[blm]

2. As much as I think this should hsppen

I believe that this is NOT the election year to see it start.

The distraction and novelty would enable Bush to turn the focus away from his failings much more easily. The press is NOT responsible enough to be trusted to do their duty for the American voter at this time.

[redqueen]

3. I was thinking that as well

But then with the election looming it's pretty much guaranteed not to happen until afterwards, anyway.

Farah's main point seemed to be that it was through third parties that most reforms materialized, so the elminiation of the third party voice from the most visible format is preventing much needed reforms from even being heard of on a national stage.

[blm]

4. I'm all for it.

If the press was honest and responsible I'd be in the front row clapping.

But, they are not, and BushInc is going to use every distraction away from the issues and contest of real ideas to their advantage.