NOT QUITE REAL DEBATES

Madison Capital Times

Editorial

Friday, October 8, 2004

After last week's miserable performance by George W. Bush in the first presidential debate, and Tuesday night's truth-challenged presentation by Dick Cheney in the vice presidential debate, Americans are primed for tonight's face-off between Bush and John Kerry in St. Louis.

With its town hall format, the second presidential debate should be more energetic than the first.

But Americans will still see a constrained discourse tonight. That's because the Democratic and Republican parties effectively control the Commission on Presidential Debates - which is chaired by former chairs of the major parties. As a result, the Kerry and Bush camps have set rules that constrain rather than enhance the discourse.

Some of the rules - particularly those restricting the movements of the candidates - are just silly. But others are serious matters.

Of particular concern are the limits placed on participation by legitimate third party and independent candidates.

A recent Zogby poll of likely voters shows that 57 percent would like to see "other candidates" included in the presidential debates. And the democratic instincts of the American people are appropriate.

When candidates are on enough state ballot lines to conceivably collect the Electoral College votes necessary to be elected, they ought to be included in the debates. That means, at this point, that Green Party candidate David Cobb, Constitution Party candidate Michael Peroutka, Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik and independent Ralph Nader should be included.

Some will suggest that including third party and independent candidates would make debates more confusing and inconsequential. But the experience from elsewhere - most other major democracies have traditions of far more inclusive debates - suggests the opposite. Multi-candidate debates stretch ideological limits, making ideas - rather than personalities - the driving force in the discussion.

Regrettably, the Commission on Presidential Debates has not been open to openness.

But there will be an opportunity to see some alternatives. PBS' "NOW With Bill Moyers," which will not air tonight because of the St. Louis debate, on Sunday will feature Cobb, Peroutka, Badnarik and Nader at 9 a.m.

Our recommendation: Watch tonight's debate. Then tune in "NOW" Sunday morning to see what you missed because of the machinations of two big parties that maintain their bigness at least in part by rigging the rules in their favor.