On October 31, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that it will again hold presidential general election debates, and named the dates and locations for each of the four debates. The only vice-presidential debate will be October 11, at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.
The three presidential debates will be: (1) October 3, University of Denver; (2) October 16, Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.; (3) October 22, Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida.
Also on October 31, the Commission said that its old rules for inclusion will still apply: 15% in the polls and on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win the election.
The Commission is famous for its prejudice against minor party and independent candidates, but it is also seems unfair to the different regions of the country. The Commission has sponsored 26 debates for president and vice-president starting in 1988. Eleven have been in the South, seven in the Midwest, but only four in the East, and only four in the West. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
In what million year time period will a third candidate make it into the Commission debate scheme ???
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
Demo Rep,
2012.
p.s.I agree CPD is a scheme
p.s.s. Maybe I should be more specific. CPD is full of shit.
Ron Paul won’t accept this. He will demand other candidates are on the stage, just like Ronald Reagan did.
Also, Ron Paul will want more time to destroy Obama, so we’ll see non-CPD debates. hopefully!
2 –
It’s not surprising that CPD is full of shit, since they produce a series of shows which are themselves huge piles of shit.
15% is a ridiculous litmus test. What are the two parties so afraid of? If a candidate is on the ballot in enough states to win, they should be invited to the debates. Period.
Wake up folks – the left/right top folks are ANTI-Democracy oligarchs/monarchs
— playing their gerrymander games with about a marginal 1 TRILLION in spending/borrowing — about 6 percent of the total economy — un-declared wars, health care, etc.
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
5 –
Here’s what the “debates” boil down to:
1) Will someone make a “misstep” that will keep the talking heads occupied and happy for a few news cycles?
2) Will some candidate exceed the low expectations set for him or her by the media, thereby keeping the talking heads occupied and happy for a few news cycles?
3) How quickly can any “debater” turn the answer to a question into a verbatim repetition of one of their tired campaign trail soundbites?
The “debates” add nothing of substance to the process of electing a president. It’s a media show. Reality TV with ties and American flag lapel pins. It’s bullshit.
The underlying ROT is due to SCOTUS making a Prez a living monarch / god / tyrant / dictator since 1932 — esp since 1937 and even more so since 1950 (UN-declared Korean WAR).
Thus the hype media has total contempt for the Congress and the States as being totally useless.
See Hitler in 1933 — coming to the U.S.A. in 2013 ??? — to solve all the political-social-economic problems on Mother Earth ???