Let's Have a Real Debate

It's that time of year again and if you didn't know any better you would be lead to believe that you only have two choices: Coke or Pepsi, Red or Blue, Black or White, Old or Young, Democrat or Republican. Look a little deeper my friends you have more choices than what MSNBC, CNN, FOX, CBS, ABC, MySpace, etc. tell you. I don't know about you but I'm tired of the taste that Classic Coke and Black Cherry Pepsi leave in my mouth. But it looks like we've got another election year and the debates will only be open to Coke and Pepsi, er I mean McCain and Obama.

I've been registered as an Independent, or Declined to State here in California, for the most part since 1986. I believe there was one year when I switched to Democrat but quickly switched back to DTS after receiving one too many phones calls asking for money. Voting for a candidate outside the two party system is not foreign to me and it shouldn't be to you.

I'm throwing away my vote you tell? Not really, you are by not voting your conscience and only voting for the lesser of two evils. When all we ever vote for is the lesser of two evils than evil is all we will ever have. Still not convinced?

We are lucky if 45% of registered voters even show up to vote. What about the other 55% of the registered voters that don't bother to vote? Are they tired of the only to choices they think they have, so they don't bother to leave the house? What would happen if only 50% of the 55% decided to vote but vote for a third party party candidate? Now that would be real "change" and not some feel good phrase coined for the election.

But the Dems and Repubs along with their corporate puppet-masters will never allow us to see the other candidates that are running for president this year. Whether you are on the right or the left, in the center and just not sure there are choices other than Coke or Pepsi. See for yourself, here is a list of all the parties and their candidates running for president.

Unfortunately none of the other candidates stand a chance of making it to the debates this year.  In the past the televised presidential debates were organized by the League of Women Voters, a non-partisan group.  But in 1987, the Commission on Presidential Debates took over the televised debates.  The CPD is a private bi-partisan group headed by former chairmen of the Democratic and Republican Parties.  With corporate control of the media (there is no liberal media) and the creation of the CPD, third party candidates don't stand a chance of ever participating in the televised or any other debates.

What do they fear by allowing other parties to participate in the debates?  You mean someone on the right that can't stand McCain might find a candidate that shares their views?  Or someone on the left might realize that Obama is not as liberal as they thought?  It's time to open the debates and let the people know we have more choices.