I was surprised to see Senator Wellstone's statement regarding
"...bolstering the ability of candidates to communicate responsibly"
while he said nothing about the exclusion of candidates from candidate
debates. Neither Mr. Wellstone nor Rudy Boschwitz commented on the
strangle hold the two party system has on the media and television air
waves, and how that is adding to the frustration of the 62% of Americans
that wish see third parties in the process.
With 79% of Americans wanting to include Ross Perot in the Presidential
debates, what do you think those people feel when a commission of five
Democrats and five Republicans decide to exclude him? The fact is, the
two party system now controls access to the public air waves. Political
freedom? Freedom of expression? Representative democracy? What a joke.
Come on, Senator Wellstone. How do you justify speaking about
"...bolstering the ability of candidates to communicate responsibly"
while you participate without protest in the very system that shuts
candidates out?
As a major candidate, Rudy Boschwitz could have taken steps this year
to help restore public confidence in our political process. But he
didn't. Instead, he successfully blackmailed the Minnesota Chamber of
Commerce, Channel 5 and Channel 9 to have me excluded from the U.S.
Senate debates they sponsored. He did so by threatening to not show up
if I was invited.
Strong words about two-party control of the air waves and candidate
access? I don't think so. Consider our beloved KTCA Channel 2 "public"
television. That station clings to its arbitrary debate inclusion
formula that serves only to limit TV debate access to only the Democrats
and Republicans.
The League of Women Voters sees fit to include me in debates. Why not
Channel 2? Two years ago, Channel 2 cited the League criteria as one of
their reasons for excluding me from the debates. This year, they cite
their 10% criteria as the only reason.
No US Senate candidate running Independent or third party has ever polled
10% prior to an election. In Minnesota, the people, through the laws
their legislators enacted, grant full and equal ballot access to parties
that receive just 5% of the vote.
How does "public" television's Bill Hanley justify setting the standard
at 10% when the entire State of Minnesota says 5% is enough for full and
equal ballot access? Who elected him? To whom is this "public" television
official accountable? Who is he really serving, the public or the two
parties?
Two years ago, Channel 2 argued that it confuses the voters to have more
than two candidates in a debate. Give us a break! The three-way TV debates
were proven to work in the 1992 Presidential race. They have been proven
to work here in Minnesota in the debates where I have participated. It
is difficult to imagine a more condescending attitude toward the voter.
Every now and then Channel 2 appeals to the public for money to stay on
the air. I urge the 79% of the voters who wanted the Reform Party
Presidential candidate in the debates to remember how Channel 2 excluded
Minnesota's Reform Party US Senate candidate from its debate. When
they run their next appeal for funds, call them and tell them NO.
Tell them they have failed to uphold their public mandate. Tell them
when they start serving the people instead of the two parties, you
will then consider contributing. Tell them when they start acting like
a non-partisan public television station, you will treat them as such.
As it is now, Channel 2 is not worthy of public support.
Contrast the debates in which I am included with those from which I
am excluded. Did anyone learn anything new from the two-candidate
debate Channel 2 sponsored last night? Had I been allowed to participate,
I can assure you the questions asked would have actually been answered by
at least one candidate.
It took great courage by the League of Women Voters to resist the pressure
from the Democrats and Republicans to keep me out of the debates. With
the same spirit of the League's first founders, Minnesota's current
League leaders did the right thing because it was the right thing to do.
KSTP-TV (St. Paul/Minneapolis) and WDIO-TV (Duluth) are offering free
blocks of prime air time to more than the two party candidates.
Minnesota Public Radio grants blocks of free statewide radio time to
all US Senate candidates regardless of party status.
These are all steps in the right direction that are bolstering the
ability of candidates to communicate with the voters. Let's keep
the pressure on the other debate sponsors and media organizations to
be mindful of their public responsibility to the citizens they purport
to serve.
E-DEMOCRACY, which is sponsoring this Internet debate also helps air
the full range of candidate views by including all candidates in its
debate regardless of party status. Fortunately, it is difficult to
blackmail the Internet. However, I urge you to regard with high suspicion
any government attempts to regulate Internet traffic. Seeing how the
Democrats and Republicans use their power to control access to the air
waves, we should be very reluctant to trust them with any power
whatsoever over Internet service providers, technology, and content.
On election day, I ask you to keep the health of our democracy in mind.
I ask you to express your opposition to the seizure of our airwaves
and the betrayal of our democracy that is being perpetrated by the
Democrats and Republicans.