Defunct Democracy

In case you're wondering, democracy in these united States doesn't work, either. What kind of democracy do you have when the two major party members (Democrat and Republican) conspire to exclude others from joining a debate that is billed as a public event. By doing so, they send the message to the voting public that there are only two parties contending for office, not three, four, five, or more. Long ago, the top two realized that by excluding the minor parties from future debates, they could guarantee themselves at least a 50/50 chance of making it into office. In addition, the minor party's ideas and platforms would not be heard. To help in their scheme, they sought and received the help of the media that broadcast these public events. Third parties will always remain third parties because their voices will not be heard.

 

Let's look at a case that's illustrative of this problem. NewWithViews.com carried an article explaining how the top two conspired with a local media outlet to keep third parties from joining in a public debate. Reading from their article, "League of Women Voters Refuse to Sponsor Rigged Gubernatorial Debate", we learn that:

According to the Mail Tribune, after months of planning, the league decided it wouldn't co-sponsor the debate with KOBI Channel 5 because Gov. Ted Kulongoski, his Republican challenger Ron Saxton, and KOBI managers were all unwilling to open the debate to candidates who could show at least 5 percent support to participate, said Trish Bowcock, president of the League of Women Voters of the Rogue Valley.

Again, Kulongoski, Saxton, and KOBI managers are unwilling to open the debate to other candidates. How could you not call this a conspiracy to silence third-party voices?

 

Furthermore, this is not a "one-off," or an "exception to the rule" example, either. In 2004, during the presidential debates in St. Louis, both Michael Badnarik and David Cobb, Libertarian and Green Party presidential candidates respectively, attempted to gain access to the presidential debates. They were told, in no uncertain terms, that they were not welcome. After forcefully insisting on their admittance to the debates, they were arrested.

 

If this is democracy then you can keep it!