As the Republican and Democratic Party have unveiled their platforms, the Green Party has stepped up its demand for candidate Ralph Nader's inclusion in the presidential debates. The first debate will take place in Boston on October 3, and the Commission on Presidential Debates, chaired by Democratic and Republican party leaders, is determined to shut out Mr. Nader, as well as Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan. The Democratic Platform seeks to undermine the social safety net protections of the New Deal and Great Society, joining the Republican in favor of gutting public services and resources. The effect will be a narrow debate in which issues affecting the lives of Americans get ignored when Mr. Gore and Mr. Bush face off. Greens have begun to discuss ways of protesting the Commission's policy.
Democracy only works when voters are informed.
If voters are denied the opportunity to learn which candidates on the ballot represent their interests and views, the electoral process has been subverted. Through the Debate Commission, the Democratic and Republican Parties have assumed the role of a Soviet-style politburo. These Americans have a right to know that a candidate agrees with them, and to hear Mr. Nader argue on their behalf. Even a candidate with little chance of winning an election will draw votes from Americans seeking to build and advance a party or political agenda, or to register protest against the major party candidates. In a democracy, there are many legitimate reasons for choosing a candidate to vote for, and voters deserve to know these options.