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(Photo: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com/flickr)
It’s time to crash the debates!!
The Presidential Debate Commission isn’t going to be allowing alternative candidates on stage, despite well-intended efforts to make it happen.
Fortunately, we now have the technology to put Jill Stein, Rocky Anderson, Stewart Alexander, and Gary Johnson (albeit for comic effect, where Progressives are concerned, at least) on the screen alongside the UniParty’s standards-bearers - answering the SAME questions, so the electorate can see that it REALLY DOES have options.
TiVo makes it possible! You know what I’m talking about:
Obama answers.
Romney answers.
*Pause* the broadcast, cue alternative candidate, insert their response!
Then, back to the Ass and Elephant show, and the cycle starts anew!
So let’s make it happen! Write DemocracyNOW!, where Jill and Rocky are already scheduled to appear on the date of the first debate, October 3! In the “Subject” drop-down, click “I have a comment or suggestion” and put SHOW US ALL OUR CHOICES in the subject line. Then paste the URL for this diary into your message!
Call C-SPAN: (877) 662-7726 and tell them you want alternative candidates TiVo’ed into the debates!
We do NOT have to accept what the Presidential Debate Commission deigns offer us! Please recommend, tweet, like and forward this post widely! And thanks!
Anthony Noel is a facilitator of the New Progressive Alliance.
18 Comments
Thanks for letting us know Jill and Rocky are to be on DemocracyNOW October 3, Anthony! For those of us who cannot stand to listen to or watch the corruption debates, this is very good news indeed.
Recommended.
Recommended!
Thanks Anthony for all your work in creating a real alternative for the alternate candidates! Spread the word joyously!
Anthony good idea,however,DEMOCRACY NOW,this media source is very suspect to me.Anyhow,let’s see what happens…
Thank you, Anthony.
I’m a regular “caller” to C-Span Washington Journal. Will ask them “on air.” (How’s that, for putting someone on the spot? LOL!) Will also contact DN.
Blue
will make to call and write will ask some of friends to do the same; also will ask C Span to have Ann Altman or Eric kingston to talk about SS!
(Good work Anthony, on this one, and the previous, and…)
D-Span and DemNow! both constantly show and cover the far Right candidates (Republicans and Democrats), but both are far too quiet on the Green Party:
Democracy Now! began covering Green Presidential politics without Nader in July of this year, after it was pointed out here at MyFDL that DN! doesn’t cover it.
I’ve contacted both Democracy Now! and C-Span in response to this article. These are press entities that we do have hope of affecting.
Yeah, they’re late to the party (Green, Justice, Socialist) for sure, but better late than never. Thanks for your comment.
Blue, that’s awesome! Will you please report back on their response?
Thank you bearman.
I encourage everyone to keep in mind the old Margaret Mead quote:
This is a tactic which, if picked up by these media, would almost certainly force more candidates into the actual debates going forward, (on stage, not TiVo’ed) whether this cycle or next. Thanks all for your likes and recommends thus far, let’s keep it going!
(Thanks for all your work, too, normanb, to which you so modestly allude in your comment…)
Hey Mr. or Ms. Mod! Thanks for dressing this diary up. :)
Capital suggestion, I could see DN doing something like this, I would also wonder if there’s a chance of someone doing this online.
Indeed there is, Blue Onyx. The thing is, these outlets have the equipment and ability to do it and reach a far greater percentage of the American electorate.
Let’s hope they also have the morals.
Heartily recommended.
Awesome, thanks timesthree!! Let’s keep this rockin’!
Anthony–
I will. Washington Journal has an “honor system,” which I do “honor.” LOL! Seriously, I last called (and got through) on September 18, so I can call back and attempt to get in, on the 19th of October. Obviously, that’s after the Oct 3 debate. (But, I’ll “Bing” the dates of the other debates, and see about asking about them.) Understand, sometimes you can’t get through for days (or even a week or so), but I will gladly try. As I said, I participate as a “caller,” anyway.
Truthfully, there is no “putting on the spot,” the C-Span hosts (I’ve talked to all of them), since they will just give a “canned” answer. But, at the very least, it might prompt other viewers to get involved, and voice their requests to C-Span. Just keep your fingers crossed, that I get through before the election. (We’ve been calling C-Span for about 18 years, and there’s not doubt that for the past two to four years, or so, they have cut down on the number of calls that they take per program. Now, you must give a name, and you have to “show your phone number,” to even attempt to participate.)
Thanks for all you do.
Blue
And thanks for all you do! I understand that they will give you a noncommittal answer. I just appreciate an efforts you make to put the issue in front of them.
If really good prepared answers from 3rd party candidates are edited into a segment of the debates and end up making the major candidates look bad, maybe, just maybe someday the alternative candidates will be asked to the debates so they won’t have the advantage of prepped statements. Ok, that’s pure fantasy, but a girl can hope…