The Pros And Cons Of Joining The Presidential Debates

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When the televised Presidential Debates initially started in 1960, they were conducted by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters. This organization allowed third party candidates to participate in the debates if they felt that they were qualified or that their views would add substance to the debates. Since Democrats and Republicans are the majority parties, they are given automatic entrance into the Presidential Debates. The phrase “third party candidates” references those who are not part of either the Democratic or Republican party. Third parties include the libertarian party and the green party amongst others. These different political parties are rarely heard from as the two party control is quite systemized and due to this, American citizens …show more content…
Third party candidates rarely reach the fifteen percent threshold set by the Commission on Presidential Debates and therefore do not have a realistic chance of winning the election and should not be allowed to participate in the presidential debates. The only third party candidate to join a debate was independent candidate, Ross Perot, in 1992. Though Perot achieved a nineteen percent popularity in the polls and was allowed to participate in the debates, he did not win the election. Four years later, the commission denied him access to the debate because his campaign did not have a realistic chance of winning. When he attempted to join the presidential debate for his second run in 1996, the Commission denied his request and the fifteen percent threshold was set. After this establishment, no third party member has even joined the debate (Israel). Nineteen percent is

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