Libertarian and Green parties sue Debate Commission to be included in GE debates

[Chief Justice Keef]

http://www.newsy.com/videos/a-rigged-game-why-the-libertarian-candidate-is-suing-to-debate/

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[Atlas Has Shrugged]

They sue every year.

[Comrade Funk]

Stop bitching and get your damn poll numbers up if you want in on the debates.

they get almost zero exposure, so kind of hard unless you pay attention to politics like we do. If you don't think the two parties have collaborated to stop third parties than you're blind.

[EliteLX]

Stop bitching and get your damn poll numbers up if you want in on the debates.

To be fair, they've barely ever got a chance to voice themselves in a serious position to the American people. It's not very easy to take them seriously when they aren't presented as an eligible third option, something putting them in the debates would do.

[Sic Semper Tyrannis]

Stop bitching and get your damn poll numbers up if you want in on the debates.

To be fair, they've barely ever got a chance to voice themselves in a serious position to the American people. It's not very easy to take them seriously when they aren't presented as an eligible third option, something putting them in the debates would do.

[sparkey]

Stop bitching and get your damn poll numbers up if you want in on the debates.

Johnson's poll numbers are up. ~10% this year, compared to ~4% in 2012.

What would your arbitrary poll % cutoff be?

[Sir Mohamed]

Stop bitching and get your damn poll numbers up if you want in on the debates.

Johnson's poll numbers are up. ~10% this year, compared to ~4% in 2012.

What would your arbitrary poll % cutoff be?

I would also 20%. Anything below is not going anywhere in the GE.

[Pyro]

If Martin O'Malley (averaging 3-5% in the polls) was allowed in FOUR debates, I don't see why we shouldn't allow Johnson and Stein in a few.

[Ebsy]

If Martin O'Malley (averaging 3-5% in the polls) was allowed in FOUR debates, I don't see why we shouldn't allow Johnson and Stein in a few.

Primary debates have nothing to do with the Presidential Debate Commission.

The cutoff has been and will be 15%. Not going to change no matter how much the crazy third party people want it to.

[Dabeav]

If Martin O'Malley (averaging 3-5% in the polls) was allowed in FOUR debates, I don't see why we shouldn't allow Johnson and Stein in a few.

Primary debates have nothing to do with the Presidential Debate Commission.

The cutoff has been and will be 15%. Not going to change no matter how much the crazy third party people want it to.

With as terrible of candidates we have right now, maybe it should be 5%.

[Lyin' Steve]

Do they deserve to be taken seriously?  Did anyone watch the libertarian convention?  Does anyone actually pay attention to what Jill Stein says?  Gary Johnson himself is a semi-credible presidential candidate but the poor guy's running under the banner of a loony party.  Except not actually poor guy since he's only there because he couldn't win the Republican nomination.

[Crumpets]

If Martin O'Malley (averaging 3-5% in the polls) was allowed in FOUR debates, I don't see why we shouldn't allow Johnson and Stein in a few.

Primary debates have nothing to do with the Presidential Debate Commission.

The cutoff has been and will be 15%. Not going to change no matter how much the crazy third party people want it to.

With as terrible of candidates we have right now, maybe it should be 5%.

If our candidates are so terrible, shouldn't the other candidates be polling up at ~15% anyways?

[user12345]

Stop bitching and get your damn poll numbers up if you want in on the debates.

Johnson's poll numbers are up. ~10% this year, compared to ~4% in 2012.

What would your arbitrary poll % cutoff be?

15% seems like a good number to include them at.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

If Martin O'Malley (averaging 3-5% in the polls) was allowed in FOUR debates, I don't see why we shouldn't allow Johnson and Stein in a few.

Primary debates have nothing to do with the Presidential Debate Commission.

The cutoff has been and will be 15%. Not going to change no matter how much the crazy third party people want it to.

With as terrible of candidates we have right now, maybe it should be 5%.

If our candidates are so terrible, shouldn't the other candidates be polling up at ~15% anyways?

It'd be nice if they were included in most polls. That would help.

[ProudModerate2]

If Martin O'Malley (averaging 3-5% in the polls) was allowed in FOUR debates, I don't see why we shouldn't allow Johnson and Stein in a few.

Primary debates have nothing to do with the Presidential Debate Commission.

The cutoff has been and will be 15%. Not going to change no matter how much the crazy third party people want it to.

With as terrible of candidates we have right now, maybe it should be 5%.

If our candidates are so terrible, shouldn't the other candidates be polling up at ~15% anyways?

It'd be nice if they were included in most polls. That would help.

Most polls now ask both questions, and release both results :
1.) If it were just Clinton/Trump, who would you vote for ?
2.) If it were Clinton/Trump/Johnson/Stein, who would you vote for ?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

If Martin O'Malley (averaging 3-5% in the polls) was allowed in FOUR debates, I don't see why we shouldn't allow Johnson and Stein in a few.

Primary debates have nothing to do with the Presidential Debate Commission.

The cutoff has been and will be 15%. Not going to change no matter how much the crazy third party people want it to.

With as terrible of candidates we have right now, maybe it should be 5%.

If our candidates are so terrible, shouldn't the other candidates be polling up at ~15% anyways?

It'd be nice if they were included in most polls. That would help.

Most polls now ask both questions, and release both results :
1.) If it were just Clinton/Trump, who would you vote for ?
2.) If it were Clinton/Trump/Johnson/Stein, who would you vote for ?

Yes, but the media only mentions the polls that show Trump and Clinton. They barely give lip service to Stein and Johnson, aside from CNN which hosted a townhall for the two candidates after a brief flurry of activity following the LNC.

[user12345]

Stop bitching and get your damn poll numbers up if you want in on the debates.

To be fair, they've barely ever got a chance to voice themselves in a serious position to the American people. It's not very easy to take them seriously when they aren't presented as an eligible third option, something putting them in the debates would do.

I think if the American public heard what Stein and Johnson were saying, their numbers would drop.

[ProudModerate2]

If Martin O'Malley (averaging 3-5% in the polls) was allowed in FOUR debates, I don't see why we shouldn't allow Johnson and Stein in a few.

Primary debates have nothing to do with the Presidential Debate Commission.

The cutoff has been and will be 15%. Not going to change no matter how much the crazy third party people want it to.

With as terrible of candidates we have right now, maybe it should be 5%.

If our candidates are so terrible, shouldn't the other candidates be polling up at ~15% anyways?

It'd be nice if they were included in most polls. That would help.

Most polls now ask both questions, and release both results :
1.) If it were just Clinton/Trump, who would you vote for ?
2.) If it were Clinton/Trump/Johnson/Stein, who would you vote for ?

Yes, but the media only mentions the polls that show Trump and Clinton. They barely give lip service to Stein and Johnson, aside from CNN which hosted a townhall for the two candidates after a brief flurry of activity following the LNC.

OK, but the (majority of the) media only mentions the polls that show Clinton and trump because their numbers display that they are the only ones that have a chance of winning the general election. I remember the media consistently displaying Perot's numbers, because his numbers were "high enough" to be a possible threat (and Perot was included in the debates).

[ProudModerate2]

Stop bitching and get your damn poll numbers up if you want in on the debates.

To be fair, they've barely ever got a chance to voice themselves in a serious position to the American people. It's not very easy to take them seriously when they aren't presented as an eligible third option, something putting them in the debates would do.

I think if the American public heard what Stein and Johnson were saying, their numbers would drop.

LOL.
Good point !

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

If Martin O'Malley (averaging 3-5% in the polls) was allowed in FOUR debates, I don't see why we shouldn't allow Johnson and Stein in a few.

Primary debates have nothing to do with the Presidential Debate Commission.

The cutoff has been and will be 15%. Not going to change no matter how much the crazy third party people want it to.

With as terrible of candidates we have right now, maybe it should be 5%.

If our candidates are so terrible, shouldn't the other candidates be polling up at ~15% anyways?

It'd be nice if they were included in most polls. That would help.

Most polls now ask both questions, and release both results :
1.) If it were just Clinton/Trump, who would you vote for ?
2.) If it were Clinton/Trump/Johnson/Stein, who would you vote for ?

Yes, but the media only mentions the polls that show Trump and Clinton. They barely give lip service to Stein and Johnson, aside from CNN which hosted a townhall for the two candidates after a brief flurry of activity following the LNC.

OK, but the (majority of the) media only mentions the polls that show Clinton and trump because their numbers display that they are the only ones that have a chance of winning the general election. I remember the media consistently displaying Perot's numbers, because his numbers were "high enough" to be a possible threat (and Perot was included in the debates).

You think Perot pulled those number out of his ass? Without the help of Larry King hosting him?

[Seriously?]

Stop bitching and get your damn poll numbers up if you want in on the debates.

To be fair, they've barely ever got a chance to voice themselves in a serious position to the American people. It's not very easy to take them seriously when they aren't presented as an eligible third option, something putting them in the debates would do.

I think if the American public heard what Stein and Johnson were saying, their numbers would drop.

Their numbers are still going to drop once people actually have to make a decision and realize they are throwing their votes away on Stein and Johnson.

The 15% threshold is fine as far as these debates go.