In allowing only four minor-party candidates to share the stage, the organizers of tonight’s Free & Equal debate are being as exclusionary as the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) was in limiting the three nationally-televised debates to President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney. It’s shameful, especially since two of tonight’s participants — the Constitution Party’s Virgil Goode and Rocky Anderson of the fledgling Justice Party — aren’t on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win on November 6th.
On the other hand, I represent a party with a much longer history than any of tonight’s participants. Unlike former Congressman Goode and ex-Salt Lake City Mayor Anderson, I am on the ballot in the most populous state in the country and, in addition to vote-rich Florida and Colorado, will have write-in status in enough states to “mathematically” Occupy the White House on November 6th.