Following the recent Presidential Debates between infamous Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton while simultaneously using every possible snap chat filter on them, you might find yourself saying, "I just don't think I'll vote". This is the consensus that has risen among many this election season, particularly with but not limited to, millennial voters. But wait, there is another option! Third-party candidates have always been an option but an option that the public does not generally look to. This year, the two biggest ones are Gary Johnson from the Libertarians, and Jill Stein from the Green Party. Now, I'm not saying that these candidates are our saviors sent from heaven above, but they are an important part of politics that is generally overlooked. And who knows, with this election, they may very well be better options than the Democratic and Republican candidates.
A Brief History of Presidential Debates
The Federal Communications Commission is the regulatory agency responsible for enforcing the Communications act. This act basically says that, legally, candidates should receive the same amount of time in media coverage. Congress amended this act to not apply to certain general news events and this, you guessed it, included debates. This is why it is almost impossible to remember a presidential debate that included more than two candidates: Democrat and Republican. These two are the superstars because the debates are sponsored by an independent organization called the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). This Commission has three requirements for a candidate to be included in the debate.
They must...
1.) Be constitutionally eligible (duh)
2.) Appear on the ballots in states whose cumulative total of Electoral College votes is 270 or more (seems reasonable)
3.) Have the support of at least 15% in an average of five national polls (wait what?!)
How can they receive this support if the media is not required to cover them, and doesn't.
A Proposed Solution
If a third-party candidate is on the ballot they should be able to debate in the presidential debates- no matter what percentage of support they currently have. Their support will almost inevitably increase as a result of the debates, especially with an election like 2016.
Why should they debate? Well, here it is.
1.) They do not receive enough media coverage
It is obvious that to be able to debate in a PRESIDENTIAL election, your name should appear on all of the state ballots for president, but how are you supposed to garner 15% of the support when you are not in a nationally known party and you couldn't debate to make yourself known in the first place? How many Americans take the time to do scholarly research on candidates? Very few. How many Americans only know about the candidates from social media and debates? Mostly everyone. Debates give these candidates a chance to show their ideas which may be substantial and even good in some cases. Gary Johnson is Libertarian and believes in getting away from the constructs of a bipartisan system of government. As the presidential debates have shown so far this year, maybe a compromise between the ideas of Democrats and Republicans is what is needed. The constant attacking of one another and avoidance of problems is not going to solve anything.
2.) They bring in important issues that are not discussed in depth
The goal of letting third-party candidates debate is not only to give them a fighting chance at election, but to provide different viewpoints to the debate. I'm sure Jill Stein would have a lot more to say about renewable energy, an important topic with the technological advancements, than Trump who is dead set on building a wall and somehow eliminating our debt and Hillary who promises to "make lives better for women and for our families". Also, the major parties are sometimes scared to talk about certain important issues for fear of choosing a position that will eliminate some of their supporters. Ross Perot, a third party candidate in the 1992 presidential debate, talked about the growing federal budget deficit. By doing so, he forced the major parties to have an solution, although neither were planning on bringing it up, considering it was a problem that both were responsible for. Third parties won't allow the major parties to hide their faults and use the other's mistakes as a diversion.
3.) They create a dynamic in which the specific candidate's ideals must be highlighted instead of just their party's
It would no longer be the tried and true red and blue. There are pre-existing platforms that Americans know all too well. Democrats want more government funding and intervention and are more liberal while Republicans want less government intervention and want things to stay traditional. Third parties may be a mix of both or have a whole different idea altogether. As their ideas are presented, the major parties must get deeper into their policies to explain the difference between theirs and the third party's since history hasn't already. This may make the debate consist of more factual content and specific policy ideas than an immature banter and assumption of what the other believes.
Third Party Candidates have made attempts to get around the CPD through the court system. While the court is sympathetic towards these candidates it has not ruled in their favor as of yet. There is still hope for reform in the future, especially seeing the way that politics is changing over time. Until then, It is important that voters stay informed and look up the views of independent parties, even if their debates are only held in the back of a coffeehouse.
