I really think the establishment of a third party is important. The Republicans and Democratic parties establish the standards for televised debates. Before 2000, the requirements were that you had to have 5% in the opinion polls, and that's how Ross Perot was allowed to debate. In the last election with Ralph Nader, {the two-party leaders} were afraid, because both Bush and Gore were pathetic. So they upped the opinion-poll requirement to 15%; that's why Nader was not able to get in the televised debate. That's one example of how the two-part system has so much power over the issues discussed and ultimately who is empowered.

Justin Sane