Don't ever believe any Democrat or Republican who talks about free elections and how important they are for our country and the countries we attack and occupy. We here in the United States have not had free and open elections for a long time. Only the two major political parties, the Democrats and Republicans are allowed to speak to the American people. Seldom do third party candidates have a shot at debating the status quo candidates, and when they do, it scares the heck out of the candidates put up with corporate money in both of our traditional parties.
Eugene McCarthy, George Wallace, Ross Perot, and Ralph Nader come to mind. Nader took 2.74% of the popular vote in the 2000 election and gave the Democrats a excuse for losing to George W. Bush. Ross Perot got Americans thinking about our debt, and we all know how much both major parties like to spend our tax money. George Wallace carried five states and garnered close to ten million votes. No way are the Democrats or Republicans going to give any third party candidate with new ideas for America a fair shot at running against them.
The following article tells about a 62 year old Green Party candidate for California Governor, Laura Wells, getting arrested as she tried to sneak into a debate by the two major party candidates. If you are a third party candidate, you can't even be in the same location as the major party candidates. I believe Ralph Nader was arrested for being on the same college campus that a major party presidential debate was being held.
The Democrats and Republicans are not fooling around. They will stop at nothing to keep the American people in the dark about third party candidates and new ideas for America. We lost our free elections a long time ago. Probably when radio took over from public debate in front of the voters.
Here is the article about Green Party candidate Wells getting arrested. Just for your information, in a past election Wells got over 400,000 votes in a state wide California election. So, the woman has some appeal, but she will not be allowed to get her message out.
Published on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 by San Jose Mercury News
California's Green Candidate for Governor Arrested Outside Debate Tuesday Night
by San Jose Mercury News
SAN RAFAEL — As gubernatorial hopefuls Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown sparred off on stage at Tuesday night's debate, another candidate for California's top post was arrested for trying to enter the debate using another person's ticket, San Rafael police said.
Oakland resident and Green Party candidate Laura Wells, 62, attempted to enter Dominican University's Angelico Hall at 5:20 p.m. when she presented a ticket that police said was not issued to her.
Green Party candidate for governor Laura Wells was arrested last evening while attempting to attend a debate between gubernatorial hopefuls Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown. The debate was held at Dominican University in San Rafael. (Photo by Marnie Glickman.)
For security reasons, tickets to the event were numbered, coded and checked by campus security before ticket holders were admitted to the debate hall.
Police said Wells refused to cooperate with campus security when they requested she surrender the ticket.
Wells became argumentative and refused to leave the area, police said, even after she was warned that if she persisted she would be subject to a citizen's arrest because she was on private property.
A security officer placed Wells under citizen's arrest, and she subsequently was taken into custody by San Rafael police officers and escorted from the grounds.
Wells was cited and released for trespassing.
According to a statement released by the Green Party of California, she will be required to appear in court on Election Day.
"Republicans and Democrats will go to any lengths, even arresting candidates, to keep the truth from California voters," Wells said in the statement. "There are solutions, but voters aren't being allowed to here (sic) from independent candidates."
In 2002, as a Green Party candidate for state controller, Wells polled more than 400,000 votes.
Protesters associated with the Green Party of California who were upset that Wells was excluded from the debate picketed the event by wearing green gags covering their mouths.
"The debate is a fraud. Limiting it to Whitman and Brown is not just anti-green, it is anti-democratic and anti-republican," Wells said.
