Contact NBC and CNN to Call for Inclusive Debates
 
  September 5, 2000
 
  A previous FAIR action alert (8/25/00) called on citizens to urge the
  Commission on Presidential Debates to include viable third-party
  presidential candidates. Now, media activists and pro-democracy advocates
  need to speak out promptly in the wake of George W. Bush's recent offer to
  debate Al Gore three times:
 
  -- on an NBC "Meet the Press" primetime special (Sept. 12 in D.C.)
  -- on CNN's "Larry King Live" (Oct. 3 in L.A.)
  -- at an Anheuser-Busch/Commission on Presidential Debates-sponsored event
  (Oct. 17 in St. Louis).
 
  At present, the Bush proposal -- like that of the major party-dominated
  Commission -- would exclude top third-party candidates, despite polls
  showing most Americans want candidates such as Ralph Nader included in the
  debates.
 
  "Although the Bush arrangement with NBC and CNN envisions an exclusive
  two-party deal," says FAIR's Jeff Cohen, "the good news is that it could
  move the exclusionary Commission on Presidential Debates to the sidelines.
  Now NBC and CNN need to hear how the public feels about debates restricted
  to just the two major-party candidates."
 
 
  Inclusive Debates are Good for Democracy
 
  Recent history shows that participation by third-party candidates raises
  interest, debate viewership and voter turnout. The 1992 presidential
  debates included Ross Perot and were watched by record-breaking TV
  audiences, averaging 90 million viewers, with a larger audience for each
  successive debate. Presidential voter turnout went up in '92, reversing a
  20-year downward trend. In 1996, with Perot excluded, the debates had
  shrinking viewership that averaged only 41 million viewers -- and voter
  turnout nosedived. In 1998 Minnesota, participation by third-party
  candidate Jesse Ventura in the gubernatorial debates stirred interest in the
  campaign and generated massive turnout.
 
 
  Inclusive Debates Add Fresh Viewpoints and Issues
 
  Third-party candidates bring up topics that would otherwise be ignored. If
  debates are limited to Gore and Bush, discussion will be narrow or
  nonexistent on the many issues on which the two major-party candidates
  basically agree, including issues like trade, globalization, corporate
  welfare, military spending, Iraq, Colombia, the drug war and the death
  penalty.
 
 
  Inclusive Debates Reflect Popular Will
 
  National polls have shown majority support for the inclusion of Nader and
  right-wing candidate Pat Buchanan. Asked in a July Fox News poll, "Do you
  think Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan should be in the presidential debates or
  not?," respondents said yes by a 64 to 25 percent margin. That same poll
  found a 73 to 17 percent majority saying Nader and Buchanan would make the
  debates "more interesting."
 
 
  Inclusive Debates Can Have Clear Standards
 
  The independent Appleseed Citizens' Task Force on Fair Debates, convened by
  American University Law professor Jamin Raskin, recently proposed that
  invitations be extended to any electable presidential candidate who has
  either 5 percent support in national polls or at least 50 percent of the
  American people favoring his/her inclusion. Congress member Jesse Jackson
  Jr. (D-IL) has introduced a House Resolution (HR 373) proposing the "5
  percent/50 percent" standards be instituted.
 
 
  ACTION: Call on NBC/Meet the Press and CNN/Larry King Live to invite
  qualified third-party candidates to join Bush and Gore in the debates.
 
  As always, please remember that your comments are taken more seriously if
  you maintain a polite tone. Please cc fair@fair.org with your
  correspondence.
 
  CONTACT:
  Tim Russert
  Moderator, "Meet the Press" and NBC News Senior Vice President
  4001 Nebraska Ave. NW
  Washington DC 20016
  Phone: 202-885-4598
  Fax: 202-362-2009
  mailto:mtp@msnbc.com
 
  Andrew Lack
  NBC News President
  30 Rockefeller Plaza
  New York, NY 10112
  Phone: 212-664-4611
 
 
  CNN's "Larry King Live"
  Larry King, Host
  6430 Sunset Blvd.
  Los Angeles, CA 90028
  Phone: 323-993-5101
  Fax: 323-993-5171
  Fax: 202-898-7686
  mailto:cnn.feedback@cnn.com
 
  Frank Sesno
  CNN Senior Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief
  820 First St. NE
  Washington DC 20002
  Phone: 202-898-7900
  Fax: 202-898-7923
 
   ----------
 
  Feel free to respond to FAIR ( fair@fair.org ). We can't reply to
  everything, but we will look at each message. We especially appreciate
  documented example of media bias or censorship. And please send copies of
  your email correspondence with media outlets, including any responses, to us
  at: fair@fair.org .
 
  FAIR ON THE AIR: FAIR's founder Jeff Cohen is a regular panelist on the Fox
  News Channel's "Fox News Watch," which airs which airs Saturdays at 7 pm and
  Sundays at 11 am (Eastern Standard Time). Check your local listings.
 
  FAIR produces CounterSpin, a weekly radio show heard on over 120 stations in
  the U.S. and Canada. To find the CounterSpin station nearest you, visit
  http://www.fair.org/counterspin/stations.html .
 
  Please support FAIR by subscribing to our bimonthly magazine, Extra!
  For more information, go to:
  http://www.fair.org/extra/subscribe.html . Or call 1-800-847-3993.
 
  FAIR's INTERNSHIP PROGRAM: FAIR accepts internship applications for its New
  York office on a rolling basis. For more information, please e-mail Peter
  Hart (phart@fair.org)
 
  You can subscribe to FAIR-L at our web site: http://www.fair.org , or by
  sending a "subscribe FAIR-L enter your full name" command to
  LISTSERV@AMERICAN.EDU . Our subscriber list is kept confidential.
 
  You may leave the list at any time-- just send a message with "SIGNOFF
  FAIR-L" in the body to: LISTSERV@AMERICAN.EDU .