FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 6, 1999
BUCHANAN CALLS CPD DECISION 'BELTWAY CONSPIRACY' TO CONTROL PRESIDENCY
BOSTON, MA -- Today, Presidential candidate Patrick J. Buchanan released
the following statement:
"The Commission on Presidential Debate's (CPD) decision to limit access to
candidates who pass a high threshold of poll support - a threshold set by
the dominant parties - is a transparent farce. Let's be plain: This is
nothing but a Beltway conspiracy by the two Establishment parties to
corner the market forever on the presidency of the United States.
"The Reform Party is a recognized national party. It is receiving federal funds
for its convention and its national campaign. The idea that its two rival parties should have the power to exclude the Reform Party and its
presidential candidate from the decisive event of the election of 2000 is
absurd on its face. It is a manifest conflict of interest for them to dictate to
the American people which presidential candidates may appear in the
televised debates that will determine our next president. If this were done in
the private sector it would be condemned as conspiracy in restraint of trade.
"What is the CPD but a front group for the two Beltway parties? Co-chairman
Frank Fahrenkopf is an ex-GOP party boss who now earns $1 million per
year lobbying for the gambling industry. Why should he and Paul Kirk, a
former chair of the Democratic National Committee, be handed this near life-
or-death power over the one party with a chance of ousting them both from
power. The attempt of these two lifelong partisans to shut the Reform Party
out of contention for the presidency is an affront to the American people and
an insult to the idea of democratic debate and fair play. We will fight the CPB
decision both in court and in the public arena. And we shall prevail."
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WEB NOTE: The following is included on our Brigade website for your review.
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MEDIA ADVISORY
Commission on Presidential
Debates
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 6, 2000 -- Commission on Presidential
Debates (CPD) co-chairmen Paul G. Kirk, Jr. and Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr.
today announced the candidate selection criteria to be used in the 2000
general election debates as well as the dates and sites for the debates.
Kirk and Fahrenkopf noted that after each of the last three general elections,
the CPD had undertaken a thorough review of the candidate selection criteria
used in that year's debates. After extensive study, the CPD has adopted a
three-part standard for 2000 which is detailed in the attached document. "The
approach we announce today is both clear and predictable," Kirk and
Fahrenkopf said.
The CPD co-chairmen also announced four dates and sites for the 2000
debates:
First presidential debate: Tuesday, October 3, John F. Kennedy Library and the University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA Vice presidential debate:
Thursday, October 5, Centre College, Danville, KY Second presidential
debate: Wednesday, October 11, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem,
NC Third presidential debate: Tuesday, October 17, Washington University in
St. Louis, MO Madison, WI and St. Petersburg, FL have been selected as
alternate sites.
Established in 1987, the nonpartisan, nonprofit CPD sponsored and
produced the 1988, 1992, and 1996 general election debates. The CPD also
undertakes research and partners with educational and public service
organizations to promote citizen participation in the electoral process. In
2000, the CPD, with McNeil/Lehrer Productions, will produce "Debating our
Destiny," a two-hour PBS special featuring interviews with participants in
presidential debates since 1976.
The CPD intends to make extensive use of the Internet in its 2000
educational efforts, building on its 1996 voter outreach program,
DebateWatch 92-96. Details of the CPD '92s Internet activities, which will be
supported by corporate and nonprofit entities specializing in interactive
application of the Internet, will be announced in the next several weeks.
Background information on the CPD 92s mission, history and educational
projects is available on its website: www.debates.org. The CPD will
collaborate with the Freedom Channel in its work.
COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES' NONPARTISAN CANDIDATE
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR 2000 GENERAL ELECTION DEBATE
PARTICIPATION
A. Introduction
The mission of the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (the
"CPD") is to ensure, for the benefit of the American electorate, that gene
ral
election debates are held every four years between the leading candidates
for
the offices of President and Vice President of the United States. The CPD
sponsored a series of such debates in each of the past three general
elections, and has begun the planning, preparation, and organization of a
series of nonpartisan debates among leading candidates for the Presidency
and Vice Presidency in the 2000 general election. As in prior years, the
CPD 92s voter educational activities will be conducted in accordance with
all
applicable legal requirements, including regulations of the Federal Electi
on
Commission that require that debate sponsors extend invitations to debate
based on the application of "pre-established, objective" criteria.
The goal of the CPD's debates is to afford the members of the public an
opportunity to sharpen their views, in a focused debate format, of those
candidates from among whom the next President and Vice President will be
selected. In the last two elections, there were over one hundred declared
candidates for the Presidency, excluding those seeking the nomination of
one of the major parties. During the course of the campaign, the candidates
are afforded many opportunities in a great variety of forums to advance their
candidacies. In order to most fully and fairly to achieve the educational
purposes of its debates, the CPD has developed nonpartisan, objective
criteria upon which it will base its decisions regarding selection of the
candidates to participate in its 2000 debates. The purpose of the criteria
is to
identify those candidates who have achieved a level of electoral supports
uch
that they realistically are considered to be among the principal rivals for the
Presidency.
In connection with the 2000 general election, the CPD will apply three criteria
to each declared candidate to determine whether that candidate qualifies for
inclusion in one or more of CPD's debates. The criteria are (1) constitutional
eligibility, (2) ballot access, and (3) electoral support. All three criteria must
be satisfied before a candidate will be invited to debate.
B. 2000 Nonpartisan Selection Criteria
The CPD's nonpartisan criteria for selecting candidates to participate in its
2000 general election presidential debates are:
1. Evidence of Constitutional Eligibility
The CPD's first criterion requires satisfaction of the eligibility require
ments of
Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution. The requirements are satisfied
if the
candidate:
a. is at least 35 years of age;
b. is a Natural Born Citizen of the United States and a resident of the United
States for fourteen years; and
c. is otherwise eligible under the Constitution.
2. Evidence of Ballot Access
The CPD's second criterion requires that the candidate qualify to have his/her
name appear on enough state ballots to have at least a mathematical
chance of securing an Electoral College majority in the 2000 general
election. Under the Constitution, the candidate who receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College (at least 270 votes), regardless of the popular
vote, is elected President.
3. Indicators of Electoral Support
The CPD's third criterion requires that the candidate have a level of support of
at least 15% (fifteen percent) of the national electorate as determined by five
selected national public opinion polling organizations, using the average of
those organizations 92 most recent publicly reported results at the time of the
determination.
C. Application of Criteria
The CPD's determination with respect to participation in the CPD's first-
scheduled debate will be made after Labor Day 2000, but sufficiently in
advance of the first-scheduled debate to allow for orderly planning. Invitations
to participate in the vice-presidential debate will be extended to the running
mates of each of the presidential candidates qualifying for participation in the
CPD's first presidential debate. Invitations to participate in the second and
third of the CPD's scheduled presidential debates will be based upon
satisfaction of the same multiple criteria prior to each debate.
CONTACT: John Scardino, Media Director (202) 737-7733
or
Janet Brown, Executive Director (202) 872 1020
http://www.debates.org/pages/news3.html
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