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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Sept. 26, 1996
issue of Workers World newspaper
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Editorial: All in the family

By limiting the so-called presidential debates to the Democratic and Republican parties, the Commission on Presidential Debates has reinforced the ruling-class monopoly on political power. And in an overwhelming way. This decision has deprived working-class and progressive candidates of the opportunity to be heard widely. It has also refused a place even to fellow billionaire Ross Perot.

Not that any worker or oppressed person loses out because they can't hear Perot. He offers nothing to working people but another reactionary viewpoint on national and international questions. But that he was rejected is instructive. It means that only those parties and candidates backed by a consensus of the billionaire ruling class are allowed a broad public hearing.

This decision makes a mockery of all the democratic ideals U.S. capitalism boasts of. We always knew the so-called free elections were really bought elections. That only the rich or their toadies could win. Now we see the rulers won't even allow one of their own to stir up the political pot.

Are these gentlemen afraid that any political conflict at all might create an opening for the workers to fight in their own interest? It appears so.

The real loss to the workers and poor from restricting the debates is not that Perot was left out. It's that candidates from Workers World Party, the Green Party and the Socialist Workers Party, for example, are excluded. The commission thus removes all serious opposition to ruling-class propaganda and actions on questions ranging from the attack on welfare recipients to the missile assaults on Iraq.

Through both its choice of candidates and its program, Workers World Party has most directly challenged the ruling class and its one Democratic/Republican Party. In a statement on the debate decision, WWP's presidential candidate, Monica Moorehead, said:

"The commission is deliberately excluding our candidates, who are the only women of color running this year, as well as other grassroots candidates from participating in the debates. They want to censure candidates who would draw attention to the real issues that affect tens of millions of workers and the poor."

Moorehead denounced the exclusion as the "monopoly of public air time on television by big-business parties and the attempt to hide two genuine representatives of the working class from the public eye. This is a clear indication of the racist, unjust and undemocratic electoral process."

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