You are here: Home / Debates / Al Jazeera Breaks Ranks Amidst US Black-Out

Al Jazeera Breaks Ranks Amidst US Black-Out

October 16, 2012 by 13 Comments

Chicago. In what some are calling an obvious sign that America’s election system is broken, Qatar-based broadcasting company Al Jazeera announced it will be airing the US opposition Presidential debate. In contrast, the alliance of US media outlets continues to enlist a strict media black-out of independent and opposition party candidates and will not air the otherwise widely-viewed event.

While America tunes in to watch the Republican and Democratic Parties debate each other over America’s corporate-owned airwaves, the 42% of voters who identify themselves as ‘independents’ will instead be tuning in to Al Jazeera. The upcoming first, and possibly only, opposition Presidential debate is being blacked-out by US media outlets nationwide.

Most Americans will only be allowed to see what is being known as the ‘establishment’ Presidential Debates. Managed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, the Republican and Democratic backed organization has had the sole authority to decide which candidates and parties are invited to the all-important nationally televised debates. And for a quarter century, they have never once allowed anyone other than Republican and Democratic Party candidates to participate.

Please Click Here To Read The Rest Of This Article

Filed Under: Debates, Press
  • Edwin Stamm

    There is also a virtual media blackout on the story about Green Party candidates Stein and Honkala being detained for 8 hours, handcuffed to chairs, after trying to attend the debate at Hofstra University. I’ve only seen it mentioned on one CNN blog (not in the main news). Of course Democracy Now! covered it.

  • Rosenkranz

    Why isn’t Merlin Miller participating in this debate? He is also a Presidential candidate in several states and a write-in candidate in many other states.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1057532501 Heather Kropp

    Hope you guys get your sound under control…. This won’t be looking good if people can’t hear or have the annoying on and off again sound

  • John Vu

    “And for a quarter century…” if Ralph Nader in 2000 doesn’t count?

    • anon

      how about perot in 1992

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Armstrong/1255363887 Jeff Armstrong

        Perot was the last third-party candidate to participate in presidential debates in 1992.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Armstrong/1255363887 Jeff Armstrong

      Ralph Nader was not allowed to debate, nor to enter the debate hall with a valid ticket.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sharon-Scott/1619967673 Sharon Scott

    I’m sending this page to people I know,hoping they will vote Third Party.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000575794191 Catalina Carvajal

    All four third party candidates gave outstanding and inspirational speeches that exposed pending dome and decay of our great nation! How much more can we take? It will be difficult to make a choice, as all four made more sense and logic than Obama and Romney put together. We must take a stand to seriously decide our future and the future of our children. This is the most significant time to vote in our entire lives! We are facing complete dictatorship with the Patriot bill, Obamacare, etc. WAKE UP AMERICA AND VOTE FOR the best PATRIOTIC candidate against the NEW WORLD ORDER agenda!

  • http://www.facebook.com/chris.nease.1 Chris Nease

    Sad that Mr. CNN himself wasn’t able to get the debate on CNN.Love Larry King

  • Jake Millett

    Didn’t they let Ross Perot debate Clinton and George H.W. Bush

    • Goyah

      They did. Since then, the republicrats have agreed that they will not allow third party candidates to participate in the debates anymore. They have also agreed that neither of them – the republican or democratic candidate- will take part in a debate with any other candidate. (Google memorandum of understanding between Obama and Romney – it’s actually an official agreement.)

      The debates used to be organized by the League of Women Voters, who insisted that third party candidates who were on the ballot in a certain number of states be allowed to participate in the debates. The ended their sponsorship in 1987 because of the way that the two main parties wanted to dominate every single aspect of the debates, including not allowing third party candidates and another issue was that of audience questions – you’ll notice that now, audience questions have to be screened.

      In fact, in 1980, the League got into a big dispute with then-President Carter and the democratic party over allowing third party candidates, which culminated in Carter’s refusal to take part in the debate, so they held the debate anyway with an empty chair for Carter.

  • http://www.facebook.com/john.w.henry.16 John W Henry

    why wasn’t Tom Hoefling of Americas Party included in this debate?