At a time when overwhelming numbers of Americans think the political system is broken and their government is dysfunctional, I wanted to be sure you saw this ad that appeared in today’s Wall Street Journal.
It was paid for by Level the Playing Field, the same group that filed an Administrative Complaint with the FEC eight months ago to get the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) to change its rules. Currently, those rules guarantee that only the Democratic and Republican nominees get to participate in the general election debates. So independents have no shot at being president, or even seriously influencing the candidates of the two major parties.
The CPD should truly operate as a non-partisan organization, not as an institution protecting and promoting the interests of only Democrats and Republicans. Americans are clearly saying they want to hear other, credible voices in the campaign.
I’m one of four dozen former and current government officials and military, business, and academic leaders who are separately asking the Commission to end its defense of the duopoly for the sake of the health of our democracy.
Thanks,
Jim
Ambassador James K. Glassman
Washington, DC
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Thanks to Elizabeth Heaton for this news.
The ad itself is interesting, too. Good for them.
I’m still wary of their ultimate goal, but they’re making the right noises and doing so loudly.
I just hope it doesn’t take the wind out of the sails for the OAI lawsuit, but that doesn’t appear to be happening. More synergy than competition I think, and Ackerman et al aren’t really competing for donors.