Let the masses be heard, let the candidates be heard

By: Alexia Lang

Posted: 11/3/08

With the presidential election upon us, democracy will once again be put to the test as Americans head to the polls.

The most obvious flaw with our system is the vast majority of citizens will flock to the voting booths to cast ballots for preselected bureaucrats who belong to one of the two major parties that have dominated our government for far too long.

Thanks in part to the negligence of the media and in part to the disinterest of the public in spending time getting to know the candidates, politicians from other parties are hardly given a glance.

The corporate funded, powerhouse candidates take the lead in most elections and this race has been no different.

As parents continue in the tradition of promising their children they can grow up to be president one day, it grows increasingly obvious the gateway to the Oval Office is guarded by money, existing power and the search for more power and money - otherwise known as the American way.

The definition of a democracy is a government ruled by the people. So, it can be assumed by those of us who consider ourselves middle class that "the people" are the rich.

Campaign funding has everything to do with awareness of third party candidates.

While presidential hopefuls like Ralph Nader (Independent), Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party) and Bob Barr (Libertarian) have to do somersaults to spread the word about their campaigns, senators McCain and Obama can rely on massive amounts of free media coverage and expensive television ads.

In comparison, the Obama campaign reported raising more than $150 million in the month of September alone, while the Nader campaign announced nearing the $3 million mark for the year during the month of September.

The third-party candidates have teamed up for public discussions and debates in an attempt to warm the American public up to the idea of more than two parties.

The sad reality is they are lucky to obtain 60 minutes on CSPAN during the fear-inducing, phone-ringing 3 a.m. slot.

Nader's campaign has remained the most prominent in the public eye, possibly because of his name-recognition as a long-standing political activist.

His campaign team has actively sought fresh ideas to present Nader's politics. (Although it is doubtful many on campus even heard, Nader made 21 campaign speeches Oct. 25, making it into the Guinness Book of World Records.)

But the obstacles for third-party candidates are immense. Each state has laws regulating eligibility to appear on the ballot.

A specified number of state residents must sign a petition prior to the third-party candidate's name being added.

Fair enough - if you only have five of your neighbors supporting you, you might be clogging the ballot.

However, once the candidate is eligible to receive votes, the possibility of amassing enough within a state to collect the Electoral College votes is slim to none. Only Maine and Nebraska follow the system of allotting their votes proportionally.

In a government system where the big man is boss, third-party candidates are beacons of hope that the everyday American can still one day lead the country.

They are, in a sense, the watch dogs guarding against complete aristocracy and complacent plebeian obedience.

Our democracy has been built through the voices of representatives we choose.

As citizens, we need options to decide who can represent our voices in Washington, and we need the knowledge to make informed decisions when choosing representatives.

A democracy insists upon the presence of the people's voice. Our democracy requires representation.

If we can't be responsible for ensuring our own voice is being heard, then, just maybe, it is not deserved.

It's your right for your voice to be heard, but rights don't always just fall in your lap - sometimes you need to whisper a little louder.

alang@unews.com