Group proposes signature competition for 3rd party access to prez debates

[Likely Voter]

A group called "Change The Rule" is calling for changing the rule on how a 3rd party candidate can get into the official presidential debates (currently you need to average 15% in 6 national polls).  Democrat Lee Hamilton and Republican Vin Webber have an op-ed in Politico Magazine titled "Reform the Presidential Debates" which starts off...

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The idea (from official letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates):

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Thoughts?

[King]

First let's have a third party candidate who isn't a nutjob before we start inviting them to debates.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

First let's have a third party candidate who isn't a nutjob before we start inviting them to debates.

Nader was not a nutjob, and neither was Johnson or Stein.

[Simfan34]

No, Stein definitely was. Actually all three were, for appearing on RT.

[Brewer]

First let's have a third party candidate who isn't a nutjob before we start inviting them to debates.

Nader was not a nutjob, and neither was Johnson or Stein.

Yeah, there aren't really any major third party candidates I agree with more than a generic Democrat, but that classification is a bit unfair.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

No, Stein definitely was. Actually all three were, for appearing on RT.

Eh you can't really blame them considering there was literally nothing else they could do.

RT's obsession with third party candidates in 2012 was bizarre.

[Adam Griffin]

No, Stein definitely was. Actually all three were, for appearing on RT.

Eh you can't really blame them considering there was literally nothing else they could do.

RT's obsession with third party candidates in 2012 was bizarre.

They were getting directions from on high to throw the election to the fascist

[Pyro]

Yes, I don't know why this is even a question. Allowing third party candidates would be the democratic thing to do, y'know, considering most of the two-party contenders are more wackos than anyone else.

[Zioneer]

I'd be fine with allowing third-party candidates into the debates even if they're whackos. If they are truly crazy and bad at hiding it, then they won't get much support. If they have a good message, however...

[Ebsy]

It's not in the Republicans' or Democrats' interests to allow minor third party candidates into the debates, so it isn't going to happen, regardless of what this group thinks the rules are.

[Sumner 1868]

Good, though I know it won't happen.

[Brewer]

It's not in the Republicans' or Democrats' interests to allow minor third party candidates into the debates, so it isn't going to happen, regardless of what this group thinks the rules are.

It seems to me it would hurt Republicans significantly more with the Libertarian Party essentially being the largest third party atm. Am I wrong in saying that, anybody? (Legitimate question)

[Likely Voter]

It's not in the Republicans' or Democrats' interests to allow minor third party candidates into the debates, so it isn't going to happen, regardless of what this group thinks the rules are.

It seems to me it would hurt Republicans significantly more with the Libertarian Party essentially being the largest third party atm. Am I wrong in saying that, anybody? (Legitimate question)

In 2012 with Gary Johnson that was true but in 2000 it was the Nader/Greens. 

But that gets to one of the problems with this plan. Ideally allowing a spot for a 3rd party would attract someone like Ross Perot or John Anderson who you could say isn't clearly from the right or left. But it could just end up to be a race between the Greens and Libertarians (or other far left/far right parties). And the 'winner' of the signature competition would end up hurting their side (as in Greens get in and Dems get hurt or Libertarians get in and GOP gets hurt). This of course could introduce sneaky tactics with outside groups helping the Libertarians and Greens gather signatures in order to try and help them become spoilers.