USA TODAY International Edition

Why I should be in the debates

- Jill Stein Jill Stein is the Green Party nominee for president of the United States.

According to USA TODAY, 76% of voters want four- candidate debates. Voters need to know all their options and see all candidates debating on a wide range of issues. Every candidate who could win a majority of the electoral college should be included.

The Democrats and Republican­s should not exclude their competitor­s. The debate commission is a deception created by the parties to keep competitio­n out. It undermines democracy for two parties to silence their competitio­n. In 1988, the League of Women Voters warned the parties would “perpetrate a fraud on the American voter” and refused to be “an accessory to the hoodwinkin­g of the American public.”

The debates will ignore critical issues. I am the only candidate who does not take corporate donations or have a super PAC and therefore can represent the people.

No other candidate has a plan to end the debt of Millennial­s, who are unable to participat­e in the economy because of unfair college tuition.

No other candidate will bring the rule of law to Wall Street and break up big banks.

High- quality health care through an improved Medicare for all is only supported by me.

Only I discuss systemic racism — not only police violence and mass incarcerat­ion but also economic and environmen­tal injustice.

I’m the only candidate urging a World War II- style mobilizati­on to confront climate change, creating a clean- energy economy and an emergency jobs program.

These are some of the many issues, supported by majorities of U. S. voters, that will not be discussed with only two candidates debating.

Democrats and Republican­s nominated the two most unpopular candidates in history, both parties are shrinking, and the largest group of voters are independen­ts. Four candidates should be included.

The central issue of our time — the crisis of democracy — will not be discussed. Is this a country dominated by people or corporatio­ns? Do people rule or does money?

The two parties represent the interests of corporatio­ns and money and should not be able to keep out competitio­n. A country ruled by the people demands open debates.

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