Libertarian Threatens To Sue Over Debate Rules
By Vince Leibowitz on Oct 5, 2006 in 2006 Texas Elections
Evidently, someone has taken a few classes at the Carole Keeton McClellan Rylander Strayhorn School Of Electoral Politics, specifically Litigious Candidacies 101.
Yes, folks, Libertarian James Werner is going to sue the Belo Corporation for more than $4 million dollars claiming that Friday night’s gubernatorial debate will give the other candidates an unfair advantage in the race.
Unfortunatly, Mr. Werner failed to realize that, debate or no debate, the other candidates already have an ‘unfair advantage’ because people know who they are and don’t typically refer to the political party they are a member of as “a bunch of nut jobs.”
What I found very amusing is how Werner says his attorney says he can sue for these damages of $4 million under the Texas Election Code. Sorry, but I’ve never seen anything in the election code that talks about debates.
Of course, as is the case with presidential debates (which are managed by the Presidential Debate Commission), Belo is following the unwritten debate rule that you only ask candidates who are polling above a certain percent to participate:
Representatives of Belo could not be reached late Tuesday, but they have said in published reports that Werner is not being included because he has not fared better than 6 percent in public opinion polls and he is not campaigning as actively as the other candidates.
I doublt Werner’s lawsuit will gain much traction. However, the tinfoil hat conspiracist within wonders if the Republicans aren’t actually excited about this and pray the case ends up befrore a judge that would actually issue an injunction to stop the debate.
Wouldn’t it be great if the Tx. election code required a number of debates in the weeks leading up to the election. We could also require TV and radio stations to carry them at no charge as a condition of their holding a broadcast license. We could ban paid ads and thereby run the money out of politics. Couldn’t we?
In 1858,Lincoln and Douglas met seven times at three hours a pop. This could catch on, like American Idle or whatever it’s called. In Texas, we could execute the loser. Ninety percent turnout guaranteed! Lord help us.
Sometimes I wonder who let the animals out the zoo.
It’s insightful comments like that that keep me coming back here.