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DemocratSinceBirth

(99,705 posts)
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 02:32 PM Oct 2015

Do you agree with me that Lawrence Lessig should be included in the debates?


16 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
Yes
12 (75%)
No
4 (25%)
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Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll
26 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Do you agree with me that Lawrence Lessig should be included in the debates? (Original Post) DemocratSinceBirth Oct 2015 OP
I believe I heard he's got more support than Lincoln Chaffee, so why not? Vinca Oct 2015 #1
I should read more about what the rationale is for excluding him. DemocratSinceBirth Oct 2015 #2
He's not really a serious contender Cheese Sandwich Oct 2015 #3
Yes, if he's a legitimate candidate, is there even a question? sabrina 1 Oct 2015 #4
YES! smilingwen Oct 2015 #5
All the candidates? Mnpaul Oct 2015 #9
Wow! Everyone should click on your link. SheilaT Oct 2015 #10
Agree. Click on some of the candidate's links, too. lovemydog Oct 2015 #22
Wow, this definitely helps to provide perspective and explains the exclusion. Metric System Oct 2015 #11
When I lived in FL I once met a man in the sauna at Ballys who was running for president. DemocratSinceBirth Oct 2015 #14
Damn, that's amazing. lovemydog Oct 2015 #20
Of course. Integrity demands it. last1standing Oct 2015 #6
Doesn't bother me one bit. 99Forever Oct 2015 #7
dws does not believe in democracy. nt restorefreedom Oct 2015 #23
Yep 99Forever Oct 2015 #24
Yes, the more voices the better. n/t Motown_Johnny Oct 2015 #8
The list posted above looks to be over 100 declared candidates. Do you really think magical thyme Oct 2015 #13
Within reasonable limits. Motown_Johnny Oct 2015 #16
Open mic! lovemydog Oct 2015 #21
Given the long list of declared candidates, there has to be a threshold to meet. Otherwise magical thyme Oct 2015 #12
No, the line needs to be drawn somewhere. tritsofme Oct 2015 #15
There is a threshold, Lessig and others don't meet it. magical thyme Oct 2015 #17
I don't care either way but seems he is below usual threshholds of support mmonk Oct 2015 #18
Since he's running to resign, I'd say no Armstead Oct 2015 #19
I don't care one way or another. MineralMan Oct 2015 #25
If someone has enough Faux pas Oct 2015 #26

DemocratSinceBirth

(99,705 posts)
2. I should read more about what the rationale is for excluding him.
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 02:43 PM
Oct 2015

Chaffee, O'Malley, and Lessig are all polling within the margin of error of one another.

smilingwen

(52 posts)
5. YES!
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 03:33 PM
Oct 2015

All the candidates should be allowed to debate. I thought this was supposed to be a democracy. He can't begin to gain support if no one knows who he is. If he doesn't gain support after the debate, then we truly know it's the voters, not the corporate media making the decision.

Mnpaul

(3,655 posts)
9. All the candidates?
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 05:21 PM
Oct 2015

You do realize that list is quite long:

Brandon Armstrong (South Carolina)
Warren Ashe (Florida)
Howell Astor (North Carolina)
Edie Atkinson-Bukewihge (California)
Sam Bazer (New Jersey)
James Bell (Ohio)
John Blyth (Illinois)
Morrison Bonpasse (Maine)
Meridi Richardson Bosley (Arizona)
Jeff Boss (New Jersey)
Philip Bralich (California)
Harry Braun (Georgia)
Arthur Brooks Jr. (Texas)
Kennedy Brown (Alabama)
Edie Bukewihge (California)
Pamela M. Pinkney Butts (Ohio)
President Emperor Caesar (Florida)
Andy Caffrey (California)
Willie Carter (Texas)
James Chen (California)
Celestino Chora (California)
Brittany Clark (California)
James Casey Collins (Florida)
Stephen Comley (New Hampshire)
Cam Daddy (North Carolina)
Andrew Donelson (Texas)
Kristi Dutton (Arizona)
Larry Ealy (Ohio)
Ronald Emrit (Nevada)
Nicholas Erwin (North Carolina)
John Forsyth (Maine)
Rich Franco (Florida)
Susan Gelber Ott (Virginia)
Gabriel Gomez (Georgia)
Jim Green (Texas)
Quancidine Gribble (North Carolina)
Neil Grimaldi (New York)
Christin Noel Griskie (Florida)
Kristopher Gutierrez (Washington)
Don Hackett Jr. (Florida)
Gerald Hankins (Pennsylvania)
Mark Hardie (California)
Jason Hart (Oklahoma)
Tameika Hawkins (New Jersey)
Charles Hodge (California)
Robbie Hoffman (Wisconsin)
Aidan Johnson (Washington)
Kyrstal Johnson (Alabama)
Larry E. Johnson (Colorado)
Kelby Jones (Arizona)
Gayle Jones-Taylor (California)
Keith Judd (Texas)
Cody Judy (Utah)
Glenn Kaminsky (California)
Mohammed Keita (New York)
Lloyd Kelso (North Carolina)
Jonathan Lavigne (West Virginia)
James "Titus The Great" Law (California)
Lawrence Lessig (Massachusetts)
Matthew Linder (California)
Ryan Lipner (Florida)
Star Locke (Texas)
Colin Mackintosh (Illinois)
Paddington Massey (Arkansas)
L.R. "Skip" Maul Jr. (Arizona)
Jeremy McKeen (Massachusetts)
Michael McMenemy (Pennsylvania)
Sherry Meadows (Texas)
Lee Mercer Jr. (Tennessee)
Daniel "Tool" Michaels (Florida)
Loretta "Leah Lax" Miller (Pennsylvania)
David Mills (West Virginia)
Rome Murphy II (New Jersey)
James Ogle III (California)
Daniel Owens (Oregon)
Harry Pavilack (South Carolina)
Cathy Johnson Pendleton (Maryland)
Margie Penn (Tennessee)
Angus Perkins (Texas)
Michel Powell (South Carolina)
Bob Pribble (Florida)
Mary Aku Quartey (Maryland)
John Raffone (Florida)
Lee Rhodes (New York)
Russ Rohrbacker (Colorado)
Stephen Rush (California)
Doug Schreffler (California)
Will Schroeder (Illinois)
Angelo Scrigna (Hawaii)
Jerome Singleton Jr. (Louisiana)
Nicholas Sopkovich (California)
Michael Steinberg (Florida)
Michele Ann Jones Touchettgess (District of Columbia)
Ray Uhric (Pennsylvania)
John Walsh III (Pennsylvania)
Richard Weil (Colorado)
Robby Wells (North Carolina)
Elaine Williams (Florida)
Lanine Wilson (Maryland)
Willie Wilson (Illinois)
Jeffrey Windett (West Virginia)
Brad Winslow (California)
Thomas Winterbottom (Pennsylvania)
John Worldpeace (New Mexico)
Susan Young (California)

and those are just the Democrats
http://www.politics1.com/p2016.htm

 

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)
10. Wow! Everyone should click on your link.
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 05:52 PM
Oct 2015

It's astonishing how many people are running, and how many different parties there are.

But anyone who has one and only one thing to do as President is simply not a serious candidate and doesn't deserve serious consideration by anyone.

lovemydog

(11,833 posts)
22. Agree. Click on some of the candidate's links, too.
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 08:12 AM
Oct 2015

Some of them are pretty funny & cool. One candidate says she's 'the founder of the human rights movement.'

DemocratSinceBirth

(99,705 posts)
14. When I lived in FL I once met a man in the sauna at Ballys who was running for president.
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 06:53 PM
Oct 2015

It was a surreal experience.

last1standing

(11,709 posts)
6. Of course. Integrity demands it.
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 03:57 PM
Oct 2015

He has declared as a Democrat and polls comparably with others who will be on the stage.

That said, I'd vote Green before voting for a guy who says that he'll step down as soon as Citizens United is overturned. That shows me he has no real interest in running the country or helping to resolve its many issues.

99Forever

(14,524 posts)
7. Doesn't bother me one bit.
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 04:36 PM
Oct 2015

You'll need to ask Debbie Downer why, if he isn't. She seems to hold the reins of the Democratic Party now.

 

magical thyme

(14,881 posts)
13. The list posted above looks to be over 100 declared candidates. Do you really think
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 06:53 PM
Oct 2015

putting 100 people into the debates would be better? Completely unworkable and useless, imo.

 

magical thyme

(14,881 posts)
12. Given the long list of declared candidates, there has to be a threshold to meet. Otherwise
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 06:50 PM
Oct 2015
the debates will be totally unworkable and useless.

Has he reached 1% support yet? Chafee mostly polls at zero. I suspect he polls at zero as well.

tritsofme

(17,325 posts)
15. No, the line needs to be drawn somewhere.
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 07:18 PM
Oct 2015

If anything the criteria is already too broad, I don't think the inclusion of candidates like Webb, Chafee, possibly others, whose support is statistically insignificant, is really necessary.

 

magical thyme

(14,881 posts)
17. There is a threshold, Lessig and others don't meet it.
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 07:17 AM
Oct 2015

Democratic candidates must earn at least 1% in three national polls in the six weeks before the debate. His criticism is centered on the fact that not all candidates who announce they are running are included in national polls.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_presidential_debates,_2016


http://2016.democratic-candidates.org/
http://2016.republican-candidates.org/#Declared-Republican-Candidates

FWIW, the GOP also has more than a dozen candidates I never heard of who also are not included in any of the polls.


 

Armstead

(47,803 posts)
19. Since he's running to resign, I'd say no
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 07:57 AM
Oct 2015

I think he's correct and deserves to be heard. However, in his specific case, I'd say no because he is not a committed candidate.

In addition to being under any conceivable statistical threshold, he's not running for the job. He has said as much. His sole purpose is to run to make a point, and if he were to win said he would focus on one goal -- campaign finance reform -- and then quit.

In 2000, I thought Nader should have been allowed in. But he ran as a candidate for president.

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