It isn’t time yet to scratch Independent Christy Mihos and Green-Rainbow Party candidate Grace Ross from the list of gubernatorial contenders.
Or, at least not time to kick them out of the debates.
In an editorial yesterday, The Boston Globe criticized the format of the four-way debate, arguing that front-runner candidates Deval Patrick and Kerry Healey were not able to fully express their views on important issues.
Because of the four-war format, the editors wrote, “many issues were ignored altogether, or — even worse — were mentioned briefly and then dropped and forgotten.”
But debates are not about making things easy on candidates backed by powerful parties. They’re about hearing out the candidates, regardless of poll numbers or party endorsements.
Unfortunately for Ross and Mihos, debates like these are the only way for them to gain any meaningful exposure. Running elaborate, high-profile campaigns costs money that these third-party candidates just don’t have.
The Globe’s pragmatic approach to debating flies in the face of democratic values.
While we acknowledge that the two minor party candidates don’t come close to being on equal footing with Patrick and Healey, at least these forums provide a viable way to have their voices heard.
Throughout history, third parties — even those without a fighting chance — have brought important and often controversial issues to the forefront.
During the late 1800’s, the Prohibition and Socialist parties advocated women’s suffrage. By the 1920’s democrats and republicans had embraced these issues and women gained the right to vote.
The Globe reiterated this point, admitting the candidates “added color, some passion, and some fresh viewpoints to the exchanges last night.”
We should not write off candidates this early in the race, before campaigning has even begun in earnest. The Globe may have lost interest in what they have to say, but the rest of us are still listening.
While the current format of the gubernatorial debates might be cumbersome, completely ignoring the third-party candidates is even worse. If there is a problem with the debate’s format, then change the format, not the number of candidates participating.