That the nationally-televised presidential debates are excluding major third-party candidates is inexcusable. A debate is supposed to provide food for thought, to allow minds of varying interests and inclinations to clash, like two plates of a cymbal, thereby produce something that rings true in the mind of the listener.

The media owes the American public more. To assume Gary Johnson or Jill Stein are irrelevant because they haven’t hit the 15 percent threshold is a real disservice. These two less-popular candidates speak for what have always been important issues in American life and politics: the environment, education, civil liberties and clean government, among others. Knowing that it’s incredibly difficult for these candidates to gain popularity without exposure in televised debates, to exclude them is to perpetuate the self-fulfilling prophecy that only the two biggest parties can be relevant. After experiencing eight years of government gridlock with the two-party “system” in power, and with polls showing a great distaste for the two major candidates, the media would do us all a favor to breathe some fresh air into the debates by including Johnson and Stein.

The American public deserves a symphony of cymbals, so to speak, on the presidential debate stage, rather than the energizer bunny mindlessly marching across the stage of American politics. The two major-party candidates are preparing a showdown of who-can-tarnish-the-other’s-character-more, rather than any truly enlightening discussion. Representative democracy is challenging enough without the suppression of quality discussion and ideas. It’s time for the media to make a real effort to encourage an informed electorate in this election cycle by opening up the debates to Johnson and Stein.

David Reamer

Lafayette

Editor’s note: The 15 percent threshold was established by the Commission on Presidential Debates, not the media.