Let who debate?

Just another musing on Cult Leader Ralph who I now think looks like he's about to go Heaven's Gate on us any second now. Why should he be in the debates?

There was definitely a good argument for him to be in the debates in 2000, and I marched through the streets of Boston with a few thousand other Nader voters, and heard it fromt he hordes of union members, because he should have been in the debates. Before 2000, the rule was that a candidate who polled at 5% or more in 6 national polls ould get into the debates, which was how Ross Perot got induring his 1992 campaign. But in 2000, once Nader hit 5% in the polls, the bar was raised to 15% and thus shutting him out. I thought this was petty unfair, especially with the way Bush and Gore agreed with each other so much during those debates.

This election, I don't think Nader has hit 5% in any poll that was recently done. The highest I've seen him at is 2%. How come some people want to put a candidate who's only polling at 2% into the debates?

Furthermore, how come we don't hear about other candidates in the polls who obviously have more popular support than Nader? According to Ballot Access, Nader is on the ballot in 32 states with the potential to get on in 42. But the Libertarians Badnarik is on the ballot in 47 states, and the Constitution Party's Peroutka checks in with 38 states. The Green's David Cobb is running behind Nader, though, he only has 28 states. Yet the only third party candidate we hear about is Nader, despite the fact that Badnarik and Peroutka have more popular support. (As far as I'm concerned, these to candidates could play the spoilers role for Bush.) Why aren't pollsters asking people if they intend to vote for Badnarik or Peroutka? Why are they asking people if they'll vote for a less popular candidate like Nader? And how come nobody's in an uproar about a candidate who's on the ballot in 47 states getting shut out of the debates?

All we hear about is Ralph Ralph Ralph, but he's not the most popular third party candidate in 2004. Come November, pollsters are going to be in for a surprise when Badnarik and Peroutka get more votes.