I hope that you will provide more coverage of third-party candidates during the upcoming election season than you have in years past.
You may feel that they have no chance of winning. However, you are misunderstanding cause and effect. It is the lack of attention from media that renders these candidates unviable. In other words, the fact that you think they can't win is exactly what is preventing them from winning. If fair coverage were given to other candidates, we would see completely different results on election day.
In fact, if everyone who was fed up with both "major" parties were to vote for a third party instead, no Democrat or Republican would stand a chance. But the press continuously ignores them, lest attention allow them to seize control from what Ralph Nader described as a "two-party dictatorship."
Therefore, I strongly urge both the paper and the voters to pay attention to other candidates on election day. If you are fed up with politics as usual, vote for someone who will bring something different.The Green Party gained full ballot access in New York state and should contest many local offices. The Libertarian Party is expected to field some candidates as well. But whatever your political preferences, vote for a candidate you truly support, even if that candidate is not a Democrat or a Republican. And to the media, provide attention to those candidates. If you truly are balanced, don't decide for us who can and can't win an election.
Gregory Koch
Poughkeepsie
I am on medical leave from UConn this semester *, but still hope to submit some letters to the Daily Campus if I can read it online. With the semester starting Monday, look for those on some Fridays beginning next week.
* - I don't want to post full details about this online. If you want them, email me.
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