 GREENCASTLE, Ind., January 27, 2008 - When it comes to second- and third-tier presidential candidates and televised debates, "They should participate," Kevin Howley, professor of communication at DePauw University, tells the Associated Press. "That's the nature of democracy; you've got a variety of perspectives. There are a certain number of people who have attitudes that are out of the mainstream that are unfortunately being shut out."
Dr. Howley is quoted in a story that hit the national newswire early this afternoon. David Bauder writes, "The legacy of Dennis Kucinich's longshot presidential campaign may be less his anti-war views than a futile fight that legally reinforced the rights of TV networks to organize their own debates. That may come at a cost, however, with some Americans are already worried about the media's influence on the campaign." 
Kucinich, who dropped his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Friday, unsuccessfully fought his exclusion from televised debates. "With most reporters consumed with the mechanics of campaigns, debates are often the only place citizens can hear an extended discussion of issues, (Howley) said," the AP report notes. "But by pressing the issue, Kucinich inadvertently affirmed the rights of networks to set their own debate rosters -- and that  precedent might inhibit little-known candidates in years to come. Networks might be tempted earlier to ignore such candidates -- someone, perhaps, like Mike Huckabee, who was polling only 2 percent of the GOP vote last June. Howley believes that TV networks banned Kucinich because of his positions on issues, not his low poll numbers."
Access the complete article, "Fight Over TV Debates Outlasts Kucinich," at the Washington Post.
Kevin Howley wrote of the exclusion of Kucinich, Ron Paul and Mike Gravel from presidential debates in a newspaper column which was published last week. The professor is the author of Community Media: People, Places, and Communication Technologies. |
