WASHINGTON, Sep 26, 2000 (AP Online) -- Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan will not participate in the first presidential debate next week because they failed to meet the criteria for inclusion set by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, the panel announced Tuesday.
Only Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore will take part. The first of
three 90-minute presidential debates next month is scheduled for Oct. 3 in
Boston.
Candidates seeking to participate must appear on enough state ballots to have a
chance of winning a majority of Electoral College votes. They also must have an
average of 15 percent support in five major national polls, according to the
commission's criteria.
Buchanan, the Reform Party candidate, and Nader, running under the Green Party
banner, both have been mired in low single digits in these surveys.
Bush and Gore, meanwhile, drew more than 40 percent support in the most recent
polls.
The commission's decision also means Buchanan's and Nader's running mates will
be excluded from the 90-minute vice presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 5 in
Danville, Ky.
Campaign officials said they were disappointed, though not surprised by the
announcement.
"The real loss here is for the American people," said Nader spokeswoman Laura
Jones. She noted that Nader and his supporters plan to rally in Boston two days
before the debate.
Buchanan spokesman Tim Haley s d: "We clearly believe, as the only (third)
party that is receiving taxpayer funds, that we ought to be in those debates."
The debate commission said it will reapply the criteria to the candidates before
the presidential debates scheduled for Oct. 11 in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Oct.
17 in St. Louis.
By DOUGLAS KIKER
Associated Press Writer
Copyright 2000 Associated Press
