Rock-The-Debates Starts With a Simple Mission: Get Presidential Candidates on the Record Regarding Support for Open Debates;

Website Videos "Tell All" From
Straight to Squirmy

Rock-The-Debates has posted video clips of nine presidential candidates on its website (www.rockthedebates.org) responding to the question of whether they would be willing to debate third party and independent candidates in the 2008 general election. 

Answers from Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo and Sam Brownback were captured in one-on-one conversations with Rock-The-Debates organizers while the candidates were in retail politicking mode in Iowa and New Hampshire. 

Founded by Bob Sullentrup of St. Louis for the purpose of igniting an open and inclusive debate among presidential contenders, Rock-The-Debates also includes leaders Larry Reinsch and Seth Cohn from the key primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire respectively. 

"The website rates the candidates answers which have ranged from 'I'm not afraid of an open debate' (Mike Huckabee) to 'I think I'll tap dance now' (Hillary Clinton) to 'The media won't let me' (Barack Obama)," said Sullentrup.  The site also captures the sidebar conversation between John Edwards and Hillary Clinton to reduce debate participation among Democrat contenders.

"The concept of open political debate is fundamental to America where responsible voters decide the issues," continued Sullentrup.  "The goal is to force the issue through shame, peer pressure or igniting a public groundswell of support for the idea that debates must include all candidates with a mathematical chance of winning regardless of party affiliation."

Rock-The-Debates follows on the heels of predecessors including efforts of newly installed board member Jackie Salit of IndependentVoting.org and her litigation on behalf of independent voters against the Commission on Presidential Debates. George Farah in 2004 blazed a trail with his Open Debates initiative and book on the subject by the same title.

CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite assessed the debates calling them an
unconscionable fraud" on the American People. "Here is a means to present the American people a rational exposition of the major issues that face the nation, and the alternative approaches to their solution. Yet the candidates participate only with the guarantee of a format that defies meaningful discourse."

Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, studied elections since the Civil War when the two parties assumed center stage and found that typically there were no more than four candidates with a mathematical chance of winning the presidential election. This debunks arguments that an open, inclusive debate would become unmanageable.

"Many Americans think the Presidential debates are controlled by Congress or some government entity that tries to keep things fair," said Larry Reinsch.  "But the Commission on Presidential Debates is an elitist organization that excludes third parties and independents.  We need to find a way to get beyond that."

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