The Libertarian and Green parties lost a round in court when a federal judge dismissed their lawsuit against the Commission of Presidential Debates for excluding their candidates from the debates. The court said the commission was private so the First Amendment does not apply. The commission rules allow for participation only if a candidate obtains 15 percent popular support. (Politico, August 5, 2016, by Josh Gerstein)
Lauren McCauley, eNews Park Forest, August 6, 2016, challenges the federal court’s position arguing that with the polls showing widespread dissatisfaction with the two major party candidates, it would service democracy and free speech to allow all party candidates to participate in the debates.