Public Please

Our democracy relies on the media to broadcast the views of all Americans, but the Des Moines Register, recently violated its journalistic responsibilities by excluding Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel from the last Democratic debate before the Iowa caucus. What does this mean? Well, it means that the people of Iowa will not have a chance to hear reform-minded presidential candidates such as Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel, legitimate candidates which offer unique progressive policy proposals such as Kucinich’s national non-profit universal healthcare plan and Gravel’s national initiative to make all citizens lawmakers. By excluding Kucinich and Gravel from the debates, the Des Moines Register demonstrates its discrimination against certain political candidates, sending the message to Iowans, that they do not need to consider Kucinich and Gravel as presidential candidates. This is anathema to a democratic electoral process and to the putative political independence of Iowan voters. Iowa is the first stop en route to the presidency. All presidential candidates deserve a fair chance to compete for the presidency.

The Des Moines Register argues that Kucinich and Gravel were excluded from the debate because they lacked a storefront presence and because they did not have enough paid staffers on the ground. Not only is this a terrible reason to deny legitimate presidential candidates from participating, but it was not applied to Alan Keyes during Des Moines Register’s Republican Debate:

If Kucinich was not worth listening to at the debate, if his policy perspectives were irrelevant to the presidential election, why did the Des Moines Register take the time to publish the followng informed interview with Kucinich?

The Des Moines Register did a great disservice to our democracy. They have undermined their brand as a fair moderator of presidential debates. They should publicly apologize for their intentional exclusion of Kucinich and Gravel from their last presidential debate, and they should make amends by hosting another debate that prominently includes Kucinich and Gravel.Please send your criticism to the following Des Moines Register officials:

• Laura Hollingsworth President and Publisher (515) 284-8041
• Carolyn Washburn Vice President, Editor (515) 284-8502