Are There Two Candidates Or Five?

Background: Originally published September 20, 2006. I've always been disappointed with the national media when they always refer to the "two" Presidential candidates (Republican and Democrat) and completely ignore the handful of candidates who belong to other parties. Such elitism also occurs on the state level in some gubernatorial races, as this column portrays.

     Four televised gubernatorial debates are tentatively scheduled between September 28th and October 24th. Three of them are tentatively scheduled in Portland and one confirmed debate in Medford.
     Oregon Public Broadcasting is hosting a live debate September 28th.
     The City Club of Portland is hosting a tape-delayed debate October 13th.
     The Oregonian and NBC-affiliate KGW-TV Channel 8 are hosting a live debate October 17th.
     NBC-affiliate KOBI-TV Channel 5 is hosting the last one live October 24th.
     Both Republican nominee Ron Saxton and Democratic incumbent Ted Kulongoski have agreed to other debates before the November election. The Oregonian newspaper, which is hosting one televised debate, criticized debate organizers for not including minor party candidates during the debates: Libertarian Richard Morley, Constitution Party Mary Starret, and Green Party Joe Keating.
     In an August 24th editorial, the Oregonian stated all three "are articulate and interesting candidates....Why not invite all five....and have one big, freewheeling discussion about Oregon's problems and how to best fix them? That sure sounds like more fun than watching Saxton and Kulongoski go at it, once, twice, three times, before the same Portland audience."
     Southern Oregon viewers can watch the fourth debate live, 6:30-8:30p.m., Tuesday, October 24th. NBC5's Chris Corcoran will moderate the Medford debate, while a panel of five southern Oregon media managers are tentatively scheduled to ask questions. They include Medford Mail Tribune Editor Robert Hunter, Grants Pass Daily Courier Editor Dennis Roler, Klamath Falls Herald and News Editor Steve Miller, and KLSR-TV News Director Bob Broderick.
     Cable TV viewers in Sutherlin-Oakland can watch it either on KOBI-TV Channel 5 or Eugene's KEVU-TV Channel 23 (Charter Cable Channel 11). Neither one of those channels is carried by local satellite TV providers in Sutherlin-Oakland, so don't forget to save your pennies and pay your cable bill!
[2014 follow-up: The "Portland audience," as referred to by the Oregonian, did have the opportunity to see the fourth debate from Medford. After the Medford debate was over, someone drove a copy of the debate from Medford to Portland, so that KGW-TV could air a tape-delay showing of the debate. Only Kulongoski and Saxton participated in the Medford debate. Kulongoski stood considerably shorter than Saxton, so one never saw a two-shot of the candidates side by side during the Medford debate. Afterwards, both candidates expressed pleasure because they each felt they did well during the debate. Kulongoski won the election.]