Who Won the Third Party Debate? Jill Stein and Rocky Anderson Win, But Americans Are the Biggest Winners

We the people were the winners of this debate. We saw the four Third Party candidates in a relaxed atmosphere with a congenial moderator, Larry King. They were allowed to answer six questions, make opening and closing statements. 

On my criteria in my live blog, I mentioned that I would like to have seen questions about how each candidate would help take our democracy back to the people and away from the wealthy and away from corporations. Jill Stein did address that in her chosen amendment to the Constitution: money would not be speech and corporations would not be persons. That would take corporations out of it but still doesn’t address the influence of the very wealthy or the issue of PACs. It was an important start.

I am a progressive and this is the way I am grading the candidates’ answers and comments.

Opening Statements: Stein and Anderson = 10 points each, Goode and Johnson = 5 points each. My reasoning: to put balancing the budget before everything else will not save the dollar but it will result in the imposed economics where austerity takes away from those who are neediest. No corporate taxes?  Johnson’s tax scheme (no taxes on corporations or capital gains) open the door to a greater disparity in wealth. With no limitations on campaign contributions, how does he avoid a permanent Oligarchy “owning” our democracy?

Ballot question: 10’s all around.

Drugs: 10’s for all except Goode, who gets a 4.

Billions in military spending: 11 for Stein for adding that we are less secure; 11 for Anderson for pointing out our violations of the Nuremburg code; 10’s for Goode and Johnson.

Higher education: 10’s for Stein and Anderson; 3 for Goode; 5 for Johnson who wants to rely on market forces to lower the cost.

NDAA: 10’s all around.

Amendments: 11 for Stein for a thoughtful response that answered those who just wanted term limits; 10 for Anderson; 9 for Goode and Johnson (Stein went last and showed why term limits aren’t good enough).

Closing statements: 10’s all around, why not?

Totals: Stein 82; Anderson 81; Goode 56; Johnson 64. 

Stein and Anderson are close enough to be tied for second.

Your thoughts are invited by me and I will try to respond.