Corporate America

After watching the Vice-Presidential debates yesterday, with the split-screen effect showing two candidates go at it, I couldn't help but laugh. 
If I asked you who was running for President in the United States federal election this November, you'd say Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney.  Some of you may even say that's a stupid question, because the answer is so obvious.  On the contrary, my friends.

Here's who's running for the US Presidency:

Tom Hoefling - America's Party
Merlin Miller - American Third Position Party
Virgil Goode - Constitution Party
Dr. Jill Stein - Green Party - Check out this petition as well.
Rocky Anderson - Justice Party
Gary Johnson - Libertarian Party
Tom Stevens - Objectivist Party
Peta Lindsay - Party of Socialism and Liberation
Rosanne Barr - Peace and Freedom Party - I had to.
Lowell Fellure - Prohibition Party
Andre Barnett - Reform Party USA
Stewart Alexander - Socialist Party USA / Liberty Union Party
Jerome White - Socialist Equality Party
James Harris - Socialist Workers Party

There are also 10 others with ballot status in at least one state and over 60 others with no ballot status, running as independents. 

Why haven't you heard of any of them?  Why hasn't the media given at least some attention to these individuals - especially the ones who represent large constituencies such as the Greens or Libertarians? 

One major reason is because these individuals and their parties don't have anywhere near the budget of the Republicans or Democrats.  Also, the massive corporations that contribute big dollars to their campaigns are mostly the same corporations that buy advertising on the major news networks.  That means that media coverage of so-called "alternative" parties is limited to all but nothing. 

But the biggest reason it seems only two people are running for President is because America runs on a two-party system.  It's ingrained into the American psyche that every election is the Republicans VS. the Democrats.  The media plays a big part in that, particularly when they televise debates with two parties represented.  Surely, 300 million Americans can't be grouped into two political ideologies. In Canada, we have 34 million people and we at least acknowledge four political parties/ideologies at the federal level.

That's why I laughed at the debates.  There is no debate.  It's the same two headed monster arguing with itself.  It's been destroying the US for years through illegal wars, ludicrous fiscal policy and the destruction of civil liberties.  If regular Americans think that the Republicans or Democrats have their interests in mind, they are sadly mistaken.  Unfortunately, they don't have much choice because of the media blackout of alternative political parties/views/ideologies.

I think everyone is able to realize that life is more complicated than black vs. white, right vs. wrong and good vs. evil.  It's the same thing for American politics.  Yes, one party needs to be elected.  But in a country as big and as populated as the United States, the majority of political views are not represented by two political parties.  The corporate media have most people believing so and that's why the public has never heard of the majority of the Presidential candidates.