Independent presidential candidates debate this weekend

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Saturday, April 5, 2008

2008 United States Presidential Election

2008 U.S. Presidential Election stories

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• 17 January 2009: Man arrested in Mississippi over Internet assassination threats against Barack Obama

The city of Cincinnati, Ohio is host to 24 candidates for the what is arguably the world's top political office. As the United States presidential election draws nearer, the candidates meet to debate the issues with each other.

But you won't find anyone named Hillary or Barack on stage. You will find men named John, but they're Jon Greenspon, John Blyth, and John Bootie, not Republican favorite McCain.

This slate of diverse candidates gathering at the University of Cincinnati are the top independent candidates in the nation, those who have chosen to not attach themselves to one of the main parties. According to online encyclopedia Wikipedia, they "may hold a centrist viewpoint between the two parties [the Democrats and Republicans], they may hold an extremist viewpoint that goes beyond that of either major parties, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they don't feel either party addresses."

Dubbed as the "single most exciting political event of 2008", it's the first of at least two national gatherings for these often overlooked candidates, the next being in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on May 3 and 4, 2008.

This is it. This is the deciding event. One of the main reasons the Media doesn't cover Independent and Third Party candidates, is that there are simply too many of us. Well over one hundred, in fact. So many that it splits our voting block into such tiny little pieces that it is impossible for any of us to even be significant, much less pose a threat to the GOP/DEM parties. This is the event that brings us together as a block. This is the event that defines our candidates for the Media, so they can be found and heard. This is the event that tells everyone who we are, and who they should be throwing their support to. Quite simply, this is it.

Wikinews will be reporting from this event, with two volunteer freelance photographers taking pictures of the debates and candidates.

Sources

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

• Official page for event
• "Independent (politician)", Wikipedia, accessed on April 5, 2008.
  

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