The first presidential debate is next week, but not one of the eight "third party" candidates will take part.
"It's the right of the American people to hear all voices, especially if they're on your state ballot," said Jeff Frazee, a spokesman for Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik.
Debates are sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonprofit and nonpartisan group. The group took over for The League of Women Voters in 1988.
Opinion polls must show a candidate has at least 15 percent of the national electorate, based on the average of five separate polls. The commission also requires debaters' names appear on enough state ballots to have a mathematical chance of winning the Electoral College.
"There are a lot of good ideas that come from third-party candidates that aren't being heard," said Ben Woosley, president of Libertarian Longhorns. "Sometimes it takes the odd person out to suggest a new way of doing things."
Woosley said 15 percent is almost impossible for a candidate to get.
In 2000, Libertarian presidential candidate Harry Browne earned 0.36 percent of the popular vote and Green Party candidate Ralph Nader earned 2.74 percent, according to the U.S. Federal Election Commis-sion's Web site.
"They're setting a criteria they know no one can meet," Woosley said.
Julian Garza, president of Students for Kerry, said the commission's criteria are sound, and only viable candidates should be featured in national debates.
"There are always primaries to see the different wings competing in the party," he said.
Garza said third-party candidates won't hurt John Kerry in the election, but in the past Ralph Nader's tactic has been specifically to take votes from Democrats.
"Ralph Nader is not a tool or mechanism to help Republicans beat Kerry," said Matt Stolhandske, co-chair and co-founder of Students for Bush.
Stolhandske said the debates' restrictions on participation let people hear what serious candidates are doing.
"You couldn't get into intense policy debates with a lot of people," he said.
David Prindle, UT government professor, said fairness to third-party candidates is irrelevant in the debates.
"All states put up hurdles to get on the ballot because major parties make the laws," Prindle said. "And all political systems in the world discriminate against small parties."
The last independent candidate in a presidential debate was Ross Perot in 1992.
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