ABSTRACT
Only twice have general election, nationally televised presidential campaign debates included third party candidates. Of these two times, only once, in the 1992 presidential debate, were both major parties and a third party represented on the same stage. While the 2012 series of prime-time televised presidential debates did not include third party candidates, other networks sought to fi ll the void, offering debate viewers a third party perspective. In total, the 2012 election cycle offered viewers fi ve third party candidate debates. Only one of these debates included the four leading third party candidates in a traditional podium style debate. The three debates sponsored by Democracy Now streamed online alongside the major party debates and offered candidates the opportunity to respond to the same questions as the major party candidates. Democracy Now’s “pause and pretend” format ignored the agenda of third party candidates and constrained candidates’ responses.
