There is a rule that third party presidential candidates cannot participate in the debates unless they are getting a minimum percentage in the national polls–I think it’s 15 percent. Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I was polled by the Gallup organization. I was asked, if the election were held today, who I would vote for, and then given the choice of McCain or Obama. I then asked if those were the only two choices and was told yes. There was not even a “neither” or “other.” I asked why and told the questioner that I thought it was unfair–of course he just reads the questions, he doesn’t write them. But here’s the catch 22 for third party candidates, created by the pollsters. You can’t get into the debates without a significant showing in the polls, but your name is not included in the polls either. It made me realize just how influential the pollsters are in our political process.