The Denver Post
October 2, 2000
CANDIDATE FIGHTS POLITICAL 'DUOPOLY'
By Brady McCombs
Special to The Denver Post
Oct. 2, 2000 - Natural Law Party presidential candidate John Hagelin has a message he thinks American voters deserve to hear. It includes a 20-point action plan to revitalize the country with unique views on the environment, education and agriculture.
But many probably haven't heard of Hagelin or his party. The 46-year-old physicist and educator blames this on a campaign format he says rewards the candidates with the most money and corporate support.
"It is not easy in the U.S. for any third party candidate because the odds have been stacked against us by the Democratic/Republican duopoly," Hagelin said. "They have locked us out of debates and keep us off of the ballots. They don't have to gather millions of signatures to get on the ballot."
While Al Gore and George Bush prepare for the first of four nationally televised debates Tuesday evening, Hagelin hovers below the public radar. He was in Boulder and Denver on Sunday for a book signing and speech. Today, he will speak at the University of Denver at 10 a.m. and at the Boulder Theater at 7 p.m. Hagelin said Gore and Bush fear the presence of independent candidates.
"They are afraid of these ideas and they are afraid of losing votes," Hagelin said. Hagelin is trying to form a coalition of independent parties that he thinks could eventually break down the walls of the "duopoly." He said such a coalition, which would include the Reform Party's best candidates as well as those of the Green Party, could be a reality for the 2004 election.
"We are trying to give a voice to the 50 million registered independent voters who don't have a home and beyond that to the 115 million who don't vote," Hagelin said. "There is a growing need for a voice that speaks to the vast majority of voters." ...
Hagelin is on the ballot in 44 states, including Colorado. He is on the ballot under the Natural Law Party in 37 states, the Reform Party in six and the Independent Party in New York. He is on the Colorado ballot under the Natural Law Party.
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