What's good for the goose - Bob Barr in Texas

My mother warned me long ago that the day might come when 2 + 2 would equal 5. In Texas, there's some basic arithmetic now in play. What day is 1 day before the November 4, 2008, election? What day is 70 days before the November 4, 2008, election? I just looked on a calendar. 70 days would be 10 weeks. That day would be Tuesday, August 26, 2008. Apparently the Democrats who filed on August 27 disagree.

The Bob Barr 2008 campaign is fighting to keep the Democrats off the Texas ballot.

Why so adamant? What's a day among friends?

Well, the problem is that third parties have been regularly left in the wilderness when it comes to ballot access. I've seen the barriers to political competition over the past decades. The two major parties rigidly claim preferential treatment both in the form of election and debate access. Let's make a deal. If the Bob Barr campaign pulls back and lets Texas let the Democrats off the hook, then let's have some quid pro quo.

What's the quid?

1. A debate open to civil candidates with noticeable percentages, such as Bob Barr and Ralph Nader. Perhaps the time allotted could be weighted by their polling percentages, apart from equal time in their opening and closing statements.
   
2. A truly general form of election with no favoritism towards the two major parties.
   

There may be a problem with the Republican Party's candidate filing, too, in Texas. The Bob Barr 2008 campaign thinks it has a case. I highlight the Democratic Party's failure to file on time because it is so clear-cut.