Letters to the Editor: Bring back the League of Women Voters to sponsor presidential debates

To the editor: An Associated Press article you published stated that the Commission on Presidential Debates was formed in 1987 to ensure that debates between leading presidential and vice presidential candidates are a "permanent part of the electoral process." We didn't need the commission for that.

The League of Women Voters sponsored debates before the commission came along and planned to do so in 1988. The commission was formed by the two parties to prevent that. They were still angry with the League for allowing the high-polling independent candidate, John B. Anderson, to participate in the 1980 debates.

The Los Angeles League petitioned the national League to hold one of the debates in Los Angeles. Our petition was granted, but the debate was not to be. No presidential candidate was willing to defy the parties by participating in a League debate.

It's too bad the League of Women Voters was denied sponsorship of the debates. They were real debates with substantive questions designed to inform the electorate; there were no "gotcha" questions.

Since the Republican National Committee considers the commission unfair, maybe it would like to invite the League of Women Voters to once again sponsor the presidential debates.

Lois Saffian, Los Angeles

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.