Two is company, three is a crowd – maybe that’s why no one invited any other candidates to debate with Barack Obama and John McCain, so the third party contenders decided to have a debate of their own. They say the national media ignores them.

The media focus has not been on Independent Party nominee Ralph Nader or Constitution Party nominee Chuck Baldwin and the third party debate seemed less like a real debate and more like a place to complain about what was wrong with America and the two-party system.

“I’m sorry – if you’re not a Republican or a Democrat, you can’t compete. What we have here is a fraud,” Baldwin says.

While Obama and McCain are campaigning throughout the country, ‘third party’ candidates went to DC to meet the press.

“It seems the two major parties are in concert with the national media to keep us out of the debate,” Baldwin says.

Nader says they’re trying “to galvanise the American people and have a functioning democracy. If the Democrats and Republicans don’t shape up, they are going to have to ship out.”

U.S. media avoiding real issues?

Two weeks remain before the next American President is elected and some analysts say voters may be more confused than ever. Although the numbers currently favour Democrat Barack Obama, there are still a great many of those who have yet to make up their minds.

The candidates are now devoting themselves to bringing these people on board. But is the message getting through? Or is the electorate being distracted by the pointless sideshow that makes up much of campaigning? David Moore is the best-selling author of ‘How to steal an election’ and an opinion poll expert.

He says a large number of undecided voters are covered up by the mainstream media.

“There are large numbers of people who are undecided or don’t have an opinion, or haven’t chosen a candidate. But instead of acknowledging this, which is the truth, most polls – virtually all the media polls – simply cover it up in order to make results more acceptable for a news story,” says Moore.

Throughout the election campaign, there has been more than enough to distract the voter. Bringing a rather attractive running mate into the race at a time of decreasing public support may also have become an effective strategy for John McCain.

During the war in South Ossetia, the American media made sure all possible disapproval of Russia was in the headlines.

While a lot of what was said was simply not true, it worked: the majority of Americans were off track with what was going on in the conflict.

This was well used by John McCain. Being extremely critical of Russia won him points and took public attention away from the critical issues unravelling inside the country.

So have Americans been aware of this brainwashing?

“It’s obvious that a citizen of the U.S. doesn’t count for anything at all. There’s no truth anywhere in this country – top to bottom – it’s nothing but lies,” believes Donna Michas, a street artist in New York.

And it seems that many people on the streets share her opinion.