AU professor-turned-Senate candidate Allan Lichtman was arrested on Aug. 31 on charges of criminal trespass. The candidate, along with his wife and a campaign worker, were protesting Lichtman's exclusion from a televised debate among candidates for a Maryland seat in the U.S. Senate.
Lichtman did not meet the debate's participation requirement of 15 percent support in public opinion polls. The requirement was set by the Maryland League of Women Voters, which sponsored the debate.
While it's hard to coordinate a debate among many candidates, it can be done - like in the 2000 Democratic Presidential primary. There's something inherently wrong when an organization like the League of Women Voters, which was founded to allow the inclusion of under-represented people in the field of politics, excludes lesser-known candidates from the field.
Although the arrest probably only hurt Lichtman's already slim chances of winning the election, it's admirable that he stood up for his ideals. Particularly as a professor who has used his campaign as a teaching tool, it's refreshing that he put the teaching of principled campaigning above all else.
Good going, Dr. Lichtman. We're proud.
