BOB BARR (LEFT) AND RALPH NADER

Political junkies looking for special entertainment can catch a couple of the third-party candidates for president tangle Thursday afternoon, as independent Ralph Nader and Libertarian Bob Barr are scheduled to debate in Cleveland. The sponsor, The City Club of Cleveland, says Chuck Baldwin from the Constitution Party also will attend the event, which is supposed to start at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Arizona time.

Both Barr and Nader waged a heavy three-week campaign in September and early October through the mainstream media and YouTube videos in an effort to join at least one of the three debates between John McCain and Barack Obama. But they were ignored by the major campaigns and no outside political pressure was applied. So much of the public was denied at least one opportunity to hear a few alternative views to the typical Democratic-Republican tango.

Steve Siton, the Barr’s campaign communication director, was excited when I spoke to him about Thursday’s debate and the possibility of getting at least a little national attention. He also claimed that McCain’s campaign, at least, is clearly worried about the impact that Barr might have on Tuesday’s general election.

“About damn time, isn’t it?” Siton said. “For two weeks now, Bob Barr has been the tie-breaker covering the spread between those other candidates in the battleground states. John McCain shows up wherever we go. I can get Sarah Palin to your town faster than the RNC (Republican National Committee).”

Siton said a news release from the City Club expected C-SPAN to broadcast the debate. But the event wasn’t listed on C-SPAN’s daily schedule, so it’s possible such a broadcast could delayed until the middle of the night. If you want to be sure to hear it live, Restore the Republic Radio is promising to carry it as an Internet audio feed, and the sound quality was quite good when I tuned in briefly today.