[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald Photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]If you ask Nelson Eisman, something was missing from Friday's gubernatorial debate: the third candidate.

Eisman, who is running for Wisconsin governor on the Green Party ticket, addressed this and other election issues before a University of Wisconsin political science class Monday morning.

As a guest lecturer for Introduction to State Government, Eisman — who has been in public service for nearly 30 years — talked about political parties, upcoming election referendums, the environment and the significance of student voting.

"Bravery is in your hands and in your votes," Eisman told the student crowd. "The sad fact is that students don't vote … but it's not my world, it's your world, and you have to vote."

Eisman fielded a few questions from the introductory-level political science class, but focused much of his lecture on the differences between the three parties in the gubernatorial race. He referenced the development of a political pretense of a two-party system — Republican and Democratic — noting he is always considered a "third-party candidate" because he is outside the two.

"If you're voting for the lesser of two evils, what you're voting for is at the end of that sentence — evil," he said, describing what he saw as the rationale of most voters.

Eisman claimed the common aspect of both the Democratic and Republican parties was the large amount of corporate money and influence in their elected officials, equating the corporate effect on government to fascism.

Aside from talk of parties, Eisman emphasized environmental concerns, focusing on rising levels of mercury in local fish and the creation of new coal-burning factories. But he also strongly addressed the advisory referendum on the death penalty and the marriage amendment referendum, which he described as "empty rhetoric" by Republicans.

"There isn't anything about saying that a marriage is between a man and a woman that affects [the divorce rate]," he said.

In an interview following the lecture, UW senior Christen Stevens said she was open to hear what Eisman had to say, adding she had not heard of him before the lecture.

"It was rather convenient that we're taking this class while there's going to be an election in November," she said. "I wish Mr. Eisman would have addressed his stance on more issues, rather than talk about why the Green Party is different."

UW freshman Will Smith said he was concerned with the direction Eisman took the lecture.

"He was trying to bully conservatives to not raise their hands by the end of the class," he said. "I thought a lot of his dialogue was riddled with fallacies."

Smith added he would like to hear from the other candidates to provide students a chance to balance what Eisman said and to make more informed decisions.

Eisman, meanwhile, latched on to just this issue in an interview after his lecture, saying he was not afforded the opportunity to participate in either of this year's gubernatorial debates because the group running the debates made the decision on candidates before Eisman was officially running.

"But we talked to the campaign of [U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis.] directly and they said — on the record — Green is 'not opposed' to Eisman joining the debate," said Steve Herrick, Eisman's campaign manager. "[Democratic Gov. Jim] Doyle's campaign has said whoever is there is who he will debate."

And political science professor Dennis Dresang, who teaches the state government course, said he is "working out the details" of coordinating with Doyle and Green to speak to his class as well.

"I always have guest speakers come in to class, including state legislators, state Supreme Court justices and people from lobbyist groups," he said. "I consider it to be part of the course."

Eisman marked the importance of hearing all sides in a representative democracy like the United States.

"Democracy is about finding a candidate that resonates with you," he said.