However, as Nader supporters point out, while he has not approached 15 percent in national polls, those same polls have repeatedly shown that a majority of Americans want Nader to be allowed in the debates.
Nader supporters conceded that the rally, even if well-attended, will probably not be enough to get Nader into the UMass debate--in fact, the campaign has already planned a protest outside the debate.
"October 3 is pretty unlikely at this point," said Clifford M. Ginn, a first-year Harvard Law School student leads the Nader campaign on campus. But supporters hope the other two debates are not out of Nader's reach.
"As they continue to squeeze him out of the debates, more and more people are going to start scratching their heads," Keaney said.
Organizers hope Sunday's rally will build on the successes of other large events Nader has held, starting with an Aug. 25 rally in Portland, Ore.
Nader also addressed over 10,000 supporters in Minneapolis and Seattle last Friday and Saturday, respectively.
In addition to Nader's speech, the FleetCenter rally will feature filmmaker Michael Moore as the master of ceremonies as well as a speech by historian Howard Zinn.
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