Ralph Nader has announced he will be seeking the office of president as a third party candidate.
The conventional wisdom states a run by the 73-year old consumer advocate will draw votes away from either Democratic candidate.
Perhaps.
Although honestly, if someone voted for Nader over Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004 is there any logical reason to assume that Naderites, with their strict adherence to political purity, will sully themselves by voting the lesser of two evils in 2008?
Besides what's the worry? Aren't Democrats supposed to wipe the floor with Republicans in November?
A quote from Nader in an Associated Press article sums it up.
"If the Democrats can't landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down, emerge in a different form," Nader said.
The guy is right.
Update: Cue the predictable pouting from the liberal bloggers here locally at The Slog, HA etc and all the way up the Netroots community to DailyKos and other national websites.
What's the big deal? Nader running is not a surprise. Will Democrats complain when the Socialist Workers Party nominates their candidate next?
Put the shoe on the other foot. Does the presence of the Libertarian or Constitution Party really seriously damage Republicans nationally? No one gnashes their teeth at the prospect of votes being pared away from the GOP to these two parties. Besides, anyone "principled" enough to be a Constitution Party member isn't going to vote Republican anyway.
When you have a national party shouldn't Democrats be happy they won't suffer the embarrassment of sitting by a bunch of wild-eyed flat-world Green Party diehards who don't bathe and believe Trotsky was just misunderstood.
Doesn't the Party of Truman stand for broader issues which appeal to all Americans not just the anti-corporate globalist conspiracy theories espoused by Naderites?
Right?
If Obama or Clinton wanted to gain the most support from average Americans they would ridicule the Nader manifesto decrying "big banks", "drug companies", "Big Oil", "Wall Street", "War profiteers" and the "Health Insurance Industry".
Of course it's the Truman Democrats who now represent the fringe of the party (or are now Republicans). And what makes Nader's "betrayal" so galling is the fact that his rather extreme views are embraced by a larger number of Democrats than what is electorally palatable.
Downdate: How precious. Dan Savage is wishing for Ralph Nader to be assassinated over on Slog.
"In a perfect world the Secret Service wouldn't have to screen Obama's crowds - and Ralph Nader would have to worry about his security."
Oh those writers at the Stranger. So hip and edgy with their provocative statements.
Of course we all know Dan's just being a silly goose.
So when are we going to see Lyndon LaRouche join the party?
Posted by: Cydney on February 24, 2008 11:57 AMNader in the driver's seat of a Corvair convertible sitting on the edge of the Grand Canyon, with a bound and gagged donkey in the back seat, McCain smiling closing the driver's door....
Thelma and Louise...
Posted by: Hank on February 24, 2008 12:01 PMAnd, you mean Ron Paul serves to remind us that we used to be bigoted whack jobs, clueless about foreign policy? I had NO IDEA!
Posted by: Hinton on February 24, 2008 01:31 PMSure, Don, what are you talking about, dude? The Republicans just have to nominate a conservate, so's I figure there is some half-way decent chance the guy has read and maybe will even try to uphold the US Constitution. It's not that hard.
I voted for Reagan, but it's Libertarian or Constitutionalists this time - or just a write-in for Mr. Paul.
Nader is an idiot, BTW, if I didn't already say this. He's got some of the problems right - yes "big corporate America" is a problem. His solution - more regulation that just dicks over the little guys. The big guys would always be able to hire more lawyers, guns, and money to handle whatever the FedGov comes down on them with, but the little guy has to sweat it out and sometimes go out of busines. So, Nader's solution to problems is to exacerbate them. Like I said, big idiot, if not "King of the Idiots"!
Posted by: Dave Lincoln on February 24, 2008 01:52 PMLove him or hate him, Paul is the only Repub. out there who takes the Constitution seriously. I plan to vote for McCain this fall, but his (and Bush's) trashing of the First Amendment via McCain-Feingold remains a sorry spectacle.
Posted by: russell garrard on February 24, 2008 01:53 PMHow could I have said Nader is King of the Idiots? There are so many more worthy candidates, 3 of which are running for President, as we, oops, I, speak.
Barack Obamination, Hildebeast Clinton, John F_face McCain are all in almost a dead heat for the King of the Idiots crown. It looks to be a photo finish, friends. Lay your money down and let it ride!
Posted by: Dave Lincoln on February 24, 2008 01:58 PMAnyway, glad to see another Paul voter on here. Bruce is probably worn out.
I have taken over from Bruce, per his instructions, to defend the honor of Mr. Paul, and anyway dare disparage him (yeah, you two, Don and Eric) can personally deal with me. And also, don't call me Frances, I'll kill ya.
This post is about Nader by the way so back on topic.
Posted by: Don Ward on February 24, 2008 02:29 PMSplit up the wacky left.
Go for it.
You can do it.
Posted by: Independent Voter on February 24, 2008 03:32 PMI would bet that Nader would have less impact on Hillary, were she the nominee. So in turn, the entrance of Nader could make heavyweight Dems reconsider her. What was that famous bad Henry James novel? Oh yeah, it's called 'The Turn of the Screw.'
Posted by: russell garrard on February 24, 2008 03:49 PMIf something is fun, you can bet Nader is against it.
I don't imagine he'll siphon away many voters from Obama, but at least my neighbor across the street will not have to change his Nader/LaDuke bumper sticker. Ok, maybe he'll have to cross out LaDuke and put in whomever Ralphie chooses to pick as his running mate this time. Perhaps Jane Fonda?
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on February 24, 2008 04:26 PM"Ralph Nader serves as an irritating reminder to Dems that they have abandoned virtually all of their purported core values. Ron Paul does the same for R's."
What both of these campaigns (Nader and Paul) are about is the battle between the true believers in each party, and each parties' political hacks.
Hacks have no principles, but will do anything for power. D hacks will gladly compromise and negotiate with R hacks, and vice versa, in order to pass legislation that will help to get both sides re-elected, but that usually hurts the people in the process with bad legislation.
But hacks on either side hate the true believers on either side. They will not compromise. They can't be dealt with. They will not sell their principles. So hacks on either side will work with each other to the disadvantage of true believers.
This is all from Walter Karp's great book "Indispensable Enemies."
I disagree with Nader's values, but he is not a hack. I'm glad he is running.
What we need is instant runoff voting or ranked choice voting to eliminate the "spoiler effect."
We'll see what happens in Pierce County. They have RCV for local races in 2008. This will give more choices to the people. People tend to like choices.
Posted by: Bruce Guthrie on February 24, 2008 04:30 PMConspiracy alert: How many people think the (broken) Clinton machine is behind this? What do they have to lose? Ralph Nader is not a wealthy man...
Posted by: Organization Man on February 24, 2008 04:34 PMBring out the popcorn: Run Ralhpie, Run!
Posted by: Jeff B. on February 24, 2008 11:11 PM
The far left can always be counted on to form a (metaphorical) noose with their immovable principles. Thank you hangman Ralph.
Posted by: KFIBryan on February 25, 2008 09:46 AMOK, I'll keep my day job. But, for Ralph Nadir, it can only get better from here. There is no way for it to get worse, until he gets his just reward, hanging around with trial lawyers in the afterlife and cruising around in that beautiful Corvair in the sky. Safe at any speed, indeed.
Bruce Guthrie, thanks! I wish I could do more, but some people just caint be reached.
Posted by: Dave Lincoln on February 26, 2008 08:25 AM