11 July 2004Politics
Advice to Nader

You know, like Ralph Nader. Whether you approve of his tactics or not, you have to respect his long and distinguished history of consumer advocacy. Despite all the problems associated with his candidacy in this current election, you have to admire someone who is actually willing to talk about issues that neither of the two major party candidates have any desire to discuss.

It's not my place to tell anyone not to run for president. That is Nader's business. But what purpose is he serving? If he really wants to affect some change, bring his agenda to the fore and make a difference in the national debate, he'd be far better served by running for Congress. In the legislature, he might be a small cog in large law-making body and not be able to fashion debate and the direction of the country were he president, but a) he's never going to be president and b) even one legislator can make a massive difference in close votes and c) he would do far more to advance the cause of third parties.

Getting trounced in a national election, getting barred from national debate, meanwhile accepting money and political support from groups who's only desire is to prop up a candidate that will take votes away from the party most closely aligned with your own beliefs doesn't do anybody any good.

Posted by andrew at July 11, 2004 11:23 PM


Comments

Ursula Says:

Ralph Nader is an egomaniac and so he won't withdraw from the Presidential race. You do make a good suggestion that he should run for Congress, but something tells me he won’t do that. Ralph likes to work outside the system.

July 14, 2004 10:05 AM
brian Says:

andrew writes: "you have to admire someone who is actually willing to talk about issues that neither of the two major party candidates have any desire to discuss."

This is what Ralph Nader said on June 29th, televised nationally on C-Span, at a conference sponsored by the ironically named Council for the National Interest (a rabid, anti-Israel lobbying group) titled, "The Muslim Vote in Election 2004":

"What has been happening over the years is a predictable routine of foreign visitation from the head of the Israeli government. The Israeli puppeteer travels to Washington. The Israeli puppeteer meets with the puppet in the White House, and then moves down Pennsylvania Avenue, and meets with the puppets in Congress. And then takes back billions of taxpayer dollars. It is time for the Washington puppet show to be replaced by the Washington peace show."

I have to admire that? I think not.

July 14, 2004 11:35 AM
brian Says:

I should add that it appears that the person in the U.S. working the hardest to re-elect George Bush is Ralph Nader.

The man has clearly lost it. Is this really the time to be trying to change the two-party system? And in this way? And knowing what happened in 2000? What do they say about people who don't learn from their mistakes?

He's an arrogant jerk.

July 14, 2004 11:39 AM
Andrew Says:

ok, so he's not right on all the issues. I never said he was. But at least he's willing to talk about things. BTW any Dem or Rep, I hope, would find it a simple matter to refute Nader vis a vis (my new favorite construct - obviously i've OD'd on W.F. Buckley.) Israel.

July 14, 2004 03:31 PM




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