MrSpkr's random thoughts . . .

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

WASHINGTON — Former Green Party candidate Ralph Nader is poised to declare that he will seek the presidency again this year, this time as an independent and despite a vigorous effort by the left to dissuade him, according to friends and associates.

Everyone, sing along with me: "Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go!"

"I think there's very little doubt," said Micah Sifry, author of a book on third-party politics and a longtime Nader watcher. "I think he's going to run."

"Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go!"

Nader, blamed for tilting the 2000 election to President Bush by siphoning off votes from Al Gore, twice has delayed saying whether he would be a candidate, but insiders expect the declaration next week.

Sifry is part of the campaign to stop Nader from running, including an open letter to him last month in The Nation, a liberal magazine that has been associated with Nader for 30 years. Nader contributors from 2000, such as Ben Cohen, a co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, also are organizing "No, Ralph, No" efforts.

No, guys -- the phrase is Everyone, sing along with me: "Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go!"

Get it right.

Geez, you'd think these folks were trying to suppress Mr. Nader's right to run for office or something. I don't remember the Democrats being this upset about Ross Perot running back in 1992.

Funny thing is, Bush II got a higher percentage of the vote in his first national election than did the First Black President (tm) , but we won't discuss that.

Some Nader advocates had an epiphany after the 2000 election. Bush beat Gore by 537 votes in Florida, where Nader received 97,488 votes. Nader also arguably cost Gore New Hampshire.

Wait -- I thought Gore lost Florida because the Eeee-vil Republicans (a) bought off the voters; (b) secretly supported Pat Buchanan's candidacy in the hopes that somewhere, in a key state, elderly Democratic voters would accidentally vote for Buchanan instead of Gore; (c) were handed the election by the evil and nefarious United States Supreme Court, who wrongfully overturned the sainted Florida courts; (d) all of the above.

Nader always has rejected the spoiler label. "It is not my job to elect my opponents," he has said.

Way to tell 'em, Ralph! Okay everybody -- one more time: "Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go!"

Steve
- posted by MrSpkr @ 14:44

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