Ralph Nader Announces 2004 Run for Presidency

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ralph Nader, whose third-party White House bid in 2000 was blamed by some Democrats for helping elect President Bush, said on Sunday he will try again this year as an independent.

Woohoo! Time for my Little Happy Dance! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go!

Ignoring pleas from Democrats to stay out of the race,

Please, Ralphie! We're gonna lose as it is -- don't make it worse!

the veteran consumer advocate said he wanted to challenge the two parties' stranglehold on the political process and their shared addiction to corporate interests.

Because, of course, although Ralphie would LOVE to get his hands on more money, no corporation worthy of the name would donate dime ONE to someone as far left as Ralphie. Thank GOD he has no chance of winning.

"Washington is corporate-occupied territory, and the two parties are ferociously competing to see who is going to go to the White House and take orders from their corporate paymasters," Nader said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

You know, nine or ten years ago, after Waco, if someone had told me that all the best conspiracy theories would one day be spouted by the Leftists, I would have busted a gut laughing. Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, eh?

Nader said claims that his candidacy would spoil efforts to beat Bush in November were a "contemptuous" attempt to restrict democracy and maintain a "two-party duopoly."

You tell 'em, Ralphie! Don't let any of those naysayers of negativity tell you any different! Only YOU can break the two-party lock on the system!

"It is an offense to deny millions of people who might want to vote for our candidacy an opportunity to vote," he said

Once the roar of laughter from the audience died down, Ralphie continued,

, adding the "corporate government" practiced by both parties had led to rollbacks in labor, environmental, health care and economic standards.

Yes -- because, as we all know, industrial employees can't join unions any more, and don't receive higher pay than other, non-union employees. Of course, the Eee-vil Republicans have cut down all the trees, poisoned all the air, and turned every river in the United States into a landfill. We also know the Eee-vil Republicans have told old people and poor folks to go home and die if they couldn't pay their healthcare costs (knowing full well, of course, that there ARE no more jobs and EVERYONE in America is now poor (except, of course, for the Eee-vil Republicans and their ilk).

Wanker.

"It's time to change the equation and bring millions of American people into the political arena."

That's already happened in America. About the time of Andrew Jackson, actually.

Nader's Green Party bid won nearly 2.9 million votes in 2000 and was blamed for siphoning support from Democrat Al Gore -- particularly in Florida, where Nader won 97,488 votes and Gore's loss by a bitterly contested 537 votes cost him the presidency.

Given the intelligence of the average Florida Democrat voter in the 2000 election, those Nader Votes were probably intended for George Bush anyway.

Nader started an exploratory committee late last year to raise money for a presidential run. He had ruled out another bid for the Green Party, which was split on his candidacy and will not pick its nominee until this summer.

So at least half of the Green Party has wised up and realized Ralphie was NOT going to win them the prize? Stunning, absolutely stunning.

A public opinion poll in October found two-thirds of Americans did not want Nader to run again,

Those polled included every member of the Democratic party and a goodly collection of RINOs, to boot.

and Democrats from across the ideological spectrum have asked him to stay out of the race.

...because they can't stand the thought of having to throw money behind a Democrat liberal who hides his support for socialism and Ralphie, who doesn't.

A liberal Internet site, ralphdontrun.net, is devoted to urging Nader not to run again,

Check out the website. You can HEAR the desperation in their voices!

and Democratic Party chief Terry McAuliffe had met with Nader to try to convince him to stay out.

"It's very unfortunate that Ralph decided to run," McAuliffe said on CBS' "Face the Nation," adding: "There are people all over the country wishing he hadn't done it."

Including me, because this makes it harder for me to help my party regain any meaningful political power in this country. Again.

Democrats expect Nader to have less of an impact this year than in 2000, saying party and left-wing activists have learned how wrong Nader was when he claimed in 2000 there was no difference between the two parties.

Unfortunately, Ralph doesn't see it that way.

"I don't think he'll have a sizable impact, but it's terrible if he goes ahead because it's about him, it's about his ego, it's about his vanity and not about a movement," New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said on "Fox News Sunday."

.

Because, of course, if Ralph runs, then I won't be able to be Energy Secretary again. And let me be the first to tell you -- the Democratic Party needs a lot more in Chinese campaign contributions if they're gonna retake the White House in 2008.

Both Democratic presidential contenders, front-runner John Kerry and rival John Edwards, told reporters they were not worried that a Nader candidacy would hurt them if they face Bush in November.

Of course, they said this for different reasons. Kerry said it because he is convinced he is more liberal than Ralphie could ever dream of being.

Edwards said it because he plans on being back in North Carolina practicing law.

"I think my campaign is speaking to a lot of the issues Ralph Nader is concerned about," Kerry said.

See what I mean?

Edwards said "it will not impact my campaign" because he could attract many of the voters who might otherwise go to Nader.

At least two of the three voters in Georgia, for example.

Republicans tried not to celebrate the news. "Regardless of what Ralph Nader does, President Bush is going to be re-elected in November," Republican Party chief Ed Gillespie said.

However, early reports from Washington, D.C. area hospitals indicate a rash of wrist injuries attributed to something called "High Five Syndrome" was sweeping through Republican Party activists Sunday afternoon.

Nader admitted he would have difficulty meeting the requirements to qualify for all 50 state ballots in the November election,

No way, Ralphie. We'll help you. I'll call all of my friends in the VRWC. Between us, we'll get the job done!

describing the process as "like climbing a cliff with a slippery rope."

While that is a pleasing visual, please, Ralphie, either wait until AFTER the election, or take a LOT of your fellow travelers with you.

Please.

"This isn't just our fight," he said. "This is a fight for all third parties ... I don't think America belongs just to the Democratic and Republican parties."

You are as right as rain, Ralphie! Now, everyone, sing along with me: "Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go! Go Ralph Go!"

Steve
- posted by MrSpkr @ 16:04