Nader to run for President

[Dirt]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,112049,00.html

I wonder how much the Bush Administration is paying him to run.

[Chris Nahr]

Wasn't he running in every election for... decades I think, no matter how bad his results in the previous one?

[Midnight Son]

Well, this totally sucks! His ego is more important than the country. Asshole!

[Brian Rubin]

Great, now he can take votes away from the democrats AGAIN. Thanks, Ralph!

[Troy S Goodfellow]

I don't think he'll have much of an impact this time around. First, he's running as an independent, not a party rep so he lacks even whatever meagre organization the Greens have.

Second, a lot of people who voted for Nader last time around are highly motivated to vote the President out this time around. The left is highly energized to keep on message.

Troy

[Jason McCullough]

Wasn't he running in every election for... decades I think, no matter how bad his results in the previous one?

Nope, just '96 & '00.

[Jakub]

In other news, the Republigreen Party has been formed, heartily endorsing the candidacies of hippy liberals and nutcases who are popular enough to detract from the Democratic vote, but not so popular as to actually stand a chance of winning.

[noun]

I'm not worried about the Nader distraction, aka the poorly disguised Republican plant. A lot of folks who stated they would vote for Nader in 2000 changed their minds at the last minute and voted for Gore when they saw how high the stakes were. ("OMG Bush really has a chance of winning!") No way in hell they're taking any chances that Bush might win again - they'll be voting Democrat for certain this year.

I'm thinking Nader will have his lowest showing ever this year, if he's even serious about running.

[Philomath]

I love the Nader. Insane, of course, but egotistical and hypocritical enought to take his millions to fight for the common man. But I really don't understand the Democrat opposition -- if you can't get the people to vote for your candidate, someone who poses an apparently more attractive (to some people) alternative is to blame? Maybe you should just convince people to vote for your ideas and policies?

But I think Nader won't get the sort of popular vote that he did last time, so no one will care. People who prefer the democrats (and it's an illusion to presume that all Nader voters prefer Democrats, since a lot think there's no difference between parties), will ignore Nader this time around, and he doesn't have the money to maike a real stand.

But Bush will still get 4 more years, of course. Hurrah!

[Kyle Wilson]

IBut I really don't understand the Democrat opposition

You do realize that "Democratic" is the adjectival form of Democrat, right?

[Philomath]

IBut I really don't understand the Democrat opposition

You do realize that "Democratic" is the adjectival form of Democrat, right?

Thanks for helping out.

[Tyjenks]

I voted for Nader last time because I was and am sick of the politics as usaul, lesser of two evils choices. I wanted to vote for someone rather than against the other guy. That's a bit hypocritical, I realize, because I was not as much for NAder as against the two boobs we had as choices. However, if I remember correctly, if Ralph had received 5% of the vote it would have enabled matching funds for future candidates....or something like that. Sorry, that was a whole 3 years ago.

If Gore could not overcome the Nader Factor coming from his position as VP to an incumbent president, then he could and can kiss my ass. His brilliant endorsement of the front runner of the moment, Dean, re-affirmed why I made that choice in 2000. Similairly, if Kerry cannot overcome the 2% or 3% Nader may get, then the whole Democratic party can line up for the same smooching.

I still think the big guns will be saved for 2008.

[steve]

But Bush will still get 4 more years, of course. Hurrah!
Wouldn't it be funny if Pat Buchanan entered the race, or maybe the Ten Commandments guy? Either would siphon off some of the far-right base that Bush needs to win.

[Philomath]

But Bush will still get 4 more years, of course. Hurrah!
Wouldn't it be funny if Pat Buchanan entered the race, or maybe the Ten Commandments guy? Either would siphon off some of the far-right base that Bush needs to win.

Never happen, but I welcome democratic process. More competition and positions advanced: never bad.

[Jason McCullough]

I wouldn't be so sure, the ten commandments guy has been making noises about running. And Pat could easily run again.

[Ben]

And what's the problem with that? Jeez, Democrats whine that Nader cost them the election with his getting some tiny percentage, look at what Bush got. If only the Democrats could convince the Republicans not to field a candidate...

If Moore(that's the 10 commandments guy, right?) runs, good for him. If he gets significant votes and Bush<Democrat but (Bush+Moore)>Democrat, tough fucking beans.


You want those voters, do something for them. Just because a voter is farther to the left than Jerry Falwell doesn't mean their vote is the property of the Democratic party.

[Bub, Andrew]

I disagree about 3rd party candidates. I'd hate to see them successful. I want the President to have to earn a majority of the vote. The more political parties you have running, the greater chance you'll spend four years with a nutcase who got 10% of the vote in office.

Politics is about compromise.

[Daniel Morris]

Nader received 97,000 votes in Florida.

The official margin of Bush's victory, you'll recall, was 537 votes.

[Jason McCullough]

I think there's a theorem showing 2 parties as the only stable political configuration with a winner-take-all system. Unless a third party feels that it's capable of killing of one of the two majors, what's the point?

Theoretically, I could see the libertarians driving the christians back out of the voting electorate and replacing the GOP, but the Green Party? Not likely.

[Quaro]

Switch to a ranking system.