Nader enters presidential bid

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/...ics/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Ralph Nader is entering the presidential race as an independent, he announced Sunday, saying it is time for a "Jeffersonian revolution."
Ralph Nader is running for president as an independent.





"In the last few years, big money and the closing down of Washington against citizen groups prevent us from trying to improve our country. And I want everybody to have the right and opportunity to improve their country," he told reporters after an appearance announcing his candidacy on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Asked why he should be president, the longtime consumer advocate said, "Because I got things done." He cited a 40-year record, which he said includes saving "millions of lives," bringing about stricter protection for food and water and fighting corporate control over Washington.
Nader's decision, which did not come as a surprise to political watchers, marks his fourth straight White House bid -- fifth if his 1992 write-in campaign is included.
The two contenders for the Democratic nomination were quick to pounce.
"He thought that there was no difference between Al Gore and George Bush and, eight years later, I think people realize that Ralph did not know what he was talking about," Sen. Barack Obama said a town hall meeting Sunday.
Calling Nader's move "very unfortunate," Sen. Hillary Clinton told reporters, "I remember when he ran before. It didn't turn out very well for anybody -- especially our country."
"This time I hope it doesn't hurt anyone. I can't think of anybody that would vote for Sen. McCain who would vote for Ralph Nader," she said.
Nader was criticized by some Democrats in 2000 for allegedly pulling away support from Democrat Al Gore and helping George Bush win the White House.
Noting that he ran on the Green Party ticket that year, Clinton said Nader "prevented Al Gore from being the 'greenest' president we could have had."
Nader has long rejected his portrayal as a spoiler in the presidential race. In his NBC interview Sunday, he cited the Republican Party's economic policies, the Iraq war, and other issues, saying, "If the Democrats can't landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down, emerge in a different form."
But Clinton said, "Obviously, it is not helpful to whoever our Democratic nominee is. But, you know, it is a free country."
Nader said political consultants "have really messed up Hillary Clinton's campaign."
Long-shot GOP contender Mike Huckabee said Nader's entry would probably help his party.
"I think it always would probably pull votes away from the Democrats and not the Republicans, so naturally, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race," Huckabee said Sunday on CNN.
Nader said Thomas Jefferson believed that "when you lose your government, you've got to go into the electoral arena."
"A Jeffersonian revolution is needed in this country," he said.
Nader told NBC that great changes in U.S. history have come "through little parties that never won any national election."
"Dissent is the mother of ascent," he said. "And in that context I've decided to run for president."
Nader, who turns 74 this week, complained about the "paralysis of the government," which he said is under the control of corporate executives and lobbyists.
Obama also criticized Nader earlier this weekend. "My sense is that Mr. Nader is somebody who, if you don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive," he told reporters when asked about Nader's possible candidacy.
"He seems to have a pretty high opinion of his own work."
Obama said Nader "is a singular figure in American politics and has done as much as just about anyone for consumers."
"I don't mean to diminish that," he said. "There's a sense now that if someone's not hewing to the Ralph Nader agenda, he says they're lacking in some way."
Responding to those remarks, Nader called Obama "a person of substance" and "the first liberal evangelist in a long time" who "has run a good tactical campaign." But he accused Obama of censoring "his better instincts" on divisive issues.
Nader encouraged people to look at his campaign Web site, votenader.org, which he said discusses issues important to Americans that Obama and Sen. John McCain "are not addressing." E-mail to a friend

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I wonder if this will help the Republicans to get the presidency...

I hate when democrats blame him for Bush.

This guy reminds me of Eugene V. Debs in the early 20th century. Debs ran for President five times as a third party candidate and never succeeding in winning more than 2% of the national vote. His fourth attempt took place while he was in jail. He would mail letters and notes from his jail cell to small newspapers and publications to rally support for his Presidential bid.

Regardless, I don't think he'll affect the Democratic turnout if Barack Obama wins the nomination. In fact, the Republicans should worry about Nader if Obama wins the nomination. Nader's presence would provide even more incentive to moderate-conservative Republicans who dislike his policies but consider McCain a traitor to the party. They'd just vote for Obama because, well he's a Democrat. He is expected to be liberal. McCain is worse, he betrayed the conservative platform.

I liked Nader until 2000. That man gave us the Presidency of George Bush and it still irks me that he spoiled the election.

If you looked at the votes he got in Florida and transferred it to Gore, Gore would have more than made up Bush's 500 vote victory in the state of Florida. Even without Florida, if you transferred the votes Nader got in New Hampshire and given it to Gore, Gore would have gotten exactly 270 Electoral College votes. Shame on you, Ralph Nader!

Nader didnt spoil anything, Gore couldnt even win his own state, and we already know that Katherine Harris stole the election for Bush in Florida when she stopped the recount.

^ Gore winning the popular vote is a lot more important than winning Tennessee.

Defend Nader all you want, but he spoiled the election for Gore. A small percentage of Nader voters was all it took to swing Florida and New Hampshire. And Nader kept insinuating that Gore and Bush were no different from one another, which we found out 8 years later is far from the truth.

By the way, it was the Supreme Court that stopped the recount.

you are right about the Supreme court stopping the recount, but it was still Katherine Harris fault.

With or without Nader, Gore won Florida, but like i said before he couldnt even win his home state of Tennessee which was a big disappointment. Even if he won the popular vote what matters are the electoral votes. (I actually dont agree with the system). Gore is different now because he's not involved into politics anymore so of course there is a lot of difference between him and Bush.

From Wiki:

2000 Election Florida Results

Ralph Nader 97,421
Patrick J. Buchanan 17,412
Harry Browne 16,102
John Hagelin 2,274
Howard Phillips 1,378
Other 3,027

Ralph Nader didn't cost Gore the election more than Pat Buchanan (haha), Harry Browne, John Hagelin, Howard Phillips, or the infamous "other". The fact is that Gore didn't win it on his own. He lost his home state of Tennessee and lost Arkansas (the home state of the Clintons, you know the President that had been in office for the last eight years) and that's what cost him. How he couldn't convince people to vote for him instead of Bush is beyond me. He was the one that lost it, not Nader or some other third party candidate. Nader was just the scapegoat.

Having said all that, I will disclose that if I had a vote, I would vote for Nader as he is one impressive man with incredible credentials who has been smeared by other lefties when he decided to enter the presidential elections and claim that he "cost" Gore the election. And I will also say that I was in a terrible car crash in 2003 (car flipped over and everything) and if it wasn't for the work of Mr. Nader in the 60's, 70's, and 80's, I'd probably be dead. that is all.

The reason why Nader was a spoiler is because Nader made the election close enough to steal. If Nader hadn't joined the race, Gore would have won Florida by picking up just a small number of those Nader voters. Also, even if you add those Buchanan etc. votes to Bush, that still doesn't total the 97,000 votes Nader stole from Gore.

Gore could have convinced 513 of those 97,421 that voted for Nader to win Florida. He didn't do that, he lost. That's all there is to it.