Spoiler Alert!
June 20, 2008
He’s back. Ralph Nader is not only running for President, but he’s directed his attacks at none other than Barack Obama. Now you’d think that the candidate who publicly opposes NAFTA, supports massive funding initiatives for alternative energy sources, increased nationalization of health care, withdrawl of troops from Iraq, an increase in the upper-brackets of the tax code, has been funded by over one million individual donors, and not only refused money from lobbyists and PACs but encouraged his party’s national committee to do the same might actually be okay in the mind of Ralph Nader.
At the very least you’d think he spend his time attacking Obama’s opponent, who supports free trade agreements, permanent military bases in Iraq, extending Bush’s tax cuts, and has been funded mainly by lobbyists and large-donor based fundraisers.
However, Nader continues to demand that the Democratic Party move farther to the left, accusing Barack Obama, not of being an agent of corporate America, but of existing “in their environment.” Basically, in Nader’s view, anyone who tries to change or improve the system from within is automatically too tainted to do anything positive.
So again, Nader will try to punish the Democratic Party by costing them the election. He currently claims 6% national support. I find this impossible to believe and can’t see him realistically doing any better than his 0.3% showing in 2004. However, assuming he were to somehow get 6%, that would almost certainly be the difference between an Obama Presidency and a McCain Presidency. Does Ralph Nader really want to extend his legacy from 8 years of Republican leadership to 12?
Of course Nader and many of his supporters don’t view it that way. They come up with elaborate and intelligent sounding arguments about how Bush’s victory in 2000 was not Nader’s fault. But the best argument is usually the simplest: Nader runs in 2000, Bush wins. Nader doesn’t run in 2000, Gore wins. If you can dispute those facts, go ahead.
That’s just silly. Ralph Nader is not interested in pushing McCain to the Left? What are you huffing? Ralph Nader is all about expanding and pushing progressive values. Something the Obama Christ sure sounded sincere on; during the primar campaign.
See, this is why the Democrats may well lose in November. Obama begins his relentless return to his true Centrist heart. Left value voters, like me and my friends, will be sick of him by November. So it will be good to have someone to vote FOR.
And if the Democratic leadership had not spent the last eight years brown nosing Bush, maybe I would fell more at ease with the notion of voting Democrat in November.
Look, you already attracted a stray Naderite!
I’m only a mildly crazy conspiracy theorist generally, but Ralph Nader has been in the pay of the Republicans for years–openly! He’s taken their money to fund his campaigns. I have voted proudly for third party candidates in the past but anyone who wastes their vote on Nader is insane. That crackpot exists solely to siphon votes from the left. If he had any interest in changing the political climate of this country he’d GTFO, not insist on another joke presidential run and direct a stream of racist accusations toward the candidate most likely to usher in positive change.
It takes a person who cares only about party and doesn’t give two shits about the progressive movement to heal America from the right-wing abortion we have endured to endorse Barack Obama, who has turned his back on us Progressives. After his taking advantage of the Progressive movement to get the position he finds himself in, we find out he is just another piece of shit politician who cares about the money and power.
He proves his true self
Say what you will about Ralph Nader, at least he isn’t a lying scumbag intent on screwing the people who brought him to the dance, as is Mr Obama.
I refuse to endorse a liar. I refuse to be enamored by his “hope” and “change” when the only change he will conduct is turning into McCain. It is a shame there are so many sycophants eager to allow the ruination of this country.