I was going to withhold judgment on this, but people keep asking me what my opinion is of Ralph Nader's third party presidential bid.
As you know, I'm a registered Green, but I wasn't endorsing or criticizing Ralph Nader or Cynthia McKinney after Nader won California's Green primary. Nader just announced his third party entry yesterday, but the media won't specify which party.
I was glad to vote for Nader's Green candidacy in 2000, and remain furious that he was kept off the ballot in Kentucky in 1996. To me, Al Gore was as much of a spoiler as Gore's supporters claim Nader was. Nothing personal against Gore, but I've had little appetite for anyone who was part of the Clinton administration since the mind-numbing cave-ins of the mid-'90s. Contrary to popular belief, Nader wasn't the Green standard-bearer in 2004, and I reluctantly voted Democratic in the presidential election.
Assuming he's not running as a Green, am I inclined to vote for Nader now? If it was him versus Hillary Clinton, yes. Versus Barack Obama, probably not. And versus a Green, even less likely.
However, I will say that if the media illegally excludes either the Greens or Nader from the debates again, or if the states illegally keep them off the ballot again, that'll just make me more inclined to support them. Vetting of candidates by the right-wing media must stop now. No matter how much of a longshot it is, the media has no business silencing candidates because of their views. (Notice the media gave Ross Perot a platform because he was actually more right-wing than not.)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Nader mounts third party bid
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Why you would vote for Obama but not Hillary in the general election? The only real difference between the two is Obama is a smoother talker. You're too smart, Tim, to join the swooning masses who've fallen for the "American Idol" candidate. He sounds real good using words like "change" and "hope," but his words are empty.
ReplyDeleteIf there is such a thing as a right-wing media, you can bet it won't do anything to deter Nader. It will be the Democratic Party and its backers in the media and on elections boards that will fight to keep him out of debates and off ballots.
There is such a thing as a right wing media, and all it has done is deter Nader.
ReplyDeleteWhy did they not give Nader a debate platform in 1996 while Ross Perot got one?? BC by all accounts was NOT a progressive candidate..with Nader not on the ballot in KY who did the non-DLC Dems vote for??
I think it was Last Word that said Clinton, Dole, and Perot were almost identical on the issues..so where did the left wing turn to with Nader missing from the ballot?
Perot wasn't allowed to participate in the debates in 1996. That was 1992, when, if I remember right, he briefly led both Clinton and Bush in the polls. I don't think we'll see another third-party or independent candidate in the presidential debate again any time soon. Neither of the major party wants it to happen.
ReplyDeleteDid you live in Kentucky in 1996? Did you volunteer to collect signatures to get Nader on the ballot?