Ralph Nader : Make the Recall Count

[eablair3]

say what you want about Nader. But, he makes several good points in this piece. This bought and paid for recall is generating huge attention. People that weren't interested in politics before are getting interested. And, that can only be a good thing.
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Published on Tuesday, August 12, 2003 by the Los Angeles Times

Make the Recall Count

by Ralph Nader

The upcoming California gubernatorial recall election (the first ever) has been described as a "circus," a "farce," "wacky" and "show business." More reflective observations have described it as a recall qualified by Republican multimillionaires to set up other Republican multimillionaires as candidates to replace the incumbent, Gray Davis.

Certainly, this is not the kind of direct democracy to hold incumbents accountable between elections that California Gov. Hiram Johnson had in mind in 1911 when he proudly worked to have the state's Constitution embrace the initiative, referendum and recall processes. He saw these tools as instruments for an aroused volunteer citizenry, not as mechanisms for wealthy corporate interests or political parties that pay signature-gathering firms to get their agendas on the ballot.

Nonetheless, the people of California, regardless of their philosophical, partisan or peevish reservations about the Oct. 7 election, can snatch several opportunities from the jaws of a potential debacle.

First, for two months, Californians can engage in vigorous discussion with one another about the main problems and best solutions affecting their state present and future. The election is headline news! Send small talk for a holiday. It is time for some serious reading, thinking and acting about the governance of California. Result: a more engaged citizenry.

snip

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0812-06.htm

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Dear Ralph:

Please get the glue bag offn' your nose. This election will be about the media latching onto and elevating Ahnult 24/7 because he is Ahnult and as such, will capture eyeballs for them, since he rises above the S/N or the other 200+ candidates. Everything else will me immaterial to them.

If you had a braincell left in your head that still cast a discerning eye upon issues, you would know that. But you don't and you don't.

-T.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. All predicated on a GREAT BIG IF

If you demand substance — and the print and electronic media, including public airwaves, are open to such information instead of succumbing to personality politics in a circus-like atmosphere

Certainly assumes facts not in evidence.

[Skittles]

3. I'LL REFRAIN

FROM SAYING "WHAT I REALLY WANT" ABOUT THAT F***ING A**HOLE.

[CarlBallard]

4. Oh Ralph

He saw these tools as instruments for an aroused volunteer citizenry, not as mechanisms for wealthy corporate interests or political parties that pay signature-gathering firms to get their agendas on the ballot.

Um, opposed to paid signature gathering are you Ralph? A few years ago one of Nader's orgs was helping with the signature gathering on an inititiave. Anyhoo after the speel by the signature gathring fellow, telling me how great it was and telling me that it was supported by Nader (I was living in uberlefty Olympia at the time) I did what I always do. I asked him if he was being paid, he said yes and I refused to sign (although I think I did vote for it when it made it to the ballot).

[fujiyama]

12. Remember...

Nader, the son of a bitch that he is also supported the impeachment effort against Bill Clinton.

Just more of the same, by Nader, an accomplice of the right and an impediment to any real progress in this nation. His criticism of Bush always struck me as forced and insincere, while he was always more passionate about bashing dems.

Nader doesn't give a shit about progress in anyway. For him, life is one big ego trip, but hey he's earned a pretty decent living off of it, and is supposed to be living quite luxuriously.

I remember when that bastard came to my college to give a talk during the '00 election (I live in one of those swing states that thankfully wasn't hurt by him though) riding in a nice black, SUBURBAN. Wow, talk about hypocrisy.

[jiacinto]

15. But see Nader is a God to some of these people here at DU

They worship him as if he were Jesus.

[The Zanti Regent]

5. Get another pie ready!

Obviously, Mr Pompous Ass didn't get it the first time!

[jiacinto]

13. Yeah

Get another pie indeed. He so deserves it!

[mikeysnot]

6. Ralph

making fau dems look like fools...

[Cheswick2.0]

7. Clueless as usual

First, for two months, Californians can engage in vigorous discussion with one another about the main problems and best solutions affecting their state present and future. The election is headline news! Send small talk for a holiday. It is time for some serious reading, thinking and acting about the governance of California. Result: a more engaged citizenry.


Serious reading and thinking....As defined by who, YOU RALPH? Your thinking sucked in 2000, why would be want to go there again?

[luigi8888]

8. Jesus, don't any of you read Palast?

Nader got about 5,000 votes in Florida.
Falsified databases wiped 100,000 voters off the rolls in Florida.
If you're going to bring up the 2000 election, which you should, at least know your facts. Ralph Nader was probably by far the least to blame among all the culprits.

[The Zanti Regent]

9. Tell that to my nephew.

Thanks to Nader, he got a one way ticket to Iraq and a bullet severed his spinal cord.

23 years old and a quadraplegic thanks to Nader.

[jiacinto]

14. Well

According to the logic of Nader "things must get worse before they get better".

Sorry about your nephew. I hope that he turns out okay.

[The Zanti Regent]

17. Screwed by the VA

Now my nephew is stuck in the maze of the VA cuts, implemented by Ralph's Buddy, President AWOL.

23.

His life is ruined.

Thanks, Ralph.

[jiacinto]

18. You should send a letter to him

nt

[Euphen]

10. The tone of this article

seems wholly out of touch with the seriousness of the situation. It reads like an article with lawn-care tips. Ralph Nader showed a similarly unserious attitude towards the theft of the 2000 elections, repeating his mantra that their is no difference between the two major parties while the Republicans were carrying out a coup. Peter Camejo as well has shown himself to be opportunistic and unwilling to expose the recall as part of a nationwide attempt by the Republican party to subvert democracy. When Davis spoke of it as such Camejo dismissed the idea as "just not true."

[Terwilliger]

11. The Republicans were carrying out a coup?

Are Democrats aware of this? They haven't said anything about a coup. They CERTAINLY haven't talked about their complicity in that coup.

[farmboxer]

16. Is Nader A Republican?

He sure sounds like he is working for them.

America had a coup in the year 2000, but I don't hear anyone on TV saying it!

The Republican manufactured and programmed voting machines should be illegal!