Using The Socratic Method To Discover The True Nature of A Nader

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Candidacy in 2004....


Why do Republicans anticipate a Nader candidacy in 2004 with glee and Democrats anticipate a Nader candidacy with gloom?

[LearnedHand]

1. Because the replicant-publicans...

...might be funding a Nader candidacy?

[edward]

2. Because they both hate democracy?

What's your reason?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. My reason for what?

[edward]

5. Your reason for using Nader as a scapegoat.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. I Just Posed A Question To Elicit The Truth

as Socrates would have done...

[edward]

8. Well, Socrates always knew where he wanted to end up.

And what is so interesting about Nader's nature? Is this a psychological question? Philosophy?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. I Am Intersted In What Makes Nader Tick

I think I know...

[edward]

12. Let me guess.

He is a crazy ego maniac who hates the democratic party? He is possessed by the devil?

[ulysses]

21. oh good lord

Socrates didn't pose one question then stand back expecting the truth to reveal itself.

Don't be coy. If you think that Nader is in the pay of the Republicans then say so, but don't pretend that you're engendering some kind of dialogue. Your conclusion is not the only reasonable one.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

26. It's Ironic

This Socratic Method really works... I never gave a conclusion but most folks have arrived at only one conclusion....


Maybe they made the wrong person take the hemlock....

[Clete]

4. Because it isn't Ross Perot?

eom

[Terwilliger]

6. if a tree falls in the forest...

Democrats will blame the forest for not being vital enough to keep the tree alive! :nuke:

[patdem]

10. If a tree falls in the forrest it is because the republicans

have not been given the opportunity to chop it down yet! :bounce:

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. What Famous (R) Said That 90% Of Pollution Comes From Plants And Trees?

[maha]

33. (waving hand) I know! I know!

Reagan!

[buddhamama]

34. yep.

what a piece of work he was then.

[roughsatori]

13. Looking for excuses for losing before the election even happens?

I am more optimistic than you--The Democrats have a great chance to stop the repukes from stealing the election this time

If the Dem who wins the primary pulls the "I'm a moderate and can win swing-voting Republicans," at the expense of the core Democratic left and then loses, I will be waiting for his supporters to blame Nader instead of taking responsibly for making swing-voters the reason d'etre of their campaign.

[edward]

15. Exactly.

[Bandit]

14. A good question and one every Democrat should contemplate

Why indeed do Democrats crap in their pants when Nader is mentioned? Does it mean that some Liberals really are liberal and not just go with the flow centrists? Why do Democrats worry someone will steal their constituency? They must not be offering what the people want, if the people are so easy to steal away.

[TacticalPeek]

16. Because 2004 is a contest for the most electoral votes.

And the winner takes all.

"Socrates always knew where he wanted to end up" maybe, edward, but only in the final draft. One obvious termination here is that dems are presumed to want to win, that a close election is a possibility, and that any vote not in the dem column threatens winning, thereby causing dem teeth-gnashing and puke hand-rubbing. Or something.

[Jim Sagle]

17. Nader ain't nuthin' but shit. End of discussion.

[edward]

18. Great conclusion to a great thread.

[billbuckhead]

19. Judge a phenomenon by it's results. Nadir cost Gore FLA and NH

And the result of that was America went into new century with a fascist government instead of a flawed democracy.

[Terwilliger]

20. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

INSTEAD of a flawed Democracy??????

[Forkboy]

22. Incredible aint it?

this place boggles the mind :freak:

[DemocratSinceBirth]

25. Isn't A Flawed Democracy Preferable To A Fascist

state....

I was always taught not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good...

Isn't sleeping with Cindy Crawford with a mole on her upper lip preferable to sleeping with Roseanne Barr

and so I'm not accused of being a sexist

Isn't sleeping with Robert Redford with a few moles on his lower chin preferable to sleeping with John Candy...

on edit- John Candy passed away but I think most folks will get my drift... -:)

[Cheswick2.0]

27. "I was always taught not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good..."

and my agument has always been that there was nothing perfect about Nader or his candidacy. As a liberal and an environmentalist since 1970 when I became aware, I much prefer Gore.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

29. Robert Kennedy Junior Is A Environmental Activist

who worked with Ralph Nader on many environmental causes in the past... He begged Nader not to run and split the left of center vote because a * win would be inimical to the causes they both espoused... Nader rebuffed him and the rest is history...

[noiretextatique]

23. do democrats anticipate more voter purges?

like the one that cost gore florida in 2000? while y'all continue to obsess over nader, i suspect republicans are poised for even more outrageous purges. it was quite a success in 2000...and barely an official peep about it from the 'opposition.'

[Julien Sorel]

24. Because the nutjob Republicans have fallen into line,

freeing the Republicans to chase the middle, whereas the nutjob left wingers refuse to let go of their adolescent fantasies of utopia, which leaves the Dems fighting with one finger tied behind their back. In a close fight, that finger matters, but the rest of the time it's just a minor annoyance. Let Nadir and his tiny band play their Peter Pan games; there's nothing we can reasonably do to please them and still have a chance at winning an election, so except poking occassional fun at them, they are a waste of energy.

Their strategy, by the way, guarantees they will be further marginalized. Since chasing after the wackos' couple of million votes would likely cost the Democrats 10 million center votes (including some slightly to the left of center), the Dems actually end up moving closer to the right to make up for the leftist defections. But such simple logic is impossible for extremists to accept, so they go on pretending that 2 million is greater than 10 million, and storm and whine petulently when they are shunted into the corner like the class dunce.

[buddhamama]

28. all i know is i know nothing

and either do you.

i like this bit of philosophy better

"You can't step in the same river twice."

[DemocratSinceBirth]

30. I Am Sure You Know More Than Nothing

and if folks believe they know nothing they will put faith in leaders like * who claims to know something when in reality he knows nothing...

[buddhamama]

32. i may think i know but,

really i know nothing, because Facts are subjective and in the never ending there are no absolutes.

when we get stuck in a rut believing that we *know* our eyes and our minds are closed.

[JVS]

31. The socratic method is particularly unsuited to internet dialogue