Nader: "They should be landsliding Bush."

[Thrill]

"John Kerry has got to get loose," Nader said. "He cannot allow political consultants to put handcuffs on his mind and his imagination. He's got to stop talking Senate-ese and be the old John Kerry I knew 23 years ago."


Appearing on CNN's "Crossfire," Nader defended his decision to run as an independent despite a torrent of criticism from Democrats who claim he will siphon votes from Kerry and help re-elect Bush. Many Democrats blame Nader for taking votes from Al Gore (news - web sites) in 2000 and ensuring Bush's narrow electoral victory.


"The Democrats should just stop whining and go to work," Nader said. "They should be landsliding Bush."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040330/ap_on_el_pr/nader&cid=694&ncid=1963&sid=96378798

[Lindacooks]

1. Well, of course chimp should be out in a landslide

Unfortunately, many Americans are just plain stupid. And of those idiots, there's a huge number who will vote on just one issue, from gay marriage to abortion, no matter how much their vote hurts them. We're not working with many Mensa members in this country.

The point is that every single vote not cast for Kerry is a vote for Bush. And Nader's GOP donators only prove that point.

[DaveSZ]

2. I'm hoping

The fact they are friends will allow them to work out a compromise somehow.

I need to also add that I don't hate Nader, and I believe him to be genuine. He's simply worried about all this corporate money ruining the Democratic Party.

[Thrill]

3. How about he drums up

all his supporters and then close to election time he advises them to all support John Kerry. That would be great

[ulysses]

6. no - that would be disastrous.

A bait-and-switch would be a bad idea. We're not talking about the kind of people who would go, "Oh, ok", and get on board with Kerry.

In addition to what he's saying about the state of politics in America, Nader's also 100% correct about Kerry and the consultants. Fucking overpaid, hairsplitting, focus-grouping dimwits aren't just helping to ruin the Democratic party, they're helping to ruin the entire country.

[Sparkly]

21. Why doesn't he just support the Democratic party?

Why doesn't he work to support the Democrats and the ouster of Bush in the first place? He's not going to change the party from outside of it, and if he wanted to work for the issues he espouses, he could actually produce some results if he had a chance of working within a party that can make laws and have an effect.

The *effect* of what he's doing is quite the opposite. It's easy to espouse all sorts of things if you never have to actually win an election, form consensus, create a majority in Congress, etc. etc...

And actually, polls show that a significant number of people DO go for Kerry when Nader is not among the choices.

[ulysses]

31. you'd need to ask him,

but I suspect that it has something to do with the sorry official direction of the party over the last couple of decades.

As to working within the party - how? That's been the mantra for years, "work for change from within, not without", but how? I'll be told that we have to spend a couple of decades taking over the thing from the local grassroots up, but one, we don't exactly have that kind of time if things keep going as they've been, and two, the idiots who are ruining the party now most certainly didn't take it over in that manner. They've taken the left for granted because they could, and without any kind of "other place to go" for progressives, they most assuredly will continue to do so.

So, I appreciate, and I think I understand, Nader's pov. Were the need to rid ourselves of Bush not so great, I'd very likely be supporting his candidacy this year.

[sangh0]

35. How to work in the party

Step 1 - Join the party

[ulysses]

37. done, long since.

Next?

[sangh0]

39. Nader is a registered Democrat?

Since when?

[ulysses]

41. I meant myself.

[sangh0]

44. Oh

I thought you were asking about someone I was interested in

[ulysses]

46. ooh, BURN!

:eyes:

Give yourself a high five, crack another beer and let me know when you grow up, sanghy.

[Old and In the Way]

7. Exactly.

The voting electorate is pretty well split. Those that are brain dead, but still support Bush (why? I have no idea) and those that want to see democracy survive (us). The only real votes that matter are the independents in the middle.

For 1 man to stand and preach his pithy bullshit just pisses me off. Sadly, he will be financed by the GOP who will have no problem supporting someone who will drain votes from Kerry. It makes me sick that the same story is unfolding again. But, hey, when the Republicans win again and start the real process of taking down our democracy, I'm sure Ralph and friends will have their passports up to date and their bags packed.

[politick]

10. With all the terrible things W. does

you can still manage to blame Nader. He's the narcissist, and not Kerry, because nader, what, doesn't have as much money? hasn't been in the sanate? Man, democrats refuse to take responsibility for anything. It's always someone else's fault. Maybe I'll vote for Nader afterall.

Though I higly highly doubti it...

[Old and In the Way]

12. No, because Nader has nothing behind him. Zippo.

He's an every 4 year phenomenon. I'm a Democrat because I'm proud of the accomplishments of people like FDR, the Kennedys, LBJ and his Great Society, Carter, and Clinton. And many others, too, numerous to mention. People that really worked for a vision of America that meant equality of justice and opportunty for all.

All Nader delivers is his pithy speeches. That and a $1.00 will get you a coffee at Dunkin' Donuts.

You can blame the Democrats for the destruction of this country underway.....not me. I look at what Democrats have done and what Republicans are doing. I don't need a weatherman to tell me which way the wind is blowing.

I blame Nader because he enables Republicans to win elections that they don't deserve.

[Stone_Spirits]

14. and Democrats don't enable Republicans ?

thats funny....

[redqueen]

25. "He's an every 4 year phenomenon"

Bull$hit. Just because the media only gives him any exposure every four hears does not mean that's reality.

When are we going to stop being played by propoganda?!

[Jack_Dawson]

4. Maybe if that fuckwit dropped out it would happen

:mad:

[mzmolly]

5. "My goal is to help remove George Bush from office"

Ralph Nader also said that. It'll be interesting to see if he is successful in *helping* do so.

[madfloridian]

8. Why would he be meeting with Dean?

SNIP....."Nader said he plans to meet with Kerry and former presidential candidate Howard Dean (news - web sites) to discuss his strategy.

"I'm going to say 'Look, we have one thing in common. We want to send the Bush corporation back to Crawford, Texas.'"END SNIP

Hubby says he heard it on Crossfire. I wonder if it is to do with the new DFA org? Like using it as a tool to work for Kerry?

[mzmolly]

9. I wondered that also Madfloridian...

??? ;)

[sangh0]

22. In a word "publicity"

Please note how Kerry and Dean haven't been promoting these upcoming meetings with Nader, while Nader's been blabbing about it to all the media

[Forkboy]

11. He's right

[jpgray]

18. Why isn't Nader landsliding both of them?

:)

It's because candidates who aim to win have to pander to the media, corporations, and party power brokers. Those who don't build up that power base won't get a very high percentage, as Ralph has shown.

Ralph is right on almost every issue, but he will not win. What wins elections in this country rarely has anything to do with the issues--it has to do with what the country thinks of you, and who tells the country what to think?

Either the people aren't interested in leftist values or the system is too corrupt. If the system is too corrupt, unless you wait for it to collapse, you're going to have to go inside it to fix the damn thing.

[cryofan]

20. tell it, baby, tell it!! Nader IS right!

And I really hope this election causes change in America. We approach a cusp moment. Do you feel it too?

[sangh0]

42. Good question. If Nader holds the secret to winning elections

why does he do so poorly?

[ramapo]

13. Nader is right

If not for the American people, Kerry would be winning in a landslide.

Remember the American people, with the help of the media, reelected Nixon in a hugh landslide, despite his failure to end the war and with the stench of Watergate brewing.

Today's Republicans are using tactics straight from the Nixon playbook.

Thirty-two years later Democratic politicians haven't figured out how to beat the Republicans on the war, apple pie, and patriotism issues. Kerry has made a fairly good start.

He needs a lot of help.

[DeaconBlues]

15. Ralph Nader giving campaign advice, that's rich

What percentage of the vote did he get in 2000? Less than 3%? Keep your advice to yourself, Ralphie.

[jsw_81]

16. Landsliding? Is that a verb?

Get out of the race, Ralph, and maybe we will "landslide" Bush.

[WilliamPitt]

17. For a guy who has spent a good deal of his professional life

yelling about the power of corporations (which own the media, in case he hadn't yet gotten the memo), one wonders if ol' Ralph is fully aware of the power of our common foe in this matter.

[sangh0]

23. Ding! Ding! ....We have a winner

It shows what a shameless liar Nader is to talk about how Kerry should be winning and make it sound like the corporations had nothing to do with it. I would have thought someone like Nader would use the opportunity to bring up issues like media consolidation and the lack of a Fairness Doctrine, but then again, that might take away from his "The Dems suck" argument

[redqueen]

26. If he did bring up the Fairness Doctrine

he would still be saying, between the lines, that Dems suck. Clinton promised to pass legislation, remmber? He got two years with a Dem-controlled congress, and we got the shaft on that one.

I credit Clinton where it's due, but bringing up the Fairness Doctrine in the same sentence as you rail against criticizing Democrats is rich.

[sangh0]

27. Funny how you talk about the Fairness Doctrine

and how much the Dems stunk on the issue (while saying nothing about how Nader has done NOTHING about it) right after complaining about how Randi Rhodes attacked a liberal.

I credit Clinton where it's due, but bringing up the Fairness Doctrine in the same sentence as you rail against criticizing Democrats is rich

That must be why you have to be so misleading in implying that "railed" about criticizing Dems, when what I really did was point out your hypocritical complaining about liberals for week after week, and then criticizing Randi Rhodes for criticizing a liberal like Nader.

[ulysses]

32. how on earth is it a violation of the Fairness Doctrine

for a private citizen to disagree with a radio personality?

[sangh0]

33. Its not

why do you ask?

[ulysses]

34. perhaps I misunderstood this, then.

Funny how you talk about the Fairness Doctrine and how much the Dems stunk on the issue (while saying nothing about how Nader has done NOTHING about it) right after complaining about how Randi Rhodes attacked a liberal.

:shrug:

[sangh0]

36. Yes, you did. You should have also read this

It shows what a shameless liar Nader is to talk about how Kerry should be winning and make it sound like the corporations had nothing to do with it. I would have thought someone like Nader would use the opportunity to bring up issues like media consolidation and the lack of a Fairness Doctrine, but then again, that might take away from his "The Dems suck" argument

[ulysses]

38. still don't understand how that fits with the Rhodes thing.

[sangh0]

In that case

.

[ulysses]

43. there's a shocker.

"Run away, run away!" :D

[sangh0]

45. Not running away

I just don't know how to explain the obvious to the oblivious

[ulysses]

47. try.

I'm all ears.

[sangh0]

40. In that case

.

[w4rma]

19. Nader doesn't appear to understand the situation, imho. (nt)

[mzmolly]

24. Doesn't Nader understand the power of $$ and the media?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.................

[katieforeman]

28. For once, I agree with Nader.

This election should be a landslide. Instead Kerry seems like he's following Gore down the political consultant path that lead Gore to only a very narrow win.


This does not mean I in any way support Nader. He should drop out because this may be a close race instead of the landslide it should be.

[dolstein]

29. Yeah, and "landslide Nader" got a whopping 2.7% against Bush in 2000

NT

[sangh0]

30. Well

you can't argue with failure!


:crazy:

[Zinfandel]

48. Nader is correct, I'd love to see the fired up Kerry of 71, it is needed

against Rove smears and Bush's huge money train.

Kerry should not be letting them control the dialog or the tempo, he's has to go out and kick ass, because he's right and BushCo is hiding behind lies and will distract from them all the way till the election.

I'd rather see Kerry come out swing then to go down because he never quite blew BushCo wide open when he had the chance and was tentative by watching the polls and react to what Rove wants him to.

[Touchdown]

49. He could be, but the Media keep asking NADER on instead!

Nader goes on Crossfire and talks about Kerry. Everywhere else, the talk is all about Bush*. Did Crossfire ever think that Kerry would make for better ratings than Nadir? Wolfie? Dianne Sawyer? Ted? Wallace or Bradley? Why is Nadir getting all the gigs, and Kerry is snubbed? Why, oh why, oh why?:eyes:

[NNadir]

50. What a dipshit.