Nader Near A Decision As Some Beg Him Not To Run

[CatWoman]

Early and intense adversaries are reality for Ralph Nader, whose public and viciously controversial hem-and-haw over whether to run for president as an independent is thought to be almost over. Just as the lifelong consumer advocate who, as the Green Party candidate, won 3 percent of the popular vote in 2000 hints that he will make a decision any minute now, the full force of a newly energized opposition is upon him.

"A vote for Nader is a vote for GW Bush. I am as green as they come but am asking Nader: Please do not run for president," a Montana voter wrote on what was supposed to be an online petition to persuade the would-be candidate to run. Only 33 actual supporters added their names before the website was disabled late last year.

Fairly, or not - and Nader adamantly says not - many of Nader's former supporters and other liberal voters blame him for President Bush's slim electoral victory over Vice President Al Gore. Their contention is that if Nader voters in either Florida or New Hampshire had instead cast their votes for Gore, the country would now be led by President Gore.

http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-nader0219.artfeb19,1,7203262.story?coll=hc-headlines-newsat3

[still_one]

1. All the good Nader did was lost in 2000

The only groups that will support him to run in 2004 will be the republicans.

I have as much animosity toward Nader as I do Bush

[mmm]

8. That sums it up in a nutshell

I hope he considers all the suffering he would cause if
his running results in another Bush win.

[sweetcee]

11. That's one of the things I

learned after being bombarded with info on Nader after voting for him in 1996.

I don't think he cares about the suffering if Bush wins again anymore than he did in 2000!

[FreakinDJ]

9. Reports of car windows being broken

Following the Repuke stealing the White House in 2000, reports from across California of cars with Nader bumper stickers were being vandalized by having there windows smashed. Also homes with Nader signs on their front lawn were have windows broken

They need to start ealier this time

[justinpower]

19. Wow

maybe you should funnel that kind of anger towards tyhe neocons.

[ronnykmarshall]

2. How much you wanna bet?

Nawwwwwwwwwww! I'd rather throw my money in a slot machine.

[billbuckhead]

6. His standing in history would skyrocket if Nader went ABB

As it sits now, Ralph's an asterick on a *.

[FreakinDJ]

3. Nader sold out to the GOP

He knows he can only hurt the Dem party but he likes the money the Repukes send his way to disrupt the elections

[bluestateguy]

4. Nader needs Bush in office for another 4 years

He wants to keep his Bush taxcuts.

[sadiesworld]

5. It was wrong of Nader to stay in the race in 2000 after it became clear

how close it would be. A 2004 run borders on evil.

[connecticut yankee]

7. Is he nuts?

Or is his ego so big that he has to ruin another election.

Doesn't he realize that all the harm that's been done to the environment during this administration was caused by him?

What's with this guy?

[sweetcee]

10. His ego is that big!

I actually voted for him in 1996 after Clinton pushed through Welfare Reform.

Since then, I have been shown the error of my ways.

Nader is not what he pretends to be!

[slappypan]

12. so what if he runs

He would get less than 1% of the vote this time around. He has shown absolutely no leadership for the last 3 years — all the heavy lifting of opposing Bush has been done by others.

[BiggJawn]

15. He gets 1%, the Democratic candidate loses 10%

All those people in states where King Ralf didn't get on the ballot say that infuriating "I'm staying home to SEND A MESSAGE..." and don't vote for anyone...

I told more than one person "Oh, and WHAT message is THAT? That you're a MORON????"

[caledesi]

13. No Ralph, don't do it. We want Bush* out any way, any how. n/t

[buckeye1]

14. If Nader doesn't run as a green...

he is full of it. It takes 1000's of signatures to get on the ballot. The greens were suckered in last time and Ralph couldn't deliver. No one gets any Fed. money this time.

[throwthebumsout]

16. Selfish, egotistical, smug S.O.B.

I loathe the sonofabitch for his selfishness in 2000. Is there a feeling stronger than loathing? Because that's what I'll feel towards him if he decides to fuck up 2004 too.

[Robin Hood]

17. If the moron runs, I will go to his rally's

and be just as rude and obnoxious as his greasy supporters were at Gore and Clinton rally's during the 2000 election.

[CatWoman]

20. remember in California

during the gov.'s race when someone hit him with a pie?

[Skittles]

18. Nader already has blood on his hands

I guess he wants more.

[LeahMira]

21. The Green Party is...

... circulating a sort of opinion poll of its own, asking members to state their preferences for 2004. Some of the choices are to run a candidate without worrying about what the other parties are doing, to not run any candidate, to run a candidate who will focus on building up local organizations, to run a candidate who will be on the ballot in order to prevent a win from one of the two major parties, and to run a candidate on the ballot only in the states where one of the major parties already holds a decisive lead.

I forget what all the choices were. There were maybe ten of them. But the Green Party sees the Democrats as moving more and more to the right and although they see Bush as so far right that he's in outer space, they are not happy with what they see as the Democratic failure to carve out a place for serious leftists.

Think of how many Democrats in Congress eventually voted for IWR, for instance. Greens wonder why on earth they would ever support the pResident on anything. That is what they seem to perceive as moving farther and farther to the right. At least I think that's how they see it. That's what's in their newsletters, etc., but I'm definitely not an "insider."

[GreyV]

22. Run!

I hope he runs!

[philosophie_en_rose]

23. Dear Ralph Nader

http://margaretcho.com/blog/blog.htm

Ralph - we love you. It is not personal. Any other election year, we would be behind your indomitable spirit and unapologetic and absolutely 100% American and patriotic views. However, this time around we face grave consequences should we lose this race to Bush, and we frankly need all the help that we can get.

This should not have to be a two party country, however, the powers that be have created a civil war that we need all our strength to fight, even if it means shifting some of our ethical beliefs in how we would normally like to vote.

I have watched you for a long time, and you are just like me. If someone tells you not to do it, you make sure to do it, and that is great, but this time, perhaps your great energy would serve the nation better were you to back the democratic candidate, rather than run against him.

We need you Ralph, in a different way this year, but then again, not really. Your political clout would help this country tremendously. We are not exactly asking that you not run, but rather run with us. Please accept this as an invitation, not a way to silence you. As if that were possible.

~Margaret Cho