KPCC Election 2008
Ralph Nader Announces Third Presidential Bid
Ralph Nader announced his third presidential bid on Sunday's "Meet The Press." He previously ran in 2000, winning 2.7% of the vote, and 2004, winning 0.4% of the vote.
Nader came to prominence as a consumer advocate, writing the book "Unsafe at Any Speed" and taking on the car industry for their safety practices. He continued his activism, forming the group Public Citizen and enlisting other activists to work for him, who became known as "Nader's Raiders."
In 2000, he ran for president on the Green Party ticket, hoping to earn 5% of the popular vote, which would have earned the Green Party matching funds in future elections. However, he only received 2.7% of the popular vote. There was an ensuing argument about whether the votes for Nader could have tipped the 2000 election from Al Gore to George W. Bush, particularly due to Nader's votes in Florida, a crucial swing state. He ran for president again in 2004, this time independent of any party, receiving 0.4% of the vote.
Do you feel the need for a third party candidate? Are you happy with the choices offered by the Democratic and Republican parties? Do you worry about Nader tipping the balance one direction or another in this election? Would you consider voting for Nader or another third party candidate? Tell us your thoughts in our comments section!
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- February 25, 2008 3:13 PM
- Comments (6)
6 Comments
If ever there was an "egomaniac" it's Nader. His "announcement" on Meet the Press yesterady proved his interest does not include detialing plans.
A fifth run for the presidency(including a write-in camapaign) presents very little in the way of disccourse and provides nothing new in terms of solutions to the myriad of problems we, in this country, face.
The announcement of his candidacy on the Meet the Press, aptly protrayed someone interested only in himself.
I'm tired of these halfway I think I can I think I can candidacies. If he wants to run he should have come in before the primaries started. It makes no sense to jump in now. He must know there is no way he will get the position, so the only reason why he is doing this I assume is to get his name and message out there. It shouldnt take 5 tries though to see that people aren't biting into his message. Time to move on.
I intend to support Mr. Nader in this election as I have in previous ones. The true egomaniacs are the pompous, entitled Democrats who espouse a self-serving and draconian brand of democracy. Mr. Nader offered more substantive comments in ten minutes than either of the Dem asses have in months.
Hasn't he done enough damage? Nader will have to live the rest of his life out knowing that he put George Bush in office. When I was a child his name was synomymous with integrity and good works. Now when I hear the name Nader, I cringe.
Along with the election fraud in 2000 (Florida) and 2004 (Ohio), Mr. Nader was instrumental in placing George W. Bush in the White House. Pompous and arrogant in his own right, Mr. Nader does, what he does best, instill nervousness, anger, whining and pouting, amongst the candidates, especially democrats, which is a good thing. Since both major parties, comprised of self-righteous hypocrites, are "full of themselves," why not allow another candidate to compete as to who can best irritate the American people.
Does the name Harold Stassen strike a familiar cord?
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