Nader: Obama Trying To "Talk White" And "Appeal To White Guilt"

In an interview with the Rocky Mountain News, independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader says he's disappointed with Barack Obama:

"There's only one thing different about Barack Obama when it comes to being a Democratic presidential candidate. He's half African-American. Whether that will make any difference, I don't know. I haven't heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What's keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn't want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We'll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards.

Nader says he's on to Obama strategy:

"He wants to show that he is not a threatening . . . another politically threatening African-American politician. He wants to appeal to white guilt. You appeal to white guilt not by coming on as black is beautiful, black is powerful. Basically he's coming on as someone who is not going to threaten the white power structure, whether it's corporate or whether it's simply oligarchic. And they love it. Whites just eat it up."

Nader plans to go to Denver during the Democratic National Convention to highlight his own agenda.

Comments

[iraqwartheonlyissue]

I like the Obama strategy. Answer every question - leave no doubt. He is the next President. There will be no Nader in any debate. This is his chance to ask questions - really dumb questions. The odd part about McCain's campaign is it will rely heavily on 527s. We have 527s too. Should more or less people die in Iraq next year? I vote less.

[lesnouveauxpauvre]

As a visitor to this country, who has lived here a couple of years, now, there is someting very wrong with the political discourse in this country. I see it from the right and the left. Dissent is not allowed in this country. If you disagree or critique the prevailing thinking, you are attacked ad hominen, your point wont be debated, you will be attacked personally instead. I guess this is the America way? See the McCarthyism of the 50's, is just the template. I mean, Nadar made a statement concerning his views about the current Obama candidacy. Argue what he said, if you disagree with him fine, make your counter point, to prove that what he said is right or wrong. But, in America, it doesnt work like that, people are very intolerant of differing viewpoints, they cant accept that people have the right to disagree with them? Where does this come from? Are you taught in school, to be intolerant, or is it just learned here...I dont get it. I am from Europe(Denmark), People get enraged by other people who dont agree with them, its quite scary, They call this Democracy? Not where I am from. What happened over here? Its very sad to see, I was taught in school, how America was the birthplace of Democracy etc...

[Nivramel]

I didn't think one positive

[Nivramel]

Ralph Nader is only saying what every American know is true. America knows that Barack Obama has been ignoring black Americans for quite some time. He openly and brazenly stayed away from previous civil rights leaders and any forum that black America has historically celebrated and participate in including the celebration of Martin Luther King's assassination however, I disagree with Ralph Nader on his main point I do not accept that Obama is talking white but, I do believe he has been talking to whites I have been saying this for quite some time. I wonder when will black America demand Obama address the grievances of black Americans as they have done with other presidential candidates? I hope that black America understand that he has run as white candidate and he will govern as all other presidents before him and I think that is proper. Here is one other thing that I know, and that is black America will be the first group to turn on him.----read my profile I have been saying this all along.

[condew]

Why is anything Nader has to say considered news? If Obama doesn't please him, he's just crazy, but that has been apparent for a long time.

[obiter]

Question: Is Ralph Nader a Manchurian-esque agent of The Republican Party?

[hiNY]

I wonder who kerry was appealing to, how he will fit the the nader-dimwit theory. Blacks make 10-12% percent of the country, so does he want Obama to be the president of the blacks. the stupidest thing I have heard for sometime. when can only address the problems of all americans to be become the american president.

[BryantG]

Nader’s idiotic comments about how races are supposed to speak notwithstanding, Obama is 50% white. I’ll say it again, Obama is 50% white. Add to this the fact that he was raised by his white family probably makes him more white than black…and who the f**k cares, really? The baggage of Nader’s generation, indeed and of McCain’s generation is cantankerously heading for the nearest old folks home. They just don’t get it that the post-MTV generation has a totally different set of experiences when it comes to race; making those old arguments seem quaint and sometimes ridiculous. I for one will be glad when the last baby-boomer crosses the river Styx for the last time…wait a minute, I’m a boomer.

[edwarvir]

I thought Nader belonged to the Green Party, doesn't he have his own
convention to attend. What is wrong with all of these people that they
want to follow the Dem's all of sudden.

[im4ufur2]

You utter fools! Ask yourselves who stands for the little guy. Which party? What relevant institutions? Which real power brokers? You might also ask yourselves why you have such contempt for the little guy. When and how did you become so jaded. Where were you when you lost your soul? What exactly could so blacken your heart!

There are no sacred cows and Nader is fair game, but be careful what you wish for. In case you haven't noticed, TLG has NEVER been more set upon. When it comes to TLG, no one -- NO ONE -- has worked harder. Not James Carville, not Alec Baldwin. Certainly not Arianna Huffington who got a whopping 3% in California!

So go ahead ... blame Nader. Wipe Debs from your history and cast your lot with big-business big-government big-defense big-pollution pro-corporate low-wage-loving Democrats. But who will you blame in 2012? 2016? Who will you blame when nothing's changed in 2020?

Say what you will but, Nader has ALWAYS defended THE LITTLE GUY. Right now the little guy could use some help, but it looks like many folks here prefer to kick him in the teeth.

[sharonh]

Well said for us, the common man.

[QLorraine]

if Nader cared about the little guy or the common man he would have run for office at the local or state level instead of grandstanding for an unobtainable shot at the presidency. He's a self-serving windbag who is in part responsible for Bush being POTUS.

[im4ufur2]

America has a robust legacy of "self serving windbags" like Eugene Debs, Ross Perot, the old Bull Moose and, yes, Ralph Nader to name a few. Personally, I won't condemn folks for voting in their perceived best interests regardless of the result. The recent HBO series showed Adams narrowly beating Jefferson because other candidates siphoned Jefferson's support. BTW, Gore won. Maybe Perot would have been effective as an alderman, but I doubt it.

It's abjectly wrong that a man would dedicate a lifetime in service to his countrymen only to have the misinformed and foolish hold him up as an object of contempt. The Safe Drinking Water Act, Freedom of Information Act, OSHA, EPA, Consumer Product Safety Commission, the books, the not for profits and NGO's ... too exhaustive to debate here.

I'm amazed that folks who cast votes AGAINST Bush are now blamed for his election. I blame the folks that voted FOR Bush. Twice!!! Apart from Debs, The Little Guy had no better friend than FDR and Ralph Nader.

[Nader2008]

Right on Ralph. About time someone isn't afraid to tell the truth then doesn't apologize later. Obama has thrown everyone under the bus for political expediency and political ambition. Why doesn't he talk about inner city joblessnes, single motherhood, failing schools, jobs leaving the country, a living wage? Why because it might scare the suburban white vote. Wow MLK never shied away from those social ills. He marched and got jailed and did what whas morally right. Obama is in it for Obama.

[imagine0594]

Right there with ya. I want to hear Obama talk about some of these things. A living wage, single motherhood, inner-city joblessness... these are the issues that define democrats!

[edwarvir]

Ralph Nader is Jealous of Senator O he is not worried about anybody and
least of all the Afro-American people. You don't even know that Ralph exsist
until it is presidential election time. He is the reason that we lost
the last time. He needs to go sit his old self down. I am Afro-American
and I don't need or want him to speak for me.


OBAMA/Wexler 08

[Nader2008]

Who is we when you say "we lost the last time"? Are you assuming we all follow your line of thinking? NO I am not an OBAMABOT. I will not obey his orders.

Tomorrow, Senator Obama has a choice.

He can vote to defend the American people and the U.S. Constitution.

Or he can vote with the snooping Bush White House and the telephone companies.

The bill in question grants immunity to the phone companies that illegally participated in the White House's warrantless wiretap program.

Obama says he will seek to remove the immunity provision - but will vote for the bill if that doesn't succeed.

Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) calls the bill a capitulation to the phone companies and to the White House.

According to Senator Feingold, under under this bill, "the government can still sweep up and keep the international communications of innocent Americans in the U.S."

Last October, Obama said he would "support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies."

Now he says he will vote for it.

[Nader2008]

Who is we when you say "we lost the last time"? Are you assuming we all follow your line of thinking? NO I am not an OBAMABOT. I will not obey his orders.

[realityczech4u]

Nader is perpetually the ape flinging his dung at the zookeepers. A heckler. And I agree, he does need to go sit his old self down. But you know as well as I do that he never will.

[sowhatdemos]

I've heard Obama talk about all of those issues. Where ya been?

[amoment]

Obama wants to be President, not a freedom marcher. We've had freedom marchers and it was their marching that helped Obama rise. What president can you name that marched and was jailed? Could it be that you think African American's should just keep marching and going to jail instead of fulfilling MLK's dreams?

[obiter]

Until I read your last sentence, I thought you were being sarcastic. Those are the very issues that Obama does not shut up about!

Go ahead and criticize Obama AFTER he becomes president - not before he does. But I guess the Nader supporters are really closet Republicans anyway.
Splitting the progressive vote to keep a perpetual Republican administration in the White House.
Congratulations.

[boston2008]

I SWEAR, I DIDN'T SEE THIS ONE COMING.... Ralph?? a racist?? good lord!!!.... he's definitely lost his damn marvels.

[kj11]

Someone tell me which issues facing Black Americans that Ralph championed in campaign of 2004? 2000?

I saw him speak and was not impressed that these issues were on the forefront of the agenda. His was an explicitly Green party....black issues were not prominent...

So I am not surprised by this cheap shot.

[imalonghorn]

What Ralph Nader,and a lot of others don't understand is that he doesn't have to prove to black people that he understands them. First off, all black Americans aren't in "ghettos". But as a Democrat, of course he is against predatory lending. In an Obama administration Hurricane Katrina wouldn't have been such a disaster.

He doesn't have to try and be black because he is black. He doesn't have to try and talk "white", because he is an American, and shares basic American values.

Is the color of his skin going to be a challenge yes, but he's not going to be the president of black Americans, but the president of America...red, yellow,black, and white.(corny..i know)

[Mavin1620]

Nader is self-serving, racists, and bitter. Sadly, he has made himself irrelevant in all aspects of American life.

[KathyIndiana]

At least he won't throw an election this time (and deny it forever). He's a sad and bitter shadow of what he once was, and all he wants now is the spotlight and money.

[joebhed]

I wouldn't count on that.

[KathyIndiana]

At least Nader won't throw an election this time (and deny it forever). He's a sad and bitter shadow of what he once was; all he wants now is the spotlight and money.

[Hope4ChangeNow]

What the heck does Nader "not get"?? Barack was raised by a white family, with white values etc etc, but has also tried to identify with the african american side of his culture. I don't envy Barack at all for being bi-racial, but I also don't see it as a problem or issue. My son is bi-racial and I can see him struggling all the time, trying to be white, then trying to be black. What difference should it make Ralph!! Geez!!