Nader's Raid

It is always easy to make fun of Ralph Nader -- primarily because the man has no sense of humor. Here in Washington, the nation's capital of the humorless, Nader is in a league of his own.

I once picked him up for a panel discussion, tried to make a joke about my less-than-impressive vehicle, and what does Nader do? For the entire drive, he lectured me about air bags (None on the passenger side, so shoot me).

Based upon Nader's recent comments about Barack Obama it looks as though the independent presidential candidate is no more impressed with the expected Democratic nominee than he was with my car. Which seems odd, given how so many of Obama's fans on the left idolize him as earlier generations did for Nader.

In other words, it is not helpful to Obama that Nader is not buying his message of change. Although, so many Democrats despise Nader for his pivotal role in electing George W. Bush, this might make no difference at all.

Craig is currently working a new battery for McCain's big prize -- Watch the Video.

Craig blogs daily for CQ Politics at craigcrawford.com

Follow Craig Crawford on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craig_crawford

Comments

[hopeless277]

At least Nader is standing up for the constitution which is NOT what Obama is doing. Obama is beginning his 'go along to get along' stage which will morph into 'I'll give you everything you want so you don't call me names' stage. Eventually(within a month), Obama will be appointing Republicans to cabinet positions and endorsing torture and detention forever. I'm voting for Nader. Obama is a washout.

[nippersdad]

I wasn't aware that it was the function of a civil libertarian and liberal political activist to "help" the DLC regain the Presidency. I was under the impression that it was his function to shine a light on their collaborationist tendencies with corporatists in an effort to effect change for HIS constituencies. You learn something new every day.

[Nonamnesiac]

Nader and Cynthia McKinney will get substantially more votes than all of the pundits say. Huge numbers of progressives are disgusted with Obama and McCain. Obama's vote for immunization of criminal corporate activity is just one more of many anti-progressive positions of Obama. He's not even really committed to pulling out all US troops and contractors from Iraq.

Despite the shrill screams of self-deluded, Nader-baiting Democratic Party sycophants calling us "spoilers" milliions are unwilling to vote for someone who won't commit to immediate, safe withdrawal from Iraq and who will vote for immunity for telecoms. We view those Dems who call us "spoilers" as the proverbial "Good German" from WWII, citizens who participated in the body politic even though they knew genocide was being committed but didn't personally participate in genocide.

By voting for funders of war crimes and for those who pass legislation trampling on the Constitution (like Obama), these Democrati Party sycophants are the ones responsible for these policies -- "Good German" enablers attacking us for not voting for war criminals and common criminals.

[nippersdad]

Well said!!

[harriscrl3]

There is a reason why candidates like Nader will NEVER win. Nobody wants extremes. When you are running for the President and running on a ticket of unity and change you MUST run in the middle. And anyone who thinks that a candidate can run to the far left or far right and represent the entire country is living in la la land. NOTHING can ever satisfy people like Nader and when nothing can ever satisfy you the odds of you winning are astomonical low. I dont believe for a second that people like Nader enter the race to win. I think they just enter to get attention whether its for themselves or for their ideologies. They can never win and they know it and they refuse to adjust and they continue to look like a joke because life is not one thing or the other and thats what people like him refuse to get their ideology is so simplistic and basic that it fails to represent the complexities of modern life.

Carol

[bbrecht]

Really, would you say that Bush is in the center and that's how he "won" two terms?
Explain that please, and or define "center." Seems to me YOUR ideology is simplistic. Its based on sweeping generalizations--

[BonnieJW]

Bush never won. He was appointed during the first election and stole 2004.

[Bulbul]

I was a Clinton Supporter until the Senetor bowed out gracefully. Now, I support Barack Obama whole heartedly. After all the democrats need to be together for our candidate to win over the white house again.
Nadar has become a nonentity now, intellegent people who ones voted for Nadar have regrets. Now Nadar kicked himself on the foot by saying unnecessary things about Barack.

[strifeknot]

Nader is running for President himself, it's not his job to help one of his rivals get elected, much less one who is not nearly the agent of change and reform he portrays himself to be. Liberal Democrats should be holding O's feet to the fire and keep him honest instead of turning a blind eye to his rightward lurch, hoping everything will turn out alright.

[JimR]

Well-said, I agree.

[OrganizersWin]

So many people don't get that 'strifeknot'. They know nothing about Nader, the history of the Democratic party or the progressive movements in this country. Most liberal bloggers sit in their pajamas and comment on what other people "DO".

Most democrats are not progressive minded or informed..­. they just recognize crazy republicans and therefore think they are smart. Nader was proven correct since 2000, when he called Lieberman a fraud and called attention to ballot access and election issues.

Obama never mentions ELECTION FRAUD, barely mentions Katrina, etc.... but when he denounces his church and pastor, then he is "accepted" again, ain't that right?

Not too much deep political analysis these days, I guess. Because of people like Nader, Nixon gave us the EPA and OSHA. Maybe democrats like it more to pretend and pontificate than actually get things done.... and they shun those that actually DO something about the ills of this land.

[geg6]

I find your comments extremely insulting.

I've been a progressive, most likely, longer than you've been alive. I actually have ridden in a Corvair. I know all about Ralph Nader and his career as a consumer advocate.

You are obviously the one who doesn't know or understand anything about how to get things done in this country if you are so blind and naive as to think that anyone who actually WANTS to get some progressive goals accomplished would vote for Nader.

If you had a clue, you wouldn't waste your vote on such an obvious electoral loser.

[celticjag]

I will not and can not defend Nader, but Craig, please stop with this continued lunacy that Nader was responsible or pivotal in electing Bush. In Florida, appr. 250,000 registered Dems. crossed party lines and voted for Bush! In Tenn., Gore's home state, Dems. did the same thing, crossed party lines and voted for Bush. If Gore had won Tenn., he would have won the vote in the Electoral College to be president. He didn't need Florida!

[woodsywizz]

Bush "won" Florida by 537 votes. 30,000 people voted for Nader. DOH!

[JimR]

Besides Bush, Gore and Nader, there were 7 other presidential candidates on the ballot in Florida in 2000. Each received more than 537 votes, many thousands more. DOH!

12 percent of registered Democrats in Florida (more than 200,000 people) voted for Bush. DOH!

Half of registered Democrats in Florida didn't vote at all. DOH!

[bbrecht]

Florida was stolen and the dems did not fight back.

[nippersdad]

Excuse me, and how many were purged from the electoral rolls prior to the election? What was all that about Bush V Gore, again? And why did Obama vote to certify the Ohio tallies in '04 again when even the GAO said that it was not possible for that many votes to flip Republican at the last minute? You have no credibility when you use such simplistic rationalizations of the electoral process.

[Bulbul]

TN likes to remain backwards, remember they let a very good candidate Harold Ford Jr. pass by and chose one real estate developer Corker, whom no body had heard of. Could only happen in TN.

[onceler]

Nader's idiotic comments will do nothing but help Obama. Nader has no clout anymore, his tiny band of silly followers has shrunk and shrunk, now barely existing at all. many more moderate Republicans will be reassured by this than will progressives be alienated. I would say it definitely helps Obama for someone like Ralph Nader to disgrace himself trying and failing to attack him. bring it on, Ralphie. do your worst.

[clevelandchick]

Mr. Crawford,

Nader has almost zero influence any more and he's the reason for it. It's not just the 2000 election. The man resurfaces during the primary season every four years for an ego massage. He has never tried to build a new party or a movement. His influence on Kerry's race was nil, his influence now will be even less.

Not only that, Nader trotted out that racist meme that 'Obama is "acting" white'. Is he trying to turn African Americans against their first shot at someone who shares their ancestry achieving the highest office of the land against him? And what's wrong with "acting white"? It's just so bad it's comical.

Nader's not making friends on the left with that crap and I'm sure he said it just to get himself some attention. I'm kind of surprised you're even paying attention to a man that has even less cache than Mike Gravel, nobody else is.