Can Al Gore ever escape him? No, I don't mean Bill Clinton; I'm
talking about Ralph Nader. In 2000, the Nader vote was the
margin of
victory in Florida, and thus, a Gore presidency, and therefore an
alternative reality much less grim than the one we now face.
But that
is the past. In the present, they are at it again.
Gore's global warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, has
been a
triumph for the issue itself and Gore's reputation. It has been
short-listed for the Oscar's documentary category, as it should be. But
wait, there's more. Also on the short list is a dark horse
candidate, a documentary about the political life of (natch) Ralph Nader.
So here we are six years later faced with the potential of another
Gore v. Nader race. Will Nader siphon off enough votes to cost Gore
yet another victory? Given the makeup of the 5,830 Academy voters,
largely older and significantly Jewish, will Florida be the
deciding
battleground?
This is crucial because many believe Gore's Oscar campaign--
Leno and
Oprah already--may be the first primary in his 2008
presidential run.
What terrible irony if Nader cost him the win once again.