The Ralph Nader Charity February 26, 2008
Posted by Conrad Hubbard in : The Chip , trackbackSo, Ralph Nader has declared his Presidential candidacy again. Let’s be serious, he is going to lose big-time, again. The problem is that he is also going to damage his own party’s goals. In 2000, he peeled 2 and 3/4% off the Democratic vote. Then in 2004, he got about 1/3 of one percent of the vote. In both elections, he helped out the Republican party, which subsequently spent a lot of time crushing much of what his beloved Green Party represents.
Ralph. Dude. It’s your money, and that of your contributors, but unless you have decided that your favorite charity is the people who hate your positions, don’t you think that money might be better spent directly on the things you love? I hereby propose the “Ralph Nader Charity Fund” wherein you put all of the money you are going to waste on your campaign, which will only help those who oppose the things you want to see happen, directly into projects that actually advance your goals rather than sabotaging them.
Comments»
What a wonderful way to support the democratic process. Lets just get rid of all third party candidates, surely anyone who might ever make a decent president is democrat or republican, and when thats done we will do away with third party candidates at the state and local level. They never win either.
Sarcasm aside, I don’t expect Nadar runs expecting to win, but rather to try and open peoples minds to the possibility of one day having a serious third party candidate that could win. There are a great many people especially at the university age demographic that believe the two party system is hurting this country more then helping.
You are correct, Nadar will not win this year or likely ever, but by not simply rolling over he might keep the door open for 10 or 20 years down the road when someone who can win might run under a third party candidate. I am rather disappointed in you someone who advocates for Obama under his banner of “change” so staunchly had failed to see that.
I am proposing that the millions of dollars he is spending would be better spent in some other fashion. Since he is not going to win, the use of the money to influence the political system in other ways would be more productive, and have a more positive impact. In particular, I do not agree with you about the lower level offices. I feel that state and local third party candidates can win. Nader would have a greater impact by successfully becoming a Senator or Representative than by failing to become President and simultaneously helping a candidate that opposes his goals. Take a look at Ron Paul or Jesse Ventura for examples of what I mean. Given our current situation, a third party is going to have to build up a body of lower offices before it can take the highest office. Meanwhile, as they work to do so, they can have real effect now.