Nader tells Olbermann: if his votes empower a Bush win, "It's worth it"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

NOTE: The link below is a video clip I transcribed from the MSNBC web site, because if you're not using IE as your browser, you can't watch it. C'est la vie.

Olbermann cited a Zogby poll showing that if Nader were NOT involved in this race, his votes would go to: 41% Kerry, 15% Bush, 30% Elsewhere, 15% Undecided.



He then asked Nader "Do you, at this point, looking at this race realistically inside the three week mark, do you think that the re-election of George Bush is the best realistic outcome of this election, and would you assume responsibility for it if it happens?"

Nader replied "First of all, I want to defeat George W. Bush, I don't trust the Democrats, who've been losing, losing, losing for the last ten years at the local, state, and national level to the worst Republicans, including losing an election in 2000 they actually won. So, the Democrats...you can't get that through their head, that the polls are not the marker, the marker is the political dynamics before the polls, the extent to which I'm helping to repress some of Bush's vote. I'm helping to push the Democrats toward opposing a military draft, for example. As our Web Site illustrates, issue after issue we are presenting literally on a silver platter a few days ago to the Kerry-Edwards headquarters on how we can beat Bush."

SNIP

Olbermann asks him if it is "worth the price" of being a candidate who could tip the election "in either direction," and Nader replies:

"It's worth the price of breaking up the two-party system. It has to start somewhere. They have really betrayed the American people, turned Washington into corporate-occupied territory, with almost every government agency controlled by corporate power."

Olbermann asks: "There is no chance that in the next 18 days you are going to withdraw from this election and endorse another candidate?"

Nader replies: "Less of a chance than George W. Bush or John Kerry quitting. We want to fight beyond November 2. This is a fight where often we have to fight, then lose, then fight in order for clean elections and the necessities of the American people to prevail. It's worth it. It's worth every day of it."

http://video.msn.com/video/p.htm?t=1&p=News_Comment%20-%20Analysis&i=82d25134-b717-4d96-9cf8-ac64b28567ef

[Fenris]

1. Yeah. It will break up the two party system.

Asshat.

[creeksneakers2]

12. And make it a one party system n/t

[oldsneakers]

21. This man is CRAZY!!!

If he causes Bush to win he will be the most hated man in Amerika!!

[China_cat]

25. Nader lost me

in 2000 over the theft of the MasterCard ad. Not so much the taking of it but the refusal to apologize and stop using it when MC objected. The comment that MC should just 'get over it' when confronted with the issue.

From someone railing about the dishonesty of the other 2 parties, this was simply unacceptable. And in this campaign he's taken money from the Republicans to BE a spoiler and help them steal yet another election.

Yes, Ralph, we need a viable third (and fourth and fifth and even tenth) party, but you sure as hell ain't it.

[jrthin]

2. I despise Nader. n/t

[bluestateguy]

3. Every day I wake up in the morning

I turn on the TV and the Internet hoping that today will be the day. The day that Ralph Nader decides to drop out and endorse the only candidate who can evict George W. Bush from the White House.

[Octafish]

4. Thanks, Ralph.

BTW: Ralph, do you think Bush did
all he could to stop 9-11?
I don't.

Oh yeah. FUCK YOU, RALPH!

HEY, BUSH! FUCK YOU, TOO!

[Nlighten1]

5. Nader has lost his marbles.

:wtf:

[Mizmoon]

6. Clinton was president from 1992-2000

So how have we "lost for the last ten years"?

That's a Republican meme he's spouting.

[NightOwwl]

7. If hell freezes over and Nadar wins.

WTF does he think he's going to accomplish? Does he think he's just going to waltz in there and Congress will get down on their hands and knees for him? God, what a f*ckd up arrogant a-hole.

[BillZBubb]

8. Ralph Nader: Republican Judas goat.

Lead all those misguided "progressives" to the slaughter house.

What a phony piece of shit.

[mzmolly]

9. Anyone have a narcissistic liberal blowhard translator for this statment?

"First of all, I want to defeat George W. Bush, I don't trust the Democrats, who've been losing, losing, losing for the last ten years at the local, state, and national level to the worst Republicans, including losing an election in 2000 they actually won. So, the Democrats...you can't get that through their head, that the polls are not the marker, the marker is the political dynamics before the polls, the extent to which I'm helping to repress some of Bush's vote ..."

huh?

Yeah Ralph, you've got all the answers.

How can he claim with a straight face that he's got the issues on his website that will defeat Bush. Oh, if only Kerry would wake up and co-opt Ralph Naders plagerized platform all the world would be a-glow. :eyes:

[AlbertoMo83]

10. What a joke

LOL Nader still thinks he has a realistic shot of winning the Whitw House?? What has he been smoking?? :smoke: :crazy:

[Fed Up]

11. What galls me is that if he costs Kerry the election,

for the next four years he'll be writing articles for CommonDreams.org saying how bad Bush is ruining this nation.

Ralph is a hateful iconoclast, he just hates the other 2 parties and envies their popularity and doesn't mind if one of them eats the other even if it ruins this planet.

When was the last time you ever heard Ralph say how much he likes something?

[fugue]

13. I am passionately against the two-party system

That said . . .

DROP OUT OF THE RACE, RALPH! WRONG WAR, WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME!

[demgrrrll]

14. Honest elections? Wasn't one of his staff just indicted in Virginia?

Something about the signatures? His campaign has been a study in corrupt practices and he wants to preach?

[KT2000]

15. Fundamentalist Nader

He has no compassion. His failed mission is going to cause pain for so many and he just doesn't give a damn. He will destroy the 2 party system to assure we become a one party state.

There was never going to be a successful outcome to these efforts of his. What a horrible person he has become.

[checks-n-balances]

18. You got that right. He is either evil or else his elevator

stopped going to the top a long time ago.

IMHO, he has become one of the most selfish people in the whole world by his actions in this campaign.

[Liberal Veteran]

16. Nader is a worthless fuck...

I used to respect him. Now I feel only contempt for what used to be a decent human being.

[peacetalksforall]

17. Everyday in every way I confirm my earliest adjusted opinion of him.

Early on in 2000, he went from being a hero to a spoiler. Later in 2000, he went from being a spolier to a traitor. In my book, he couldn't start at the grass roots which is equally important in the rule of things, he had to have the money that comes with the run. And, it appears he had to exploit the corporate view by his support and investment in polluting and weapons companies, despite his rhetoric. He is as phoney as they come. I can't see courting him. We have to bite the bullet. And I'm not a fatalist. We're dealing with a kook who lost his vision and his way because of his disregard for fine numbers except those in his bank accounts.

[Snellius]

19. Democrats don't have Nader's luxury of being uncompromising

Nader somehow forgets that, as a major party, the Democrats don't have the luxury of promoting more progressive positions -- even if they may agree with them at heart. It's unbelievable that he can't see that most Democrats have to temper their public policy, not because they are tools of big business or party partisanship, but because they have to accommodate a much wider tent than Nader's small coterie of true-believers.

[Arkana]

20. What an egotistical blowhard

"First of all, I want to defeat George W. Bush, I don't trust the Democrats, who've been losing, losing, losing for the last ten years at the local, state, and national level to the worst Republicans, including losing an election in 2000 they actually won.

Yes, Ralph, and if it hadn't been for your egotistical ass we wouldn't lose national elections LIKE THE ONE IN 2000. Sheesh.

[Cha]

22. I hope this puts that shit notion to rest

that nadirrrrrrrrrrr is going to give his votes to Kerry.

nadir is Boil on America's Ass!

[Cocoa]

23. Nader has a lot in common with Bush

the same kind of messianic certainty that Ron Suskind reveals in his NYT story today.

[ramapo]

24. Fight beyond Nov. 2?

For how many days? Nader gave a couple of speeches and then disappeared after F'ing up the 2000 election. I really don't blame Nader for the 2000 debacle. There are plenty of reasons for that and then things just got worse in '02.

Anyway Nader didn't fight about anything. He did no grass roots work. Nada. He wrote a book and now he's talking about breaking apart the system? Give me a break.

If you want to cast a protest vote, pick some other third party candidate.

[Greylyn58]

26. I Said This A Couple Of Days Ago...

and I'll repeat it. I watched this interview on Olbermann and Nader IS crazy!!

He doesn't care if he hands this election to Bush, he just wants to make HIS point. He doesn't like Bush, but doesn't think Kerry is liberal enough so he has to run and in some weird way he thinks he can win. It's all about what he wants!

He has totally gone into Naderland and it doesn't matter who gets hurt in this election.

:grr:

"You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in their struggle for independence."
Charles A. Beard

[The empressof all]

27. Nader and his voters are Bush supporters

They are just unwilling to accept responsibility for their actions.

[Radio-Active]

28. I saw a quote from Nader,

that he would show up at the first debate, dressed like Superman.

He seems like a deluded man with messianic ambitions

[fujiyama]

29. God his ego is so big

He thinks he's responsible for the democrats talking about the draft?!

[Shopaholic]

30. Y'all know I love Keith to pieces

but I just sat there Friday night and moaned at the TV "Keith--why interview this loser?? Why give him the legitimacy of acting like a candidate?" But you know--KO tries to be fair and I guess he felt like he needed to interview him. Still--I was just not a very happy camper about that interview.