If Nader runs...only Dean and Kucinich can run against him...not Kerry

[loudnclear]

The votes that Nader will get will hurt Kerry. My feeling.

[boxster]

1. And they won't hurt other Democratic candidates?

Yeah, right. A Nader run helps no one but Nader.

[meegbear]

2. Another reason for him not to run ...

maybe this time he'll take the hint.

[Cocoa]

3. the Nader impact will be so small

it won't be measurable.

[lancdem]

11. I agree

[Rolling Titanic]

22. 97,000 votes in Florida

he got were measureable.

[Kahuna]

26. That was then. This is now. Many of those people...

regret their votes and would not do it again.

[Rolling Titanic]

29. Same as Perot

voters for the Pugs. They're the same ones people here are hoping for a third party candidate on the right. This election will be as tight as the last one. and it isn't going to turn on the middle. It will turn on the fringes.

[Kahuna]

25. Agreed. He won't even get the 3% he got the last time.

nt

[still_one]

4. Nader is irrelevent

After what he did to the country in 2000, erases any good he did in his entire lifetime. In fact because of his ego, the republicans control both houses, the executive branch, and have a potential to shift the judicial branch to change this country for the next 20 years.

[vi5]

5. Didn't Nader and Kerry work together in the 70's...

I seem to recall reading that.

And I'm sorry but choosing a candidate based on fear of voters going to Nader is just as idiotic as choosing a candidate based on fear of voters going for Bush.

It can't be both ways. If one has nothing to do with the other (as we're so often told) when it comes to people voting for Nader then the same goes for people voting for Kerry.

I've determined after 4 years that if someone can't see the difference between bush and even the worst Dem then my breath is wasted trying to convince them.

[still_one]

6. Agree

Not only that but if you look at Nader's investments he is a hypocrite and a fraud!

[virtualobserver]

7. Nader isn't running as a Green.

Nader will be lucky to get 1/10 of 1 percent.

It is the Green candidate that we need to worry about.

[diamondsoul]

17. Disagree.

Nader doesn't need to run as a Green to have support- case in point, my own rankings for the GE-

1.Kucinich
2.Dean
3.Nader

And I'm deadly serious. Just as deadly serious as the horrors Bush has wrought on my country that won't be undone by a pink tu-tu Dem.

[Skidmore]

31. You betcha Nader will make a difference...

be prepared to enjoy four more years with the Little Boots. Ralph will at least be consistent in "making a difference".

[diamondsoul]

32. Spare me.

Bush was selected by Gore's refusal to fight for his Presidency. He won, he knew it and he quit and walked away. Nader had squat to do with it.

[Ficus]

8. I don't think he'll be a factor

maybe the Greens will with a credible candidate, but not Nader as an indy.

[corporatewhore]

19. The Greens are running David Cobb

[Ficus]

21. the greens are running lots of people

including Cobb. But like I said, a credible candidate. I know that he's well respected in Texas and has done much work building the Texas Greens, and I don't want to poo-poo that, but I don't see him nor any other green taking a national presence in 2004 like Nader did in 2000. Perhaps Camejo, however he's not officially running.

[rucky]

9. This also has to happen:

Bush adopts the NAFTA stance of the TX - GOP (Bush's home party in Bush's home state). At the very least, changes his rhetoric to discuss pulling out of NAFTA. It could very easily happen, and we've seen signs of it from Bush re: steel tariffs, China, etc.

An "October suprise" like that would be just as damaging as finding Osama:

This was a top issue for Nader voters in 2000. Kerry would stand as the lone free-trader, giving the Greens their reason to vote for Ralphie, and the old-school conservatives their reason to vote for Bush.

The only candidates that could head off that potential disaster are Kucinich & Edwards.

[justinpower]

10. Wouldnt that be the ultimate irony

If Bush ran on a platform to relinquish NAFTA and Kerry ran on a platform to keep it.

[BayCityProgressive]

15. Nader AND the greens will be invisible

They will split whatever small vote of extreme leftists there are out there who are so pure that they can't vote for the Dem. There will be the same types on the Right too like Pat Buchanan and hopefully Roy Moore. Nader will get no traction on Kerry like he did on Gore. Kerry fights back against Bush. Kerry ranks 92 out of 100 in the senate for special interest money taken. Kerry was endorsed earlier than any other candidate in history by the League of Conservation voters for his OUTSTANDING environmental record. Kerry was the first senator to introduce gay rights legislation back in the 80's. He opposed the anti-gay DOMA when he was up for re-election. Kerry shined a light on Reagan's illegal wars. Kerry was there in the beginning with Veterans For Peace. Kerry is one of leaders in women's rights in the senate and opposing ANWAR drilling. Kerry opposes the death penalty in all cases except for terrorists. kerry votes with Kennedy 95% of the time. Kerry is a liberal and I think Nader running will be a good thing because it will keep him from running too far center in the general. The Greens are a needed party, they have been helpful in reforming the Dem party from the outside and I hope they continue to do well on a local level. They are pretty extreme sometimes though, like their run for San Fran mayor. The way they talked about newshom you would have thought he was a Republican and look at the stand Newshom has recently taken. Liberals will see Kerry as a good candidate because he actually is moderately liberal.

[mdmc]

27. What is the truth? Your subject line or your signature line?

:kick:

[rucky]

18. It's been ironic for 10+ years

NAFTA is our baby (albeit a red-headed stepchild). It would be easy to explain away the Bush job losses on "Clinton's NAFTA" & have the voters buy into it. Democrats included.

[westcoastbias]

12. NAFTA

Everyone but Kerry wants to reel in NAFTA. Kerry is vulnerable here.

[sadiesworld]

13. With Clark out ...

Kerry is the best remaining option. Edwards would be painted as inexperienced and out-of-his-depth in a complex, scary world. The pictures of W in military garb would become serious campaign props. Ultimately, assuming people feel safe, they will vote out the disasterous domestic policies of this administration.

[mikehiggins]

28. Don't waste your breath

Nader is a no-show in 2004. If he wants to run, fine. Lyndon LaRouche is running as well, and maybe even Perot.

The press should have a debate among all these fringe candidates, maybe call it the Carnival of Clowns or something.

Nader is just a sad, tired old man who has missed the boat and just doesn't get it.

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. So we're going to let Nader have veto power over who OUR nominee is?

If he wants to influence who the Democratic nominee is, he should register as a Democrat.

[bushisanidiot]

16. Nader lost a lot of support after he helped AWOL win in 2000

nader's votes will not have an impact. i'm looking for an independant conservative to run.. there's a lot of them who think AWOL hasn't done his job concerning illegal immigration and job outsourcing. there's a lot of anti-dem rednecks who are worried about their jobs.. they would go 3rd party for the right candidate.

[EXE619K]

20. It does not matter.

If Nader or Cobb runs this year...it's their choice to do so.

No need to discourage the democratic process.

If the eventual nominee of the Democratic party cannot win this years GE, then the fault lies solely on the party and candidate.

No more "blaming" third-parties...that's just ridiculous.

If the Dems and their nominee loses due to attrition, obviously, the platform was not convincing for third-party voters.

[mdmc]

23. Wrong.

Sharpton, Braun, Kucinich, Kerry, and Dean can all court the left.

[Kahuna]

24. Are you kidding? We should forsake 98% of voters to appease..

the 2% that Nader got? This sounds like fuzzy math. :crazy:

[West Coast Democrat]

30. So a Dean/Kucinich ticket would help us win all Independents

or just Green-leaning independents? Not to be negative about Dean or Kucinich, but we'd probably lose a greater number of independents with such a ticket.