Is there any chance whatsoever of you voting for Nader in 2008?

[ButterflyBlood]

For me, no. None. You all know how much Hillary bashing I do, but not even if she's the nominee and ahead by 30 points would I even consider voting for Nader. Not even if I lived in DC. There is no possible scenario in which I'd ever vote for Nader. Hell, I'd consider the Libertarian candidate before that egotistical sack of crap. Ralph Nader is one of the most truly revolting human beings alive today.

[Colobo]

1. Why vote for Nader when Obama is the best choice?

[Romulox]

29. Obama won't be on the ticket by the time most of us get a chance to vote...

Ia and NH will see to that...

[robinlynne]

2. This is a joke, yes?

[ButterflyBlood]

3. Unfortunately the number of Nader apologists had DU has grown lately

He was universally loathed in 2004, but now there actually are people defending that piece of crap, even with evidence that he supports James Dobson.

[Kelly Rupert]

5. Short memories, I guess.

Eight years is apparently long enough to forget 2000.

[mainegreen]

4. What, is he running or something?

:shrug:

[Lucinda]

37. I think he popped out of the womb with bumperstickers.

He's alwaaaaaaays running. :)

[MH1]

6. Where's the "Hell no, are you insane???" option? n/t

[Lucinda]

38. That's the one I was looking for. n/t

[connecticut yankee]

7. No way, no how

It's his fault we've had to endure the last seven years.

How anyone could defend him is beyond me.

[AlCzervik]

8. no, Hillary may not be my choice but i'd rather have her appointing Supreme court Justices

than any republican.

[mzmolly]

9. I'm sorry, I didn't see

HELL NO!

;)

[AtomicKitten]

10. Less than zero.

[jojo54]

11. Absolutely friggin' NOT!!

He made a great public activist but other than that......

[Jim Lane]

12. I voted "No" but there is one conceivable scenario...

I would vote for Nader if he somehow, through some truly outlandish turn of events, became the Democratic nominee.

I felt justified in voting "No" in your poll, though, because I see no chance whatsoever of that happening. One reason I mention it is that, along with all the obvious arguments about 2000, I think a powerful one that doesn't get enough attention is that Nader should've run in the Democratic primaries. I would've voted for him. He could have participated in debates, and gotten coverage, and made his points, and provided a graphic demonstration of the strength of the progressive vote -- all without risking the catastrophe that actually did happen. The Nader apologists generally prefer not to address that alternative.

[ButterflyBlood]

17. Why would he do that? He has a pathological hatred of the Democratic Party

All he does is try to harm the Democrats. Since 2000 that's all he's done, he has done NOTHING else.

[Jim Lane]

36. Agreed. Of course, he's provoked a corresponding reaction from many Dems who once admired him.

If Nader had sought the nomination in 1992, he might've had a shot. If he had stayed out of the race in 2000 and sought the nomination in 2004, he might've had a shot. There was a lot of admiration for what he'd accomplished; he had a strong image of personal integrity; and he would've had the appeal of a non-politician outsider (which worked for Schwarzenegger).

Now, of course, he could publicly repent for his folly, apologize profusely, rub ashes in his hair, and it wouldn't do him any good.

I think the most appropriate commentary on Nader was written more than 150 years ago by John Greenleaf Whittier:

So fallen! so lost! the light withdrawn
Which once he wore!
The glory from his gray hairs gone
Forevermore!

You can read the full text courtesy of .

Whittier was aghast that Daniel Webster, long a leading opponent of slavery, had supported a compromise that included the Fugitive Slave Act. He felt betrayed but still acknowledged some feeling for Webster's many contributions earlier in his career:

Then, pay the reverence of old days
To his dead fame;
Walk backward, with averted gaze,
And hide the shame!

That's how I feel about Nader.

[Dawgs]

13. No, but that doesn't mean I'm voting for Hillary.

[cobalt1999]

14. My god, there are actually some Yes votes!

Fuck Nader. I'll never forget all those Nader votes in Florida in 2000. Idiots, every single one of them.

[Cameron27]

15. No, not a chance in hell.

[Adelante]

16. Never happen nt

[smalll]

18. No, they'll find someone more "hip" to waste their vote on -

they'll write-in the name of their snot-nosed rich nephew who lives in Williamsburg if it comes to it.

Forget literacy tests, what America needs is hipness exams at the polls! ( Major credits for bedroom hair, Coverse All-Stars, being able to generate enough hipster antigravity to be able to pull off the low-rider jeans/no-ass combo, etc.)

Why in hell should old people have so much say in the selection of our nation's leaders just because they happen to vote so much? Won't somebody think of the polyester?? And the slow driving?!?

[Quantess]

19. No way in hell!

:thumbsdown: x( :thumbsdown:

[illinoisprogressive]

20. don't know. If hillary is the nominee, I am going independent and leaving the dem party.

so, you never know.

[Clintonista2]

35. Good

Don't let the door hit ya.

[BigDDem]

40. Adios!

[LWolf]

21. Very doubtful.

While the possibility of my returning to official independent status is good, I don't see Nader as a choice. I'm thinking that, as an independent, there will be better choices available. If I don't like the choices on my ballot, independent or no, I'll write a better candidate in.

[ButterflyBlood]

34. I'm glad that so many here see

that Nader is no better than who he attacks. He's just another corrupt liar asshole politician.

[HughBeaumont]

22. Nope. Not voting for Hillary either.

If Hillary and a Republican are my choices, I'll leave the slot blank, thanks. My choice should NOT have to amount to "who sucks less".

Nader says a lot of stuff I don't agree with, so that's never a "yes" for me.

[Solon]

23. Nader? No, someone else, possibly...

To be frank, I'm disgusted with both parties, and their stalwarts are assholes, to put it bluntly. I don't see anyone interested in winning my vote, but trying to make me fear the alternative. I'm sick of this shit.

[mrgorth]

24. As much as

I blame Nader for 2000 and DON'T want to vote for him in 2008, if both general election candidates support attacking Iran I will vote for nader or someone else against this.

[MaineDem]

25. 13% said yes?

How absolutely pathetic!

[Solon]

26. For whom?

The Democrats who haven't yet won those 13% of the votes(on DU), or Nader for only getting that same 13%?

[Romulox]

30. You're either with us or against us!

:sarcasm:

[Hosnon]

27. I get that you didn't want us to read your words strictly.

However, with the intent of encouraging people to say what they mean, I will do just that. :)

So, yes, there is a chance of me voting for Nader in 2008, even if it is lower than a billionth of a percent chance.

[Pirate Smile]

28. I'd rather gnaw my own foot off then vote for Nader.

[Bonobo]

31. Sure. After all, his platform is closest to my positions. Him and Kucinich.

So if Kucinich loses, well...

[riverdale]

32. For me the race is btwn Kucinich and Nader

But Kuc has no chance of being the D nominee, while at least Nader could possibly be on the ballot. I voted for Nader in 2000, then held my nose and voted for Kerry in 2004. Let me tell you, voting for the best candidate feels 10,000 times better. Watching Kerry immediately surrender in 2004 instead of fighting for Ohio clinched it for me. No more holding the nose for me. I will not vote for any presidential candidate who voted for the war, and that includes Edwards.

[ButterflyBlood]

45. Then I hope you enjoy being banned once Kucinich doesn't win the nomination

Have a nice day. :)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

33. if i wanted to waste my vote, i would stay home and take a nap

[SunDrop23]

39. Why? That would accomplish NOTHING.

[BigDDem]

41. 15% must love the last 7 years

[saltpoint]

42. Voted 'No' in your poll.

Nader's brainy but there's no warmth to him. A bit of an automaton.

He has zero affinity with Congress and minimum constituency leverage -- really minimum.

He's not the only public consumer advocate out there.

I'll take the field of Democratic candidates on almost every single issue over Ralph Nader, most with considerable emphasis.

[goodhue]

43. of course the wisdom of such a vote depends entirely on what state you live in

eom

[Totally Committed]

44. No. None. And, he'll step out and let this race go unchallenged.

If he doesn't, he risks allowing himself to be the "reason" for a Democratic loss, or too uninfluential, if the Dems win.

He needs to "let God sort it out".

TC