Looks like Nader is going to run. Will announce on Meet the Press

[Monument]

Remember when Arnold announced his candidacy on Leno? Well, you don't schedule a TV appearance to announce that you are NOT going to run. Nader will run for President. Mark my words.

Here's an article from today's NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Nader.html?hp

[Viking12]

1. What an asshole n/t

[Monument]

4. I'm an ahole? Or Nader's an ahole?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

15. Nader.

clearly.

[Viking12]

19. Nader

Sorry for the confusion

[absyntheNsugar]

45. Nader

Nader has no respect from me at all.

[StopTheMorans]

2. hope there's enough space in the room for some reporters to cover

it; with Nader's head being so large tho, who knows :evilgrin:

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. What a self-centered SOB. n/t

[Walt Starr]

5. My prediction on his platform

The Iraq war was wrong and you have a choice between two people who were in favor of that wrong war.

I'm even more convinced that the democratic nominee is doomed to lose this year if for no other reason than the Iraq war.

[Snivi Yllom]

13. that is a very sane prediction

I also predict that 'special interests' will be an issue.

[Peachhead22]

6. Nader is...

...looking more and more like Lyndon Larouche.

(Not in his politics, mind you, but on his increasingly tenuous grip on reality)

[Monument]

7. Nader won't be with the Greens, he'll be an independent

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. Someone bribe this son of a bitch...

with a cabinet position. Give him the EPA. That would do a hell of a lot more to advance him and his party. The stakes are too high to play this bullshit game.

[Claire Beth]

9. I agree! n/t

[Monument]

10. We'll soon see what kind of a man he is

Was his run in 2000 just to set him up for a political windfall in 2004?

His candidacy cost the Democrats the race.

Might he expect the Dems to pay him handsomely to not run?

Was this his plan all along?

Needless to say, he'll be asking for, and most likely receiving, the world from the potential candidates.

[tigereye]

11. yup four more years of Bush,

sounds like a plan. Used to respect Ralph, and often have agreed with what he says, but he needs to take his head out of .... hmmmm.... the clouds... or other location.

[Desertrose]

18. I think we are giving Ralph too much credit....

with out the Greens...how far will he get I wonder......

I think not too far.....

Now if the Dems would just offer someone who can bring in the Greens & Indys...oh wait...how 'bout Dennis Kucinich...Nader said he'd not run if DK was the nominee.....(on edit-probably because he knew he wouldn't have any votes if he ran against Dennis)....

:shakinghead icon:

Peace
DR

[John_H]

26. Nah. Time for.....Math! With! Ralph!

The nader factor= the 2.7 percent that voted for him last time minus the huge number who now know the indistinguishable schtick was utter BS minus the huge number of nader voters who live in state's we'll win by a wide margin minus the smaller number who live in state's we'll lose handily minus the nader voters who would never vote dem anyway.

The result is a miniscule number of votes.

Sure, if the FL fiasco is repeated, anyone, even the LaRouche or the World Socialist Ice Fishermen's Party, could make a difference--but the ods are slim.

Nader's running is great news folks. He's not going to hurt us, and we get to destroy him along the way. C'mon Ralph. Don't go wobbly on us. RUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Poiuyt]

34. Someone already DID bribe him

Karl Rove

[mzmolly]

12. Let me guess, he wan'ts to "teach Democrats a lesson?"

:eyes:

[bluestateguy]

14. He's running because he wants to keep his Bush tax cut

The rest of us of course have to live with the consequences of a second--and more destructive--Bush Administration.

Nader voters: if your guy swings another election to Bush I'll be standing right there to say "See I told you so", as you or your kids are packed up and conscripted into George W. Bush's Army in 2005.

[oasis]

42. "Kids packed up"?The conscripts for Bush's PNAC army will be Nader voters.

The armed services are hurting for recruits now.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

16. Rove's 'February Surprise'. nt

[Iverson]

17. Look! There goes a UFO!

:eyes:

[lancdem]

20. You know, I don't give a rat's ass if he runs

He won't get anywhere near the vote he did in 2000, and that was, what, 3 percent? Plus, I've decided I'm not going to worry about things I can't control. Nader or not, I believe we have a very good shot at recapturing the presidency in 2004.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

27. I'd KILL for that 3% back!

3% in Florida and a lot of other states swing the entire election to Gore!

[John_H]

21. Sweeeeeeet!!!!

I hope the Dems have the press kit ready to go. Wal-Mart, Viacom, and Merk profiteering. Union busting. "Indistinguishable" statements. Financial secrecy. Megalomania.

It's sweet revenge time folks, and Ralph has provided us the sugar.

[goodhue]

22. I agree

I have always thought Nader would run unless we nominate Dennis John Kucinich. Stop Nader by voting Kucinich!

[West Coast Democrat]

23. Plenty of DUers say they would support

a third party candidate if Kerry or Edwards or whomever got the nomination.

Well, I'm not wealthy enough to vote Green. I have to live in the real world.

[mot78]

24. Nader's not running as a Green

He's running as an Independent.

[West Coast Democrat]

25. What difference does it make?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

28. Nader is the 'expert' on "differences".

Just note his fine comparison of Gore and Bush.

[West Coast Democrat]

30. Exactly!!!

[onecitizen]

29. Just heard breaking news on Faux.......

he's IN!!

I am blowing a gasket right now!

[loudnclear]

50. If Nader is in, the Dems are out BUT

Nader being in could hurt Bush this time around...all those Independents who held their noses and voted for Bush might just go for Nader.

I really think that Bush should remain in office until he kills off the Republican party for good. The next four years will be hell for whoever wins the election. And the neocons have so much money, power, and influence they would ruin any Dem in the WH. Unless and until the American public wakes up to what is happening to their country and choses someone who can take a principled stand against sleazeball corporate executives, blindly supporting Israel no matter what Israel does, huge tax loopholes and benefits for the very people who don't need it...the top 2%, and face down the military hype and the perpetual war machine that we have created, and fights to build up and retain jobs in this country, unless that happens, we may as well get used to more of the same and live our lives just as the Israqis did under Saddam...maintain a low profile, work, love and take care of your family, and kiss Bush's ass when he asks you to...then you will be safe...maybe.

[sleipnir]

31. I for one, HOPE he does run!

Then he can be finally marginalized when he gets like .05% of the popular vote! It will be the final death knell for his political aspirations!

[Nadienne]

32. Ignore me, please.

(self-delete)

[Mairead]

33. Sure! It's a warning shot across the bow. Too few people have been smart

enough to support DK so far, and he said long ago that unless DK's the nominee, there'll be at least 3 contenders in November.

We can still fix the problem. Only 25% of votes have been cast.

[Snivi Yllom]

36. To be honest, Nader's timing sucks

If he really wanted to ensure a more progressive candidate would get the nomination he should have announced this back in December before the first primary.

[Guaranteed]

39. That's true...like the Doomsday machine in "Dr. Strangelove"

The effectiveness is lost unless there is sufficient prior warning.

[goodhue]

41. He said last July he would likely run if Kucinich was not nominee.

There is no suprise here. The only surprise in the offing would be if we make Kucinich our nominee. Then Nader would not run and would likely actively campaign on behalf of Kucinich presidency. Running a progressive Green Democrat is the only way to shut down Nader.

[goodhue]

40. yes, likely Nader run is no suprise

But its not to late to make Kucinich our nominee!
Otherwise, democrats will be fighting uphill battle IMHO.

[The Magistrate]

35. Criminal Codes Prohibit Me

From suggesting the proper way of dealing with this agent provocatuer and arch-fiend of splinterism....

"There will be a holiday in our street soon!"

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[Mairead]

54. If that's true, then you're no democrat and don't deserve

the handle you chose.

Killing people who displease you is the act of a tyrant.

[TexasSissy]

37. Will his head fit thru the door there?

[Tinoire]

38. IOW, Dems can't win unless we prevent someone else from running?

Is that the new name of the game? Trying to hold people's votes hostage? Maintaining the illusion that they have a choice without really giving them one?

Kind of sad that despite the hatred of Bush, Democrats don't think we can win unless we prevent someone else from running. That right there tells you something about the candidates the DNC & DLC are foisting on the public.

Wow.

---

Not directed at the original poster but at anyone who prefers to think that Nader is the problem.

[Monument]

43. Should Nader participate in the debates?

just checking

[Tinoire]

46. I think he should.

We'll see Bush and whomever tripping all over themselves to see who can sound the most populist if Nader's in the debates and maybe we could get to real issues instead of skirting around really important ones.

Real issues such as the coming occupation of Iraq. War & war-enabling. NAFTA. WTO. Corporate globalization. Water & utility privatization that we're pushing all over the world. Genetically modified foods. A bloated defense budget. The space wars we are already having with the Europeans. The bi-partisan support of some of the most corrupt regimes in Central/Latin America & the Middle-East as well as our bi-partisan persecution of the populist Leftist ones. Israel/Palestine. Bi-partisan support for the erosion of civil liberties in this country. Terrorism being used as an excuse to go into other countries when we need to keep them in line.

Real issues that unfortunately matter to an awful lot of voters who spent a long three years thinking about "Why do they hate us?".

[Mairead]

55. I think he should too, in the open debates

Longtime national figure, large following, not a crook or nutcase, eligible for the office....yes, I think he should. Not in the current Dem primary debates, since he's not standing for the Dem nomination, but in the later ones? You betcha!

[Turkw]

53. It's not that we don't think we can win, it's that we know we might not

win, if in just a few important states, a few hundred people vote for Nader rather than the Democrat. If it were John McCain, I would not care, if it were a number of other Republicans, I would care, but not to the point of changing my opinion of Nader. Bush is another story, this presidency is unlike anything we have ever seen.

As mad as I am about the primaries and the media, I will put the Democratic nominee's bumper sticker on my car and vote for him. If it were another Republican, I might even vote FOR Nader. I will not take that chance, I didn't in 2000 and I was right.

[IconoclastIlene]

44. This guy is immortal....

Me and my husband were talking....we arent' youngsters, baby boomers in the middle of the boom, and we can hardly remember a time without Ralph Nader.

Hehas been around since we were at least 10..just HOW old is this guy? Maybe we need age caps on presidential nominees...the has to be 75....which is fine...maybe I could get good medical care like seems to have for myself...Hey, Ralph, who pays for your doctor bills?

Hey..Ralph....

[tedoll78]

47. I hate to say this..

but when he retires from politics, be it either by just being tired of it or by his own death, I'm gonna dance like crazy in celebration. The man is doing nothing but harm.

[Maddy McCall]

48. Can I join you?

I will too. He was great as a consumer advocate, and I won't deny that he made strides in consumer protection, but he will NOT be able to advance his issues by helping Bush be elected another 4 years. Quite the opposite....

[tedoll78]

49. Yup!

It'll be the Nader Retirement Dance Party! BYOB! :party:

[Turkw]

52. For all the good he has done, and how much he says IS rigtht, this is NOT

I hope he does not run, it will hurt the country and damage his reputation beyond repair.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

51. gah.

Better get used to four more bush years