Dean Discourages Nader

[59millionmorons]

Yesterday many people scoffed at the idea that Dean should say anything about Nader, turns out Dean did the mature and right thing.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=379569&mesg_id=379569

Ralph Nader has made many great contributions to America over 40 years. But if George W. Bush is re-elected, the health, safety, consumer, environmental, and open government provisions Ralph Nader has fought for will be undermined. George Bush's right-wing appointees will still be serving as judges fifty years from now, and our Constitution will be shredded. It will be government by, of, and for, the corporations - exactly what Ralph Nader has struggled against.

Those who truly want America's leaders to stand up to the corporate special interests and build a better country for working people should recognize that, in 2004, a vote for Ralph Nader is, plain and simple, a vote to re-elect George W. Bush. I hope that Ralph Nader will withdraw his candidacy in the best interests of the country we hope to become.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. Nothing wrong with repeating this again and again

a vote for Ralph Nader is, plain and simple, a vote to re-elect George W. Bush.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Nothing wrong with repeating this either

Keep pushing for election reform. It won't help in this election, but it can save us from future repeats of 2000.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. Election reform won't work

We need system reform. Until Congress is more amenable to third parties, none of them will ever work. Until third parties are viable, someone is always going to get screwed in these Nader situations. We really need for there to be at least 4 major parties in this country in order to adequately reflect the spectrum of beliefs in our country, but you slit your own throat under the current system by straying from the 2 major parties.

[59millionmorons]

6. My 2 cents on Nader

If Nader does what he said he will do, and that is go after Bush. Then this will be a plus for the dems. I believe Nader will keep his campaign going to the last minute and then endorse the Democratic candidate. This is actually a good way for Dems to beat up on Bush via Nader.

[mot78]

2. In this case, I'm glad Dean supporters are "non-transferable"

We need Dean's supporters to voter Dem, and not go to Nader. I've been fearing this prospect for months, but it's much more likely to happen with DK's supporters than Dean's.

[robertpaulsen]

16. Not me!

I believe in voting with my heart during the primary and voting with my head in the general election. Come March 2 I will be voting for Dennis Kucinich. Come November 2 it will be the Democratic nominee.

I learned my lesson in 2000; Ralph Nader doesn't even come into the equation. I won't vote for Nader until Congress makes IRV the law of the land. This will not happen by putting one man into an elective office, even if it is the President of the United States.

[asthmaticeog]

17. Hey!

This Kucinich voter doesn't want to touch Nader with a ten-foot pole in November, thank you very much. This election is a binary proposition: Bush wins or Bush loses. Besides, where's Ralph been for the last three years? Working on third-party legitimacy issues? Working for systemic reform? Working on a single god damn thing? Or has he made himself scarce? By ducking out of the process and out of the public eye until campaign time rolled around again, he's lost all credibility with me. Furthermore, since he's running as an independent, votes for him won't help electorally validate the Green Party, which was a compelling reason to vote for him in '00. There's no reason whatsoever to vote Nader in '04 - the only "message" you send in doing so is "I'm a horse's ass who doesn't understand the real-world consequences of my actions."

[bluestateguy]

4. Good for Dean

I knew he would do the right thing.

[library_max]

13. Just what I was going to say. Thanks. /nt

[coloradodem2005]

5. Thank you Dean.

I really don't know what to make of Nader anymore. He seems to be shooting his own causes in the foot.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. Does he have causes?

Outside of his own ego, that is.

[YNGW]

9. Just talked to a RW acquantance who said...

... that Nader could help the Dem nominee. Said that Nader's message may appeal to the hard-core left, but the Democratic primaries made clear this is a small consituency and many of them will hold their noses and vote for Kerry (or whoever) anyway. Said that having Nader around could benefit Kerry further by making him look moderate, just like Dean did during the early nomination contests.

Could be. Who knows. :shrug:

[bluestateguy]

11. Could Nader make Kerry look "moderate"?

Maybe. Some people think that Henry Wallace's Left-wing candidacy in 1948 did just that for Harry Truman, as did the Dixecrat defection from Strom Thurmond. The Democrats were able to lift the weight of the racists.

[mndemocrat_29]

10. Thank you Dean

[sangh0]

12. What Noam CHomsky says about voting 3rd party

In a recent interview, referring to this year's presidential race, Noam Chomsky pointed out:

The current incumbents may do severe, perhaps irreparable, damage if given another hold on power—a very slim hold, but one they will use to achieve very ugly and dangerous ends. In a very powerful state, small differences may translate into very substantial effects on the victims, at home and abroad. It is no favor to those who are suffering, and may face much worse ahead, to overlook these facts. Keeping the Bush circle out means holding one's nose and voting for some Democrat, but that's not the end of the story. The basic culture and institutions of a democratic society have to be constructed, in part reconstructed, and defeat of an extremely dangerous clique in the presidential race is only one very small component of that.

From www.tompaine.com -- Click on "Nader's Tin Ear"

[bluestateguy]

14. WOW. That makes my day

If Chomsky, CHOMSKY, of all people who many American Leftists absolutely adore, says vote for a Democrat I feel much better that Nader's candidacy will not amount to anything.

[Larkspur]

15. I never planned on voting for Nader, but I won't donate to a pro-war

Dem either, especially if it is "have my cake and eat it to" Kerry.

[jansu]

18. Vote for Dean! Show Nader that he does not have a hope of our Vote!

Dean wants us to vote for him still! He did not withdraw, so all this talk of us going over to Nader or with anyone else, is wishful thinking. But, let's make sure that Nader knows he is NOT our alternative candidate. Whomever all of the voters in the Primaries decide is our Nominee, at the Convention, is OUR CANDIDATE! Most of us will work hard, give money and do whatever it takes to get OUR DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE elected as President. But, until the Convention, please, let us vote our choice! Support our right to our choice, in the Primary season. We will be supporting whomever wins at the Convention and in the General Election, whole heartedly!

[bluestateguy]

19. Sounds like a fair compromise to me

[WiseMen]

20. Good for you Guv. We all think you and Judy are good folk.