Nader calls Obama: "crooked politician"

[pnwmom]

Nader is despicable. Whatever good he has done in the past, he's lost any respect I ever had for him. It's clear that all his altruistic efforts were just to serve his giant ego -- and now that he's not getting enough attention anymore, we're seeing his true colors.

http://rawstory.com//news/2008/Nader_Democrats_are_political_slaves_Obama_0728.html

SNIP

"What is your answer to people, including myself, who believe that the votes you get will take away from the Democratic party and ensure McCain wins?" asked the woman during Nader's Q&A with the press. "People who say that a vote for you is a vote for McCain."

Nader grew tense, and his response to the woman was abrupt. "Madam, do you think I'm a second-class citizen?" he asked.

"I'd like for you to answer my question," said the woman.

"No, because that question implies that somehow I am less equal in running for election than two crooked politicians in Washington," he said. "You are a political bigot, wittingly or unwittingly."

It was during his speech, and after the press conference, that Nader said progressives who will vote for Obama as the "least worst candidate" are actually trapped in "political slavery."

SNIP

[book_worm]

1. Nadir is an egomaniac and his reputation has gone down the drain.

[cliffordu]

2. He acts like a glue sniffer.

[WinkyDink]

60. Deliberate spelling? :)

[Drunken Irishman]

3. Nader can suck my...

Toe.

:D

[Just-plain-Kathy]

4. Once I found out Nader took funds from the RNC during the '04 elections...

...he's nothing to me.

[ronnykmarshall]

64. He's been nothing to me since 2000.

Fucking asshole.

[jobycom]

5. Not a second-class citizen, just a third-rate politician and a first-rate megalomaniac. nt

[flamingdem]

6. I better not see any Nader buttons this time

:banghead:

at the co-op. grrrrrrrr. No, being for Nader is not the same as being a leftie tree hugger! Let's just hope he steals votes from McCrap.

[bluestateguy]

7. He won't get 0.3% of the vote

And the Democratic Congress has rightfully blackballed him from ever testifying about anything.

[SeattleGirl]

8. Hey, Ralph!

Bite me!!!

:grr:

[JI7]

9. Nader will vote for McCain

[Franks Wild Years]

13. Of course he will.

His actions in '04 with the finance pretty much proved his position as a right-winger as far as I'm concerned and to me, it's staggering that some people are unable to see through his fraudulent persona. Anyone idiotic enough to vote for Nader deserve Bush as President for the rest of their time on this mortal coil.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

20. No, he won't - he's just stupid, not malicious, I think.

I think that Nader probably believes what he says, he's just dumb.

[snowbear]

10. On a brighter note, Bob Barr is dissing McSame on taxes today...

.
.
.

July 28, 2008 8:20 pm EST

John McCain Contradicts Himself on Taxes Again]

Atlanta, GA -- “Where does John McCain stand on taxes?,” asks Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate for president. “He was for higher taxes before he was against them. But now he seems to be in favor of them again,” notes Barr.

“Perhaps Sen. McCain has been in Washington too long to realize, but Americans pay far too much for government. The Tax Foundation says most of us spend nearly four months working for the government, and that doesn’t include the cost of government borrowing or regulation. Yet Sen. McCain opposed President George W. Bush’s tax cuts as being unfair. When he decided to run for president, he decided that he favored making the tax cuts permanent. Which is the real John McCain?,” Barr asks.

Continued: http://www.bobbarr2008.com/press/press-releases/67/john-mccain-contradicts-himself-on-taxes-again-says-bob-barr/

[pnwmom]

12. I guess we can thank him for doing his part to split the Rethug vote.

Thanks for the reminder.

[opihimoimoi]

11. He is not a Good Human...Banish him to....to....what? No one wants him? we stuck with the dude? RATz

I know....dump him in the New George Bush Sanitation Facility in San Francisco

Nader has blood on his hands....he got Bush into the Oval....and Bush killed over 7000 americans so far....

[rasputin1952]

14. And bush and McCain aren/t...Nader is little more than a

pot-stirrer, long ago he lost what credibility he had. Nader shold not speak from w/in the confines of the Mirror House...:eyes:

[AllentownJake]

15. Ego Maniac and Media Whore

I'd have some respect for him if he was trying to build a 3rd party movement in non-election years and was on the ground finding candidates and raising money and speaking on their behalf.

He shows up every 4 years does little work and gets some votes. The guy can go to hell for all I care.

[Marrah_G]

16. Thanks for 8 years of hell Nader!

[Fluffdaddy]

24. Ditto

[MonkeyFunk]

17. You lost respect for him over THIS?!

Not for what he did in 2000?

[pnwmom]

32. I lost respect for him years ago.

Yes, 2000 was the turning point. This is just more proof.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

39. I think it's pretty much the same thing he did in 2000, just replacing "Gore" with "Obama"

My anger from this has always been that he is so hellbent on being "the alternative", he constantly makes the claim that there is no difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. And that is just not true.

We all knew he would do this to Hillary, Barack, Edwards, whoever won. His message demands it. For him to be the alternate, for him to be the savior, he has to argue the two choices are both terrible.

[ronnykmarshall]

63. Edwards was the only one he claimed to support.

But I'm sure if Edwards was the nominee ol' Me! Me! Me! Nader would still be flapping his big mouth.

[Vinca]

18. Here's my prediction. By the end of the week,

Nader will (after having gotten zero press from his remarks so far) be claiming Barack had a sex change operation and is a former WBA star.:rofl:

[MyNameGoesHere]

19. Well your sensational half true subject line

withstanding. There is a smattering of truth in what he said. But he did say BOTH, not taking away any victim status your were looking for though.

[pnwmom]

34. What difference does it make that he also said McCain was crooked?

McCain IS crooked -- he was one of the Keating 5.

To lump Obama in with him is despicable.

[MyNameGoesHere]

35. Oh my have you not matured past the point that

you still believe in Santa Clause and "pure of heart" politicians? Well that's ok the Easter bunny is coming soon.

[pnwmom]

47. You don't belong on this board if you're taking Nader's side against

Obama. This board is not a place to advocate for opponents of the Democratic candidates -- which Nader is. He's no ally, he's an opponent.

There is a broad spectrum along the way from "pure of heart" to "crooked." And compared to McCain, Obama isn't even close to the "crooked" end.

By the way, Nader is no more "pure of heart" than any of them. He's purely EGO.

[Danger Mouse]

40. Nader took Republican money in 2004. How does your little hero look now?

[MyNameGoesHere]

59. well my uniformed acquaintance, with no idea

of who my heroes are. Nader is not one and never has been. I am however a proponent of truth and not just the half truths that spew like vomit from so many of the radicals here on DU. What he said is quite true. They are corrupt to varying levels and all of your snarky and Neanderthal replies will not change that.

By the way, a hero is someone that inspires me. So far i have not found that in any politician.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

21. Because Obama is bent over, laughing at Ralph.

[Fluffdaddy]

22. NADER an anyone that voted for him has been dead to me for years

[saltpoint]

23. Why doesn't Ralph Nader ever smile?

He seems profoundly unhappy and pent-up.

[WinkyDink]

61. Well, he did have that stroke.

[Coexist]

25. He has become a jerk, pure and simple. How sad.

[seasat]

26. Yet he's taken aid from Repubs to support his candidacy.

The Repubs who are sponsored by the very entities Nader rails against have supported his candidacy in hopes of diluting the progressive vote so that their candidate can win. It seems to me that taking money or support from someone who is against everything you preach about for your personal gains so that their agenda can be promoted is the very definition of corruption.

[Better Believe It]

36. So Is Obama

What's wrong with that?

[seasat]

38. You think they're trying to dilute the progressive vote too?

The Repubs supporting Nader and who supported him in the past two elections, are using him to siphon off votes from the Democratic candidate to help the Repub candidate. The Repubs admit this. They are not supporting Nader because they agree with his policies. Nader couldn't have gotten on several ballots in previous elections without Repub support.

The Republicans supporting Obama are moderates who are more in line with Obama's policies than McCain's or paleoconservative who hate the imperialistic ventures McCain/Bush supports. Obama would still have plenty of support without them. They are not supporting Obama to help their party's candidate. They are supporting Obama because they oppose their party's candidate.

There is a huge difference between supporting someone because you agree with them and supporting someone because you hope they'll take down a candidate who challenges yours. Accepting support from the large money corporate interests that support the Republican party to hurt the Democratic candidate sounds pretty corrupt and crooked to me.

[Better Believe It]

43. This Year Nader's Campaign Helps Obama & Hurts McCain

According to a recent poll. And you saw the poll. Isn't that right? Do you therefore think that Nader will now receive more money and support from the Democratic Party than Republican party supporters since Nader will "steal" votes from McCain that you think he is entitled too?

Unlike the 2004 election, the Democratic Party has so far not attempted to knock Nader off any state election ballot by challenging his petitions!

Why do you think that is?

Could it be that he is helping Obama and hurting McCain?

That could very well be the case.

The Democratic Party leadership might even throw a little money Nader's way if that poll holds up.

Would you also object to that?


Many now believe, I'm one of them, that if the Democratic Party had spent less time, money and human resources attacking Nader and more time going after Bush in 2004, Kerry would have won the election.

Perhaps you think it's far more important to engage in a character assasination campaign against Nader and conduct another major effort to deny people the right to vote for the candidate of their choice by knocking other anti-McCain/Bush candidates off election ballots that's your right.

That just doesn't make sense to me and certainly violates the spirit of free and democratic elections.

Nader and other third party and independent candidates did not receive a single vote they were not entitled to in 2000 or 2004. What makes you think that Gore, Bush or Kerry were somehow entitled to receive any of those votes.

You have to win votes, they aren't just handed to a candidate!

In Florida 250,000 registered Democrats voted for Bush, not Nader and not Gore. Do you really think that was Nader's fault? I don't. I think that was more Leiberman's fault!

And Gore couldn't even carry his home state! Was that also Nader's fault? I don't think so.

Even if you hate a progressive like Nader or Cynthia more than George W. Bush, let's have a little political honesty and a little less name calling and smear campaigns.

OK?

[seasat]

44. He just called Obama a crook and now you're accusing me of smears?

That takes all. Good luck with it.

Added on edit for anyone else reading this that is not deluded: I'm not convinced yet that Nader is taking votes from McCain. It sounds like the same tactic used in previous elections where some Repubs are building him up by supporting him in polls. I can't see any one that supports McCain who would also support Nader. Barr maybe but Nader, no.

[Better Believe It]

46. Can't Respond To Any Of The Points In My Post?

When in trouble ignore every point made in a post and try to change the subject.

Now that's a really old debating trick and not very clever.

Shame on you!

:) :) :)

Well, just in case you didn't see it, here's the poll.

Ralph Nader Candidacy Helps Obama Expand Lead Over McCain!: NBC/WSJ Poll

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6546983&mesg_id=6546983

[dansolo]

53. Nader effetively takes away votes from both

Head-to-head polls, with and without Nader on the ballot, suggest that Nader may be siphoning off some of the anti-Obama votes that would have gone to McCain by default when they are the only names on the ballot. Nader may serve as an outlet for the racist Democrats who refuse to vote for Obama, but are not enthused about voting for McCain. These may be votes that Obama will never get, but Nader on the ballot may at least prevent them from voting for McCain.

[pnwmom]

52. This is not a place to be promoting Nader's candidacy.

He is an opponent of the Democratic candidate, not an ally.

Kerry had to fight both opposing candidates. He would have been an idiot to ignore Nader's candidacy.

And you talk about name-calling? Nader is the one calling Obama a "crooked politician." He's the same genius who said Bush and Gore were "Tweedledee and Tweedledum."

I can't understand how any progressive can't see through him by now. He doesn't care about the country anymore. He's just in this for the sake of his giant ego.

[Better Believe It]

54. You Ought To Take That Up With The Original Poster!

[pnwmom]

55. I am the original poster, and the point of the OP was to criticize Nader.

You're defending him.

[Better Believe It]

62. Well You Just Gave Nader A Ton Of Publicity Here!

Didn't you?

Nader thanks you!

All I and others have done is respond to what I believe is misinformation and low-level personal attacks regarding Nader.

Do you think DU'ers shouldn't do that?

I don't think that everyone should just blindly accept whatever hate mongers write as the gospel truth.

Thinking progressives are capable of looking at politics objectively and don't have to be told what to think by you, me or anyone else!

[pnwmom]

50. Nader took money from Rethugs who were trying to help Bush.

Obama's taking money from former Repubs who have switched parties. There's a huge difference.

[pnwmom]

51. I agree. Nader is as much of a politician as Obama.

Calling Obama crooked is sheer hypocrisy.

[truebrit71]

27. Nader is an egotistical jag-off...and is more than welcome to take a flying...

...f*ck at the moon...

This stupid fucking douchebag said that there was no difference between bush and Gore..:eyes:

Really Ralph? REALLY?

Go Cheney yourself you irrelevant old twat...

[amb123]

28. To Hell with you Ralph Ego!

You're not helping!

:argh: :nuke: :grr:

[OnionPatch]

29. Ok, Ralph, we all understand you have a right to run.

But what is your strategy for real change for America? Because you're not going to win this election and you know it. And your running every election cycle has not brought one smidgeon of change or awareness to the American public.

I wish Ralph would focus his efforts on a strategy that will actually be effective instead of counterproductive. He acts like a big baby every time someone points out that his efforts are having the opposite effect from what he claims to stand for. What a stooge.

[karynnj]

30. Wow, Nader is an egotist

Obama might be able to end some of the negative comments and it might be important to do so. Part of the problem Obama has is that unfairly he was attacked along the same lines by Joe Trippi and John Edwards. Just as there are HRC supporters angry believing the heated charges made near the end of the campaign, there are people who bought the Obama is the rightmost of the three and is corporate. Surrogates of the others did try to label him crooked via Rezko.

In 2004, Kerry actually did this and Nader after their meeting said he was "Presidential" and said some nice things about him. However, he stayed in the race, at one point claiming (with a straight face- even)he helped Kerry by being able to attack Bush harder than Kerry could without losing the support of moderates. Kerry had his 1971 protest as a link, Obama could use his community organizing. Kerry also had Dean debate Nader, which was great as Dean countered many Nader comments and it likely satisfied Nader's ego that he was treated with some seriousness.

Here's a link to an analysis of what Kerry did.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glenn-hurowitz/what-kerry-did-right-eng_b_88317.html

[kwassa]

31. Nader has hit a nadir.

His name was never so appropriate.

[uponit7771]

33. Nader = "shark" jumper

[zulchzulu]

37. I'm sure he got her vote from that strategery

:rofl:

[Danger Mouse]

41. Fuck Nader.

[FloridaJudy]

42. You've exceeded your "sell by" date, Ralph

Now do us all a favor and take yourself off the shelf, okay?

[jzodda]

45. Can we airdrop Nader on some other country?

Let them have him. How about someplace far away like the North Pole? He can start his own country there.

[Botany]

48. I met Ralph in the 1980s

He is a first class asshole ... he surrounded himself w/ young suck ups who thought
he was God and he treated them like shit.

[pnwmom]

49. That's what makes me think he is probably

a classic narcissist. For a while, decades even, it worked out okay because the only people he was hurting were the ones closest to him -- but at least the work he was getting attention for was good work. Now that he's in politics, it's all about HIM. If he's not getting the attention he wants, he doesn't care if he drags the whole country into a hell-hole.

[Richard Steele]

56. Ralph Nader should suck a candy bar out of my ass and CHOKE on it.

And the thing is, he'd probably choke to DEATH if that happened.

Because it wouldn't even OCCUR to his entourage to give him the Heimlich Maneuver;
They'd see him turning blue on the floor and immediately break into "action groups"
to discuss the possibility of forming a committee to draft legislation
requiring the FDA to form a task force charged with investigating the
pros/cons of having a "choking hazard" label tattood on my ass.

You know they would.

[Better Believe It]

65. Whatever Turns You On! Will You Be Taking Turns With Ralph?

That may seem just a bit kinky to some but this is no place for you to advertise your sexual preferences and activities.

What you normally do with your lover(s) is none of our business so please don't advertise here.

And we really don't care to know what kind of "hazard" tattoo's you have plastered on your ass or other body parts.

OK?

:) :)

Oh hell .... why in the world am I responding to the rantings of a 12 year old?

[ronnykmarshall]

66. How vivid!

:spray:

[eridani]

57. Nader has exactly zero interest in building institutional structure--

--which will help progressive candidates get elected at all levels so as to build street cred for higher office.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

58. Put down the crack pipe, Ralph

You took GOP money in 2004 to drain a few votes away from John Kerry. Pumping up your own sorry ego, you denied progressives the presidency in 2000. Forty years ago you did something worthwhile. Now the most valuable thing you could do for your onetime cause is curl up and die, you sorry piece of egomaniacal and useless shit. Do everyone a favor and kill your worthless self.