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Nader Won't Spoil Anything This Election

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 26, 2008

In announcing another quixotic, third-party presidential bid Sunday on "Meet the Press," Ralph Nader, the Harold Stassen of the modern era, asked why so many in the "liberal intelligentsia" condemn him for discussing important issues the two major parties ignore.

Here's a better question: Why does he wait until a few months before presidential elections to raise these issues? When you claim to be a progressive champion committed to changing the electoral process, you shouldn't hibernate until you decide to run the same old campaign every four years.

It should be apparent to most voters by now that Nader's quadrennial runs for president of the United States are more about ego than issues. This was made clear in 2004 when he chose to run against the Green Party's actual nominee, which he will likely do again.

For all of his talk, it is doubtful that Nader, 73, will help frame the agenda of the upcoming election any more than the candidacy of Dennis Kucinich did.

Nader got 2.7 percent of the vote in 2000, less than 0.4 percent in 2004, and has barely qualified for matching funds. It is doubtful that he will receive enough votes this time around to even be called a "spoiler," as he was labeled in 2000 when he received more than 97,000 votes in Florida that year.

Yes, voters want change, but they will seek it the traditional way: with a candidate who can win an election.

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