Ralph Nader dealt a blow to the Democratic Party that no Republican contender has been able to achieve-he declared his candidacy for president.
I liken Nader’s declaration to the shot heard around the world. The announcement struck fear into the hearts of Democrats and brought extreme jubilation to Republicans.
Nader is running for one of several reasons. He is either being paid by the Republican Party, he has an ego the size of Texas or he is trying to generate voter interest.
The idea that Nader is on the GOP payroll is so absurd that I refuse to believe it.
As for the last option, voter-interest is already at an all time high with the issues that America faces today. Nader could drop out after the national party conventions, but that would be an enormous waste of time and money.
By process of elimination, it has to be that Nader has a huge ego. Nader has rejected the role of spoiler, but he certainly will not be a winner.
Nader told Democrats to “relax and rejoice,” according to The New York Times. He also said that his mission was the same as the Democrats, to get Bush out of office.
Nader’s mission, whether he realizes it or not, is to hand over the election to Bush. That is the only thing that he could possibly do in this election.
Even people who supported Nader the first time have tried to convince him not to run and said they will not support him again.
Nader, among other things, cost Gore the election in 2000. Gore probably would have won both Florida and New Hampshire in 2000 if Nader decided not to run.
Bush won Florida in 2000 by 537 votes. Nader received over 97,000 votes in Florida during the 2000 election.
If Gore had received a measly 1 percent of this vote, he would have been president and we may not have some of the troubles that we currently face.
Nader claims he was not a spoiler then and he says he is not one now. There is a lot of room for discussion here.
Nader has even gone on to state that his candidacy as a member of the independent party. Nader has apparently left the Green party, which he ran under in the 2000 election. Green or independent, they both have little influence.
Third parties in presidential elections make a difference in close races and are good for bringing up issues that the other parties may try to ignore.
However, they are not a viable source for anyone who is trying to win the race. America’s political landscape is set for a two-party system, with little opportunity for a third major party to arise.
Over 90 percent of registered voters are either Democrats or Republicans. That leaves a small window of opportunity for any other party to squeeze through.
In other words, the party under which Nader is running is fighting a losing battle.
Nader has had a career that has been filled with advocacy for consumers. He is a legendary figure in the business of American reform. He has gone to bat for consumer rights and product safety. He has helped to make the world a safer place for consumers.
The problem with Nader is that he is jeopardizing whatever legacy he may be leaving behind. Nader is a respectable man who is passionate about championing his cause, whatever it may be.
There is a fine line between being true and being foolish. Nader is doing the latter in his run for the presidency.
Nader has failed to note the changes in America since the election of 2000. During that election, there were different circumstances. There was no war with Iraq. The country was very prosperous. The biggest issue was what to do with the huge surplus we had.
Nader received the majority of his support from protest votes. The protest vote will be nowhere near as large this year.
Even so, Nader could still pull enough votes to once again give the White House to Bush.
Many are fed up with Bush and his policies. They feel that it is time for a change.
The candidate who runs against Bush, be it Sens. John Kerry or John Edwards, will receive most of the votes that Nader relied upon in his 2000 election.
Hopefully, Nader will see the error of his ways and drop out of the race. If not, consequences for the Democrats in the presidential election could be gargantuan.
Nyerere Tryman is a graduate student in public policy and administration. He can be reached at [email protected].