Partisan or Patriot? My first reaction on hearing that Ralph Nader will run was "There is a God! (NED?) And he is smiling down on the GOP this year!"
But I am souring. Quickly. Maybe it is this cold I can't shake, but this is like the Dem's nominating Dean: I want President Bush to win but I also want a real race. Not because it is exciting but because it will sharpen my candidate to run a good race. And more importantly, it is good to have a choice.
Should we turn our next conflict over to the UN? I say no but let's have a clear choice. I think a lot of people who don't like W will vote for Nader, as will many people who feel constrained by a two-party system. I see Bush winning with 48%, Kerry 44% and Nader with five or six. That puts my man back in the White House but subjects us to four years of "He never won a majority!" and "The people don't really want to follow this mad cowboy!"
Am I too pessimistic? Even if I am wrong, who is looking forward to six months of hearing Nader's insane middle-ages-economics? Not me!
I'm going back to bed.
JK, even if there were NO minor party candidates (as Nader pointed out, he won't be the only one) and W won the electoral college, the popular vote, hell he could win the popular majority in all fifty states plus Guam - do you really believe we wouldn't still hear "The people don't really want to follow this mad cowboy" from the intelligentsia both here and abroad?
The fact that Al Gore's brazen attempt to steal the 2000 election was thwarted by the U.S. Supreme Court didn't stop them (or Ralph Nader just this morning) from saying GWB stole it instead. Perception is reality to these people. They think they think, so they think they are.
Posted by: johngalt at February 22, 2004 10:58 AMPoint taken. But I will stand by my premise that a clear decision would be better in these perilous times, even if it reduces the opportunity for my side to prevail.
Posted by: jk at February 22, 2004 05:43 PMAt my parents house today, my Dad and I were kind of celebrating his announcment. My brother, very a-political, said, "Why are you so happy? Don't think Bush can win on his own?"
Can he?
Yes, he can win "on his own." He could also lose even with Mad Ralph in the race.
I contend that what you and your dad were celebrating is that this new anti-Bush candidate in the race is such an imbecile, and can be expected to be an albatross for anyone making a similar case against the incumbent. He claims to be entering the race, not in spite of the progressive clan's anti-Bush fervor, but because of it. "I would urge them to calm down, start reflecting, be tolerant of democracy and freedom and watch events unfold since we're all on the same page of wanting to retire our supremely elected president, George W. Bush," said Nader. (I thought he said "supremely selected" on MTP.)
I still contend that in a race between a pickup truck and a Citroen, Americans will choose the pickup regardless of whether the also-rans include a Corvair.
Posted by: johngalt at February 23, 2004 10:04 AMMaybe it is a good outlet for those who yearn to "throw the incumbent bums out" but don't want to vote for an oleaginous Democrat. I think it will help W.
Mr. Nader has few friends. Even the lefties are saying that he will not have enough draw to make a difference as spoiler.
Posted by: jk at February 23, 2004 12:26 PM