Ralph Nader Runs for President

A Reality Check

Here we go again folks. Ralph Nader has just announced he will be running for President as an Independent, and regardless of how one feels about Ralph Nader and his stated ideals-this is a fool's errand.

Arguably, Nader can accomplish nothing more than give a tiny minority of voters a chance to vote their consciences, while throwing their vote away in the real contest between more war, more corporate welfare, more tax cuts for the wealthy, and less concern for the well-being of the average American citizen.

Personally, I wish the man had a chance. I have long been an advocate of replacing the ludicrously low minimum wage with a "living wage law" that mandates a subsistence level minimum for all adult American workers, based on the economic realities of their local area. I also agree whole-heartedly with Nader's stand against the influence of big money in Washington. But, let's face it. He doesn't have a chance. All his candidacy can do is pull votes away from the Democratic nominee and risk losing once again by some tiny margin to (yike!) McCain and 100 more years of war in Iraq.

I'm sure the Republicans are delighted to hear the news of Nader's decision. In fact, Associated Press Writer Hope Yen's article about the announcement includes the following quotation from Mike Huckabee with regard to his view of the Nader candidacy:
"Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, speaking shortly before Nader's announcement, said Nader's past runs have shown that he usually pulls votes from the Democratic nominee. 'So naturally, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race,'the former Arkansas governor said on CNN."

So, ask yourself this: "Who is going to line up to contribute money to Nader's campaign?" The beneficiaries of allowing Nader to once again play the role of spoiler in a Presidential election. This one's a no-brainer, and given the current political landscape one has to wonder if Nader is functioning in the real world.