Unsafe at any speed

By Weekly Archive On Mar 5, 2008

Just
when you thought there was no way Democrats could lose this election
… here we go again: Ralph Nader has decided to run for president as
an independent candidate, for the fifth time. If anybody can screw it
up, he can.

There
was a time, not so long ago, when we were all big Ralph Nader fans.
And with good reason. He’s America’s most effective consumer advocate
and citizen activist. He forced Detroit to make safer cars. He
stopped the nuclear power industry in its tracks. He convinced
Congress to create several consumer protection agencies, including
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He inspired
legions of young people to get politically-involved. Time magazine
ranked him one of the most influential Americans of the 20th century.

But
then Nader’s ego got in the way, and he made the mistake of thinking
he could be elected president — with disastrous results, both for
him and for the country. In 1992 and 1996, his campaigns were little
more than harmless folklore. But in 2000, he cost Al Gore the White
House. The Atlantic Monthly summed it up best: "He made the cars
we drive safer; thirty years later, he made George W. Bush the
president."

To
this day, Nader refuses to acknowledge his role in elevating Bush to
the White House. He points out, correctly, that all seven independent
candidates on the ballot in Florida tallied more votes than the 537
vote margin by which Gore eventually lost the state. So what? None of
them came close to Nader’s 97,421 votes. And none of them, like
Nader, pulled votes mainly from liberal Democrats. Of Nader’s 97,000
plus votes, there were at least 538 who would have voted for Al Gore
had Nader not been on the ballot. Quite simply, Ralph Nader enabled
George Bush to steal the 2000 election — and is therefore partly
responsible for all the evil that followed.

In
2000, Nader based his campaign on the preposterous claim that there
was no difference on the issues between Gore and Bush. This year,
he’s equally off base. On "Meet the Press," he told Tim
Russert he decided to run because most Americans were disenchanted
with candidates of the two major parties. Oh, really? What planet is
poor Ralph living on? Doesn’t he know that Democrats have turned out
in record numbers in every one of this year’s primaries? And does he
really think he’s more exciting than Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?

Nader
supporters argue it’s important to offer voters more choices. And
they make a good point. Even though there’s a world of difference
between this year’s Republican and Democratic Party candidates, a
third party option, on the ballot in all 50 states, would be a great
improvement to the present process — as long as it’s headed by a
serious candidate. Ralph Nader is not a serious candidate.

Which
raises another interesting point: If Nader’s goal is really to launch
a viable third party, where has he been for the last 12 years?
Where’s the organization? Where’s the important, day-to-day,
political and legal operation necessary to build a third-party
movement? There is none. Nader abandoned the Green Party, after twice
hijacking their nomination. He only pops up every four years to get
his name in the headlines and attack Democrats. He’s already called
Hillary Clinton a "panderer and a flatterer" and accused
Barack Obama of being "pro-corporate" and flip-flopping on
Israel.

This
year, however, Nader’s attacks on Democrats ring especially hollow
because both Clinton and Obama agree with Nader on an immediate
withdrawal from Iraq, universal health insurance, labor law reforms,
and action on global warming. So what’s the point of a Nader
candidacy? And if he feels so strongly about single-payer health
insurance, why didn’t he support Dennis Kucinich for president?

Ralph
Nader’s living in the past. The problem is, he could, once again,
destroy our future. True, the 2004 election was so lopsided his 0.38
percent of the vote made no difference. But, if it’s close again this
year, we could be looking at 2000 all over again. Nader could be the
difference between a new direction for America and a continuation of
the disastrous policies of George Bush and Dick Cheney.

Unfortunately,
that doesn’t concern Mr. Nader. He cares more about what’s good for
Ralph Nader than what’s good for America.

Bill
Press is host of a nationally syndicated radio show and author of a
new book, "How
the Republicans Stole Religion." You
can hear
"The
Bill Press Show" at billpressshow.com. His email address is:
bill@billpress.com. His Web site is: www.billpress.com.