This morning on NBC’s “Meet The Press” Green Party activist Ralph Nader, the “spoiler” of the 2000 election, announced that once again he is running for President –his fifth bid for the White House.
In 2000 he received 2.7 percent of the popular vote and in 2004 he received less than one percent. I don’t want to venture a guess as to why the 73 year old would put his hat into the ring but I think it is safe to say that there will not be a strong base of support for the consumer rights advocate in the upcoming general election.
There isn’t a constituency for Nader anymore. Democrats blame him for George W. Bush winning in 2000 and they also seem happy with their two remaining candidates. Republicans, on the other hand, appeared to be the most dissatisfied with their presumptive nominee – with party opinion leaders like Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham doubting John McCain’s conservative credentials. However, there are few things on Nader’s platform that a conservative voter would ever agree with.
In his interview on “Meet The Press” this morning, Nader mentioned that according to Frank Luntz’s poll “80 percent would consider voting for an independent this year.” Although I can’t seem to find the poll he was referring to, I believe that statistic. I believe it, but I don’t think those Americans have Ralph Nader in mind.
There has been tons of speculation about a possible presidential run of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who officially became an independent in June 2007 after being elected twice as a Republican. Prior to running for office in NYC, Blooomberg had been a lifelong Democrat. The multi-BILLIONAIRE is dedicated to combating global warming, is pro-choice and yet a fiscal conservative. I could easily see 80% of the population – from both sides of the aisle – considering him when voting. But, as I heard one pundit say, “how many Jewish dwarfs have we ever elected President?”
Bloomberg could be a formidable foe for both the Democratic and Republican nominees. As for Nader, he isn’t the candidate independents are dreaming about.
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