For reasons known only to him, Ralph Nader announced today that he’s running for President:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Ralph Nader is entering the presidential race as an independent, he announced Sunday, saying it is time for a “Jeffersonian revolution.”
“In the last few years, big money and the closing down of Washington against citizen groups prevent us from trying to improve our country. And I want everybody to have the right and opportunity to improve their country,” he told reporters after an appearance announcing his candidacy on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Asked why he should be president, the longtime consumer advocate said, “Because I got things done.” He cited a 40-year record, which he said includes saving “millions of lives,” bringing about stricter protection for food and water and fighting corporate control over Washington.
This marks his fourth straight White House bid — fifth if his 1992 write-in campaign is included.
Nader said Thomas Jefferson believed that “when you lose your government, you’ve got to go into the electoral arena.”
“A Jeffersonian revolution is needed in this country,” he said.
I’m not which upsets me more. The fact that this old gasbag is running again or that he’s appropriating the name of a true American hero.
February 25th, 2008 at 2:51 am
I’m not necessarily a Nader fan although I feel he is more positive than the other candidates. We are in trouble and there are few who can pull us out of this mess. Nader, Kusinich and Paul would have a direction for our country. With the top candidates we are in an absolute mess. If the general voter knows who these top candidates are tied to you would be horrified. It’s not a pretty sight at the moment. As usual the most evil are again at the top. This has been the case for many decades now. Obviously the mass media has been choosing our leaders for many years now. Ever since the television was invented we have been having leadership forced down our throats. If anybody is curious about who will win the Presidency of our country you can only look at who the Power Brokers are and what their wishes are. Your vote will not count as you have seen in the last two elections. This is all about their wishes and the power they seek. I myself am from a family of two Skull and Bones members so you may very well get an idea that I DO have a very god idea of who is running the show. Obama, Hillary and John are all players in the international game and will only tear your wallet to kill the masses in foriegn countries. I wish it were not so but I fought under GHWB in the first Gulf War. Please do all you can to stop these murderers.
February 25th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Ralph Nader is telling us something important, although he may not know what it is. It is high time for the US to adopt a voting system like that used in many other countries where the president must be elected by a majority. If no one gets at least 50% of the vote, then there is a run-off between the top two. That prevents a spoiler like Nader from subverting the will of the voters, as he did in 2000.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Picchu,
While Nader may be a “spoiler” against the Democratic Party, he is only considered so because of the arrogance of the status quo who assume that the only people with a legitimate right to run for election are the very parties that solidified their own oligarchy. I support multiple parties, and would not be so quick to shrug him off as just a spoiler. However, you are right that it would take something drastic to “reform” the system we have built over such a long time.
With that being said, Nader is a damn NUT.
February 26th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Nader is like a fool in a tragedy. uh, the pain of Iraq is partly to blame for you Nader. Tax cuts for the wealthy, is also your fault Nader.