Art Machine
Just another former infatuation junkie

Ralph Nader is not happy.

Ralph Nader knows all the arguments against him. He can recite, word for importuning word, the letters from old friends urging him not to run for president � “all individually written, all stunningly similar” � and he does so with the theatrical relish of a man whose public life has been one long, unyielding argument with the world.

“Here’s how it started,” he said, his soft voice taking on mock oratorical tones over dinner with a group of aides in Charlotte, N.C., last week: “For years, I’ve thought of you as one of our heroes.” He rolled his eyes. “The achievements you’ve attained are monumental, in consumer, environmental, etc., etc.” He paused for effect. “But this time, I must express my profound disappointment at indications that you are going to run.”

How very… Bushist of him. Essentially, it seems that Nader is taking the Georgie-Porgie stance that it doesn’t matter how many people advise him, how sensible their arguments may be, or how bad his public image gets – he’s going to stick to the campaign trail and treat his would-be advisors to a sound mocking.

Unfortunately for us, it’s worse than Nader just refusing to take advice. The man has obviously entered a Bizarro World version of the Presidential race.

No, he says, he is neither a nut nor a narcissist. Yes, he agrees with his sharpest Democratic critics that defeating President Bush is essential. In the end, he believes, out-of-power Democrats will rally around John Kerry, and Mr. Nader will take votes from disaffected Republicans and independents.

Heh.

Haha.

BWAH-HA-HA-ha-haaa!

heh.

Sorry. It’s no laughing matter, I know – but the idea of Ralph Nader reaching out to disaffected Republicans just seems funny. The man who spent the last election telling Democrats to vote for him because there was no difference between Al Gore and Dubya is now counting on Republicans voting for him.

Ralph, listen closely – disaffected Republicans are much more likely to vote Kerry than to ever consider voting for you. Not because Kerry is “Bush Lite,” but because he’s not you. Kerry’s a damnéd Massachusetts liberal, but you’re an ultra-liberal whackjob. Those of us on the Left love you for it – but those who are on the Right lock their doors and hide their daughters when they hear you’re coming to town.

If you think you’re stealing votes from the Republicans, you need to wake up. You’ve started dreaming that you’re in Bizarro World – where “Hello” is “Good-bye” and trashmen drop trash off at your house instead of picking it up. If you want to run, then nothing’s going to stop you. You can ignore the facts, deny your advisors, and shun your friends all you want, but don’t for a second believe that you’re not going to hurt our chances of getting Bush out of office. Your political groundhog act (“And Nader has seen his shadow, meaning four more years of Bush”) is a very real problem – for you as much as it is for Kerry.

At least this time the Greens realized it before it was too late for them to save their own booties.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 30th, 2004 at 11:32 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.