Hard to believe that anyone could be this much of an egomaniac, or a masochist, but I guess the allure of intermittent media coverage for a man whose every action in politics now tarnishes his reputation a little bit more was too great to overcome:
Ralph Nader has announced plans to run again for the US presidency.
The anti-establishment consumer advocate made the announcement in a televised interview on Sunday.
Mr Nader was accused by many Democrats of handing the presidency to George W Bush in the November 2000 elections. He ran again unsuccessfully in 2004.
I’m sorry, but this is getting as bad as when George Romney (Mitt’s dad for you youngin’s) Harold Stassen was always running for President every four years. Nader is becoming a joke. In 2000, three million people voted for him. In 2004, only 463,653 gave their heart and soul to him. There is no chance that this year he will attract even that many people to his campaign. His sell by date was over in November 2000. I wish he had the sense to realize that and work for change in other ways. He could be a force for the adoption of a more progressive agenda by the Democrats, but not as a Presidential candidate.
His presence also diminishes the potential for truly new progressive voices in the Green party or elsewhere to arise. As long as he persists in his Quixotic fantasy that his is the only true progressive voice in US politics, he stifles the potential development of the Greens into a truly national party that can compete with Democrats and Republicans. Especially now with the cratering of the GOP, there is an opening for growing the reach of a progressive third party from the left that could influence the national conversation, particularly on environmental and economic issues, but not with Nader as it’s spokesperson.
He’s now beyond tragedy or comedy at this point. He’s moved into the realm of farce. And that is a sad ending for a man who accomplished so much good in his life.
See also Phronesis’ diary about Nader HERE.
