By Inni Chowdhury
About 100 diehard Naderites welcomed their hero on June 18, when he came to New York’s Upper West Side to tout his third-party campaign for the White House. Ralph Nader and his running mate Matt Gonzales will be on the Independent Party ticket. Gonzalez, 43, made his name in San Francisco politics, where, according to the official campaign website, “he is best known for having led the effort to implement Instant-Runoff Voting” and created a minimum wage bill that stays current with San Francisco’s high cost of living.
For the man on the top of the ticket, his vision for the future is simple; he wants “to wage peace, not war.” Nader is against anything becoming “corporatized,” a process that has reached its peak under President Bush. Even the Nineties weren’t so great for reform, Nader said, under Clinton and Gore “corporate powers got worse. Every [cabinet] department internally and externally is now propped up by corporations.” This is why, he lectured the faithful, “the millions who have the vote need to get together and organize, organize, organize.” That, Nader says, is the only way to release the stranglehold corporations have on Washington policymaking.
Nader also addressed the issue that has dogged him since 2000, when his support in Florida effectively, in the view of many, handed George W. Bush the White House. After eight years of Bush policies and an unnecessary war Nader makes clear that the blame is not with him, but with an undemocratic process. In his words, “Ask Gore. He believes he won. Don’t you? He believes it was stolen. Don’t you? Get the thieves that stole the election! Don’t go after the little guy, the third party!” It many people have forgotten the Republican chicanery that got Bush the White house, Nader has not and continually reminds everyone that his campaign alone did not bring this country to where it is now.
Nader also had strong words for the Democrats presumptive nominee, saying he wished the Senator well, but thought “Obama will be the greatest disappointment.” Nader recounts being rebuffed by the Senator over the past year, and has been told the Senator has no time to meet with him. Nader says, “He is afraid of the questions I have for him. It is ironic because his first job out of college was with NYPIRG, which I helped create.” Nader argues that for a former ‘PIRG guy,’ he gives “generalities for the masses, capitulations to the corporations.”
Explaining the continuing support for Nader among some progressives, supporter Dylan Roberts said, “When you vote your conscience, it is not a wasted vote.” His vote is not for “Nader to win the presidency” but for the advocate’s issues to become a part of the national conversation.
A woman in the audience asked Nader if she should vote with the Green Party, where Cynthia McKinney has set up an exploratory committee. Nader said, “I respect the Green Party and their platform, but they don’t have any official candidates yet with my experience.” Nader ran on the Green Party ticket in 2000.
During the event, young and old volunteers went around the audience with red buckets and clipboards, gathering donations and pledges from the well-heeled audience. Ballot access is a big obstacle for the campaign. In New York, Nader supporters will have to gather 15,000 valid signatures between July 8 and Aug. 19. The Nader campaign has alread submitted ballot peititions in Hawaii, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, both McCain and Obama consider the last three battleground states.
About 100 diehard Naderites welcomed their hero on June 18, when he came to New York’s Upper West Side to tout his third-party campaign for the White House. Ralph Nader and his running mate Matt Gonzales will be on the Independent Party ticket. Gonzalez, 43, made his name in San Francisco politics, where, according to the official campaign website, “he is best known for having led the effort to implement Instant-Runoff Voting” and created a minimum wage bill that stays current with San Francisco’s high cost of living.
For the man on the top of the ticket, his vision for the future is simple; he wants “to wage peace, not war.” Nader is against anything becoming “corporatized,” a process that has reached its peak under President Bush. Even the Nineties weren’t so great for reform, Nader said, under Clinton and Gore “corporate powers got worse. Every [cabinet] department internally and externally is now propped up by corporations.” This is why, he lectured the faithful, “the millions who have the vote need to get together and organize, organize, organize.” That, Nader says, is the only way to release the stranglehold corporations have on Washington policymaking.
Nader also addressed the issue that has dogged him since 2000, when his support in Florida effectively, in the view of many, handed George W. Bush the White House. After eight years of Bush policies and an unnecessary war Nader makes clear that the blame is not with him, but with an undemocratic process. In his words, “Ask Gore. He believes he won. Don’t you? He believes it was stolen. Don’t you? Get the thieves that stole the election! Don’t go after the little guy, the third party!” It many people have forgotten the Republican chicanery that got Bush the White house, Nader has not and continually reminds everyone that his campaign alone did not bring this country to where it is now.
Nader also had strong words for the Democrats presumptive nominee, saying he wished the Senator well, but thought “Obama will be the greatest disappointment.” Nader recounts being rebuffed by the Senator over the past year, and has been told the Senator has no time to meet with him. Nader says, “He is afraid of the questions I have for him. It is ironic because his first job out of college was with NYPIRG, which I helped create.” Nader argues that for a former ‘PIRG guy,’ he gives “generalities for the masses, capitulations to the corporations.”
Explaining the continuing support for Nader among some progressives, supporter Dylan Roberts said, “When you vote your conscience, it is not a wasted vote.” His vote is not for “Nader to win the presidency” but for the advocate’s issues to become a part of the national conversation.
A woman in the audience asked Nader if she should vote with the Green Party, where Cynthia McKinney has set up an exploratory committee. Nader said, “I respect the Green Party and their platform, but they don’t have any official candidates yet with my experience.” Nader ran on the Green Party ticket in 2000.
During the event, young and old volunteers went around the audience with red buckets and clipboards, gathering donations and pledges from the well-heeled audience. Ballot access is a big obstacle for the campaign. In New York, Nader supporters will have to gather 15,000 valid signatures between July 8 and Aug. 19. The Nader campaign has alread submitted ballot peititions in Hawaii, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, both McCain and Obama consider the last three battleground states.
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