By Manila Ryce
Published Wednesday, February 27th, 2008, 9:20 am
Filed under: Human Rights, Videos: Political, Economic, Environment, Videos, Society/Culture, US Politics

11 Responses to “Happy Birthday Ralph”

1. Ralph Nader is a true american hero .
   A voice of reason in a hive of dumb down . But the only way that he will have a chance to even be heard is to convince all the angry demo-gnats that he is well aware that the lesser of 2 evils is better than the worser . And that he has learned some lesson from his experience . That he is an evolving fellow human being and can hear there voices . All of my “so called ” progressive friends turned on Ralph like …. well … like people do , and I haven’t been able to get the hangin’ rope out of there hands yet ! Come on Ralph ! Throw’em a bone and do what you do ! Save our sorry asses !

   Relax the truth will set u free
   02/27/08 at 10:28 am
   

2. As a consumer rights advocate, I give him high marks.

   As a politician, he has proven to be a spoiler and a dismal failure.

   I will wish him happy birthday and simultaneously ask him to reconsider running for President, while knowing all the while that it really won’t make a bit of difference this time anyway.

   Comrade Kevin
   02/27/08 at 2:03 pm
   
3. 

   @Comrade Kevin

   The goal of a Nader run is not to win, but to raise issues and push the Democratic nominee to the Left. Is this something you’re against?

   Also, please explain to me why Nader’s a “spoiler”.

   Manila Ryce
   02/27/08 at 2:07 pm
   

4. Hell Yes!
   Thank you for this post. I am disgusted at the general lack of f*cking respect the American public is infected with. Ralph Nader is a unsung hero, his life’s dedication has been focused on transferring power from the few to the many.

   I wrote a first installment on the Nader myth and I fully support Nader.

   Obama is the anti-Hillary safe candidate, but he is no different from Clinton. He is charismatic and has the ability to get people interested, but people are so hungry they are settling for crumbs and crust with Obama.

   I do wish however that Cynthia McKinney and Nader get together, they are cut from the same cloth. Kucinich for that matter has been hands off with support of Nader or McKinney in her campaign, His need to stay in the Democratic Party, is a real downer and does affect some of his judgments specifically not to present the resolution to impeach Bush.

   Here’s what I contributed and I am so grateful for your sharing this correct and critical post.

   http://modernmusings.com/category/ralph-nader-for-president/

   Danielle Vyas
   02/27/08 at 5:42 pm
   

5. To answer your question CommadeKevin:

   If that is his mission as a presidential candidate (to push issues and move the other nominees to the left) I would argue he hasn’t been very effective (5 presidential campaigns and no viable third party to speak of). I think he would better serve the country and himself to continue to be an advocate or run for a legislative office…I dont think he will have any impact on the election outcome except to create a lot of attention about himself and talk of how he could possibly spoilthe election. Look at MSM..they are not covering his Palestinian point of view but talking about the 2000 election. Certainly, it is still a free country in that he can run, but to what benefit? Really?

   elizabeth
   02/27/08 at 6:15 pm
   

6. sorry that should have been directed to John…

   elizabeth
   02/28/08 at 1:19 am
   
7. 

   @elizabeth

   Actually, Nader was successful in pushing Gore a bit more to the left on issues of trade and the environment. It’s been shown that if Gore had just adopted more of Nader’s platform (as Ralph urged him to do) he would’ve won by a landslide. Gore chose his corporate backers over a liberal constituency and got what he deserved. Additionally, blaming Nader for Gore’s loss is ridiculous since Gore didn’t lose.

   What’s so important about Nader’s run is that he’s simply remaining visible. It’s the same reason Dennis Kucinich was so important to have in the debates. Even if he didn’t win, Dennis created a hunger for that kind of honesty from the top tier candidates. Unfortunately, Kucinich was a Democrat and was thus silenced by his own party.

   Now is the time that third-parties must continue where Dennis left off. Third-party candidates like Nader set a standard. Without them, the measure of liberalism would be a conservative like Barack Obama. Liberalism is dead if we continue to push our leaders into the shadows election after election.

   No, there isn’t a viable third party yet, and that’s due to the legal obstruction of the Democrats. Ralph has plenty of lawyers this time to build a movement unimpeded. To speak of the failures of Nader is to speak of the shameful tactics of the Democrats who are responsible for those failures.

   Manila Ryce
   02/28/08 at 1:53 am
   

8. Err, no actually. Any legacy of right and justice he ever had has been lost because of his narcissistic tilting at windmills.

   Would I love to see a Kucinich/Nader administration? Hell Yes!!! But it ain’t gonna happen. You think the progressive movement is in trouble? Wait until more years of Republican rule.

   How is he helping the cause of the left? By putting more right-wing voices on the court.

   Wake up.

   t’s been shown that if Gore had just adopted more of Nader’s platform (as Ralph urged him to do) he would’ve won by a landslide. - Where has that been shown?

   Brave Sir Robin
   02/28/08 at 5:12 am
   
9. 

   @Brave Sir Robin

   “You think the progressive movement is in trouble? Wait until more years of Republican rule.”

   It was in trouble during 8 years of Clinton as well. Am I saying both parties are identical? No, but neither is progressive. Democrats are obviously better than Republicans, but both are enemies of liberalism.

   “By putting more right-wing voices on the court. Wake up.”

   Wake up indeed. Who put right-wing voices on the court? Gore voted to put Scalia on the court, and the Dems caved for Justice Thomas. Since the Democrats gained power more recently, they’ve done nothing to block right-wing Bush appointees. Sorry, but you can’t blame Nader for the right-wing take over of Washington. Place that blame where it belongs with the capitulation of the Dems. Gore’s defeat is an example of that failed strategy to adopt conservative values rather than fight them.

   “Where has that been shown?”

   Aside from common sense which tells you that a progressive candidate will draw progressive votes, there are the polls which show Gore gained in support after accepting a more liberal position on trade and the environment. I assume you’ve watched the video above? Nader mentions the specific study near the end.

   Manila Ryce
   02/28/08 at 12:28 pm
   
10. 

    Got gloves off some folks with this one Manila, good work. Would like to throw in a few punches myself but I’m working on post especially to link to this.

    All of America aught to listen to this man. They you want change and someone with a track record for it, Ralph Nader’s your guy. Re-read the post again, the list of accomplishments he’s persevered in having come to fruition. Not for him personally, you the people personally. When will ya all wake up, eh??? Collectively, I mean; I know anyone that stops by here has their thinking cap on. Sure would be nice to get that 1000 people Ralph talked about in the video. That’s what grass roots are all about and I’m in. Except I’m out, of country that is. But I’d vote of Nader in a nanosecond.

    camelien
    02/28/08 at 9:18 pm
    
11. 

    Thanks camelien. Let me know when you’re done with your post. Link it here.

    Manila Ryce
    02/29/08 at 3:14 am
    

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