Best way for the Democratic nominee to reclaim lost Nader votes

[0rganism]

Since everyone's panicking about it already, let's find out what DUers think the most productive activity would be.

So here's the situation. Kerry or Edwards is a lock for the nomination in June, and polls show a close race -- 47% to 47% of likely voters, with Nader picking up 2%. You are John's special adviser for election strategy, and he asks you how to get those Nader voters swinging in his direction again. What do you tell John?

[rpf113]

1. Try and get those Indpendents...

the ones that flocked to Clark and Edwards on our team. That could more than make up for Nader.

[0rganism]

2. Hey, Edwards himself could still be the candidate

There are two Johns in this race.

[Ediacara]

3. Debate him

Nader has been yammering for a debate for 4 years. Well, he should get one and when he does, he'll fall flat on his face. This should happen in the spring though, instead of during the real presidential debate.

[0rganism]

5. Have you ever seen Nader in a debate?

I videotaped Nader debating Newt Gingrich on C-Span in 2001. If you cover postage, I'll run off a copy and mail it to you.

Nader could very well lose a debate with Kerry or Edwards, but it won't be because he'll "fall flat on his face." The guy is smart, speaks eloquently, and thinks on his feet.

[fromthegroundup]

4. Democratic Party Club

Last weekend I went to a local Democratic club meeting. The general consensus of the meeting was Democrats are losing votes to Republicans from Democratic party registered voters. Why are Democrats voting Republican, Green, and Independent?

[0rganism]

7. Quick answer: Because the Dems have sold out to corporatism

Republicans make far better corporatists than Democrats, so corporatocracy-leaning moderates may as well vote for a republican.

Greens have much more progressive platform than the Democrats, so hardcore lefties are tempted to vote Green.

Independents usually don't have backing from soft-money or PACs, and appeal to those who automatically distrust party bureaucracy.

The main thing Democrats have going for their party is a solid establishment. Union, Environmentalist, and Pro-Choice PACs know exactly where to go for a quick lobby.

[mot78]

6. Try hard to get swing voters (who arn't necessarily DLC-types)

and include an issue or two on the Dem platform at the Convention.

[poskonig]

8. Get his S&B buddies to assassinate Nader.

:crazy:

[mitchum]

9. Is Nader important enough to"assassinate"?

Wouldn't it just be garden variety murder?

[Iverson]

10. How is this different from far-right threats of violence?

n/t

[0rganism]

13. Because it's an ad hom against Kerry, for starters

The insinuation is that John Kerry would use his frat connections to take out a hit on Nader. Pure anti-Kerry vitriol.

[kher-heb]

16. They did it to Wellstone

why not Nader?

[0rganism]

17. The notion that "They" did it to Wellstone is controversial...

...let alone that "They" is linked to the S&B organization, or that John Kerry is the sort of person who would require the assasination of a political competitor. This isn't the sort of thing that gets passed on a "why not?" basis, around here anyway.

Maybe you could get Matt Drudge to follow up on your allegations? I'm sure they're made on much solider grounds than the fictitious Polier affair.

[poskonig]

19. I support Kerry.

I put the rolling eyes in the post to indicate humor, but confusion often reigns in 2D.

[0rganism]

20. OK, so it's a parody of ad hom

I don't support Kerry, but I do object to baseless smears from the ABK crowd. And they've been out in force since the Iowa primaries.

[0rganism]

11. So far, no one's voting for #6...

...yet that's what all the continuous Nader-bashing bullshit on this board amounts to -- a poorly-organized whispering campaign. There must be someone who'll vote for it! Come on, yer all doing it here for free already, wouldn't you rather be paid to smear Ralph in your spare time?

edit: Ah, we finally got one.

[Endangered Specie]

12. By painfully reminding them what another 4 years of W could do.

[ulysses]

14. other.

Spending years browbeating Nader voters into submission is obviously the only way.

[mitchum]

15. I didn't do that...

all I did was refuse to sign the petition to get Greens on the ballot in GA as "payback"
I believe people are capable of change (in some ways)

[flaminbats]

18. We need more push polling to win over Nader voters....

only meaningless advertising can save us now!! :puffpiece:

[revcarol]

21. Your premise is faulty.

John Kerry will not be the nominee..or will he? No one knows.

Until you know WHO the nominee is, you can't figure out strategies that will peel off Nader voters.

Best strategy in the meantime, vote for Kucinich.Newly returned Greens and indies will stay in the party.Even if he doesn't win the nomination, a strong showing will get Green/indie planks in the platform.

If the platform is "green" enough, this may be a problem that never develops. Renewable energy, reigning in corporatocracy,,,these are DEM issues as well as GREEN?INDIE issues.

[0rganism]

25. It's called a HYPOTHETICAL

In all likelihood, Nader would not oppose a Kucinich or Sharpton ticket, thus making the entire discussion moot. (Offering VP spots to a progressive or putting progressive planks in the platform are both covered by poll options.)

Likewise, most people at DU have diddly shit to do with the Kerry or Edwards campaign strategy.

Thus, the threefold hypothesis for this poll is:
1) John Kerry or John Edwards is the nominee
2) You are in a position to give advice to John
3) Polls show Nader taking 2% of the vote in a 47%-47% contest

Nothing faulty about it.

[revcarol]

27. Both of your choices are not acceptable to me,

doubt if they would be acceptable to Greens/indies...Here's why:1) position as VP would just be a sop 2) a couple of planks in the polatform that might be oh so graciously and condesceningly offered are just a sop.

With Dennis as a candidate with delegates, REAL negotiations on planks could take place. And besides, he might prefer being Speaker of the House.

I agree with Tinoire below. We have lost our focus on people, rather than corporations.

Why don't you get some Green/Indie answers. I'm a DEMOCRAT.

[AntiCoup2K4]

22. Don't run a shitty nominee who voted for Bush's entire agenda!

I can't put it any plainer than that.

If Dean, Kucinich, or Clark (given Michael Moore's endorsement) were the nominee, I don't think Ralphie would have bothered jumping in. Instead, the candidates who represented change - and their supporters - were shit on by the "establishment", sending out the unmistakable signal that it's business as usual and they don't really care whether they beat Junior or not. I doubt I would ever vote for Nader, but I'm hardly surprised he's back, under the circumstances.

[poskonig]

24. Kerry supports progressive taxation,

health care access, a cooperative foreign policy, a clean environment, gun control, opposes the death penalty, and supports a woman's right to choose.

Kerry is one of the most liberal people in the Senate. Bush = Kerry my ass.

[Tinoire]

23. Other. Start valuing people over corporations. Simple but too simple. n/t

[ibegurpard]

26. Here's why that will never happen.

MONEY.
To come up with a platform and strategies that will inspire enough individuals to make up for the loss of corporate dollars would be a constant, backbreaking task and would require certain people in charge of the party to either step down or seriously re-evaluate their priorities. Won't happen and thus the only way the Party will be able to counter Nader is to demonize him and hope like hell that enough people are still overlooking the faults that make it vulnerable to him in the first place.

[Darranar]

29. Exactly!

[HuskerDem]

28. Expose him for the opportunistic whore he is.

[corporatewhore]

30. well then you have to contend with david cobb(green)

[HuskerDem]

32. And 99.6% of the nation will shrug mightily and say

Who the fuck is David Cobb?

Another .03% will laugh and say who the hell cares? (put me in there)

The other .02%> can enjoy making each other feel important and the remainder of their adolescence while the rest of us do something that's actually productive and responsible.

:nopity:

[AntiCoup2K4]

35. Just wondering

why you have a picture of the opportunistic whore in your signature? :shrug:

[corporatewhore]

31. pull outta nafta/wto it will attrack greens and old school cons

[0rganism]

33. By the way, you advisors who vote for #9 are fired (:-D)

:nopity:

[0rganism]

34. bumping, to get more saturday night voters

Let us light a candle, rather than cursing the darkness.