Dumb question about Nader--

[Indiana_Dem]

Why doesn't he ever run as a Democrat? He could get much further if he really wanted change. He could've at the least done what Dean did.

Also, is it true he wants to run under Independent now and not the Greens? Why wouldn't the Greens be really mad at him at this point then?

Last question, why would he wait so late in the race to jump in? The threads I'm seeing about him being more Republican appear to be true if he has waited to see that * isn't doing very well.

I'm beginning to see the light I think.

[For PaisAn]

1. Another question

Why didn't he endorse Kucinich when Dennis entered the race. The fact that he didn't causes me to seriously question his motives and sincerity.

[Indiana_Dem]

2. I wondered that too because I heard he said he was waiting

to see how Kucinich would do before he decided what he was going to do. Now that this race is down to a few, wouldn't he wait to see what Super Tuesday is going to bring to Kucinich? You're right. he never really did endorse him fully.

[Syrinx]

3. Nader has accomplished some important things in his life

Probably more than most of us will. But now he has become a shill (knowingly, or not) of the Republicans.

Nader has reached his nadir.

I want to know if he's being paid by President Rove and company.

[joyautumn]

4. answers

Nader promised his parents that he would never join a political party, but remain independent and work instead in a non-partisan way. That's why he didn't join the Green Party, either. Until the DLC took over, he aligned himself with the Dems, though he was always willing and able to work on both sides of the aisle because his issues had friends and enemies across the political spectrum. In the sixties he worked as a staffer for two Democratic Senators, and that's where his work on the Corvair began.

The Greens have been very divided since the 2000 election about a number of things. I won't go into great detail about Green internal politics, but basically, some Greens have always wanted to stay local and didn't want to run any national races even in 2000. Others wanted Nader to run again. Still others wanted Nader to run again on a safe-states strategy. And others wanted to run a candidate for Prez, but not Nader. Finally Nader made a decision not to run as a Green, saying that the Green nomination process left too little time for any candidate to mount a serious national campaign.

Which leads to the last question of why so late. For Nader, this is early. He said early in 2003, "I don't like long campaigns." Not sure if he was just joking, but in logistical terms it's early for him. He gave up the logistical support of a potential Green nomination in exchange for the extra time (now as opposed to June). Relations between the Greens and Nader are okay. A very few Greens are still trying to draft him and there's a small write-in campaign for him in the Green primary.

He said he was waiting to see how Kucinich, or more to the point the issues he shares with Kucinich, fared in the Dem primaries before deciding what to do. His focus on issues, not candidates, is why he didn't formally endorse anyone, and why at one point he was open to staying out if Dean's movement was successful at changing the focus of the party on the issues. He wasn't waiting for Bush to not do well. He's been skewering Bush continually on every bumbling move Bush makes, and making sure the right people realize what an idiot Bush is.

[Indiana_Dem]

5. I do realize he focuses on the issues but couldn't he do it

in a different way? I actually wrote him in on my ballot one year (I believe it was in '88 or '92 when Perot was running?) and that was the only time I've ever not voted Democrat since 1982 when I could vote. He was saying things of truth I did not hear the other candidates saying. He made the most sense to me. However, at this point in time, I don't understand why he is considering running again. This regime is so bad I couldn't even think of throwing up a protest vote. I want this administration gone! I guess my protest vote will be with Kucinich in the primary although I will vote ABB in the GE.

Thank you for clarifying some of Nader's history for me and welcome to the forum.:hi:

Also, he won't even be on the ballot here in Indiana again. It's too late. So how does he think he's going to actually win anything???? I feel all he is doing is pulling away voters who would possibly vote Dem.

[MurikanDemocrat]

6. Answers

If he ran as a Democrat he's never win the nomination.

I don't think the Greens want him.

He said he wouldn't run if either Kucinich or Dean got the nomination.

He does get Republican support to run. Why wouldn't he?? He's a Godsend to them!