Was Willie Nelson an evil bush enabler

[corporatewhore]

for endorsing Nader in 2000 or was he simply looking for a candidate who best represented him and his concerns(we all know why he is endorsing kucinich because he not kerry is the real deal)

[mmonk]

1. not evil, accidental

[el_gato]

2. Willie knows what's up

I don't care what the violently reactionary anti-naderites have to say about it. I'm not talking about the people who say stuff like "nader shouldn't run" etc. but those who are venting actual hatred and questioning his right to even exist. It's insane.

[sangh0]

3. No, not evil

Stupid

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Oh, please

People should follow their conscience.

In 2000 Willie's conscience directed him to Ralph. This time he went for Dennis.

No big whoop. Lots of progressives have done the exact same thing.

[sangh0]

9. Like I said "Stupid"

In 2000 Willie's conscience directed him to Ralph.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. I notice you don't seem to be endorsing any candidate in your sig

Any reason why?

[sangh0]

16. NO

No reason why

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. Thought maybe you were a former Joe supporter or something

[sangh0]

28. Not likely

.

[corporatewhore]

14. oh and supporting a pro corporate pro big Agribusiness guy would have been

smart last time i checked bush and gores policies on free trade were the same

[sangh0]

18. Nelson is still an idiot

.

[el_gato]

24. lame epithets suck, Willie is Great

Willie has done more for our democracy than most of the anti-naderites put together

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. Well hey, Bush and Gore spent the entire debate agreeing with each other

How was anyone to know which one to vote for, except to pick the one who could speak ENGLISH. (Jeez, it seemed like such a good time to cast a vote of conscience. No one in their right mind would pick Bu$h over Gore, even though they were touting the same proposals.)

I say instead of ranting over folks who back Nader or the Communists or the Socialists, let's take our anger out on the folks who voted for a guy who cannot speak the language of the nation he is supposed to be representing!!

[el_gato]

5. get real

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. Perhaps he had just smoked too much weed

Just because the guy has mucical talent doens't mean that he is smart.

[el_gato]

26. or Perhaps he sees things the way the realy are

and is sick and tired of corporate whores selling our party out

[arwalden]

30. Like It Or Not We Have A Two Party System

Apparently Willie Nelson was deluded into believing that someone OTHER than the Democrat or Republican could actually win. Even though many people can actually run for president and all those names can appear on the ballot... the fact remains that only TWO people actually have a shot at winning.

Because of how our "two-party system" works, any vote that does not DIRECTLY benefit the Democratic candidate it will have the net effect of benefiting the Republican candidate. This too is an inescapable fact. It's not pretty... it's not how we all wish it were, but this is the fact.

-- Allen

[BL_Zebub]

32. Who says we have a two party system?

The two parties and the media, obviously.

And there used to be enough difference between the two parties that it was enough for most people. Nobody ever accused Jimmy Carter of being "Nixon Lite" because the mere suggestion would have been ridiculous. Willie Nelson, BTW was also a Carter supporter. Rumor is he even smoked a joint on the roof of the White House while Jimmy was President :evilgrin:

[redqueen]

33. We do - Corporate Whore or Corporate Whore Lite n/t

[BL_Zebub]

36. Ah but is that reality, or the media whore enforced fiction?

There are dozens of political parties out there. Some of them are even reasonably well known. Greens, Libertarians, Reform Party, Natural Law, US Taxpayers (who don't want to pay taxes) party, etc.

The difference is media accessibility. Nader only gets airtime because of his role in helping Bush steal the election, but of course the media whores never acknowledge their own roles.

Just like the Kerrynoids here won't acknowledge that Nader mentioned a lot of things that were 666% the truth in his appearance on Meet the Press, and those things shouldn't be dismissed just because you don't agree with his candidacy.

[redqueen]

37. For sure it's the whore media fiction

Seeing media hype echoed on this board is just about enough to make me give up the fight, honestly.

[arwalden]

34. Dear Me... How Could I Forget About The Media?

Jimmy with a joint. LOL! What a funny image.

-- Allen

[BL_Zebub]

40. I doubt Jimmy was participating. That's why Willie was on the roof

I don't think Jimmy was a stoner, though it certainly wouldn't lessen my opinion of him if he was.

[sangh0]

35. Americans say it

Go around and ask. The overwhelming majority believes this is a two party system. I'm surprised you hadn't noticed.

[BL_Zebub]

41. According to the media "the overwhelming majority" believe:

- Saddam Hussein personally participated in 9-11

- the economy is "recovering"

- John Kerry is "electable"

That certainly doesn't make any of the above the truth, does it?

[Freddie Stubbs]

39. Looks like now he is getting the government the he deserves

[PVnRT]

7. Of course!

All who do not toe the party line without complaining are Bush enablers. Didn't you get the memo?

[DenverDem]

8. Willie Nelson is a true patriot

and is honestly searching for a way of saving the real America.

Nader is raising some very real issues that are not being addressed in the 2 man campaign, but are essential to building a sustainable economic and cultural system. Rather than attacking Nader, the party needs to address the issues he is raising in an honest and courageous way.

Running a campaign not to lose is destined to failure.

God bless Dennis for saying what needs to be heard.

Nader did not cost Gore the election, Gore won the freaking election. The election was stolen by a treasonous administration.

That is the issue, not a third party candidate who is raising important policy questions that the two parties are too cowardly or devious to confront.

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. Kudos to you, DenverDem

Great post! :yourock:

[el_gato]

25. that's right, Willie is a True Patriot rather than a party line stooge

[Sparkle]

12. Hey CorproateWhore,

I take offense to your sigline. Were you a Dean supporter?

[corporatewhore]

15. nope a DK supporter -Willie sent me ;)

[ShaneGR]

13. No one is talking about 2000, this is 2004

He's backing Kucinich, who has pledged to back the Democrat.

BTW, Ralph is a scumbag Bush enabler.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

17. Here's an interview by him on the subject. Read between the lines

JMH: Speaking of voting, I am aware that you did some campaigning for Ralph Nader.

WN: Yea.

JMH: Well, it turns out Gore, who wasn't a good choice, still may have been better than Bush. Do you regret that happening?

WN: You know, in a way, I can see where that went awry. You are trying to do a good thing and vote for the guy who is best for it, but at the same time you might have shot down the guy who had a better chance. There are two sides to that. I'm not sorry at all that I did back him, but I think this next election a lot of people are going to be looking around to make sure that their vote is going to count.

JMH: Well, that is great that you voted for Nader, but it made me wonder. You have done all this work for Farm Aid; you've been such a strong advocate for the farmer all these many years. Obviously, most of these farmers aren't going to align themselves with you, politically. Is there ever any friction there, with these two diametrically opposed groups that you are supporting?

WN: Well, first of all, Farm Aid is over here--one entity by itself. Everything else is aside from that. I don't like to cross one into the other. Politics does have to get in there. There has to be Democrats and Republicans voting for a good farm bill. That has to happen before you can get anything past.
That's what I am hoping will happen. Maybe with one of the bills that's being introduced up there now and there are a couple of them that are pretty good. Paul Wellstone (D-MN), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Daschle (D-SD) put a bill together. Between the three of them, they have a good plan. It would be a good start to turn around the farm situation.

http://www.isuextra.com/news/2002/04/03/Life/Willie.Nelson.Still.Fighting.For.His.Beliefs-227245.shtml

[DenverDem]

22. God bless Willie

and damn Willie bashers.

If everyone had the courage, honesty and wisdom that Willie continues to exhibit our country and the world would be a lot better off.

[BL_Zebub]

42. Hey, leave God out of this!

The Devil's a Willie fan too, ya know :evilgrin:

[DenverDem]

45. Willie's appeal is truly across the board.

Point well taken.

[dpbrown]

21. Kucinich is trying to make the Dems a "viable second party"

The "centrists in Democrats clothing" Democrats ignore and marginalize Dennis, then they harshly berate liberals who might be attracted to Nader's positions on certain issues.

The attacks on Nader are just another tool that the centrist/DLC rightists are using to shame and purge progressive ideas from the Democratic Party.

Gore won. Get over Nader.

Gore got more votes than any other Democratic Presidential candidate in the history of the United States.

Gore beat Bush by five times the margin that Kennedy beat Nixon.

More than 175,000 "felons" were purged in Florida, and the "error rate" of felon purges dwarfed the "error rate" of hanging chads, making the corrupt theft of the election in Florida by the brother of George Bush the cause of Al Gore not getting the White House.

I think this continued fascination with Nader is obscene.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[JVS]

23. He was a Toby Keith enabler for doing "beer for my horses"...

with him.

[DenverDem]

27. Toby Keith is a reprehensible redneck.

I think there was a lot of record company pressure on Willie to do that.

It did bother me a lot that he did it, though.

[redqueen]

29. Willie Nelson rocks - WN bashers suck

This man has fought for family farmers for decades, but weak-kneed democrats in hysterics who support pro-corporate candidates have the audacity to insult him.

I'm ashamed to be a dem when I read crap like I see on this thread.

:puke:

[charlie]

31. Boy howdy

You said it. My ears don't even recognize country music as music, yet I've long had affection and admiration for Willie. He's a gentle well-intentioned soul, the world's a better place with him in it.

[eileen_d]

38. Willie Nelson is an American citizen

and as such, he has the right to endorse any candidate he wants. NO MORE and NO LESS of a right just because he's famous.

[mdmc]

43. Willie Nelson rules all

That is all.

[mouse7]

44. That evil Willie Nelson... get him!

I have to take myself out of the discussion. I detest Willie Nelson's singing. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I've been looking for any excuse not to hear Willie sing for a couple of decades now.

[John_H]

46. Probably he was high.

[corporatewhore]

47. Nah he just endoresed the guy who had the best policies towards family

farmers i would think he was high if he endorsed someone who was for a bill of rights for big Agribusiness (wto/nafta)