Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock
Tuesday, June 1, 2004. Ralph Nader won’t hurt John Kerry, and if he does, the tall Brahmin will deserve the loss.
Just like Al Gore. I don’t believe Nader cost Gore the election. Nevermind the numbers and the Electoral College; the number indicate damage. But that’s not the point. If a third-part candidate has that strong an impact in the United States, the party’s pick deserve to lose. How could Gore have run such a divided country? Bush didn’t; 9/11 united the country for him. If George II gets re-elected, we will have a sad second term where the delayed problems return and compound.
The strongest third-party candidate in recent memory is Ross Perot, as he got in American terms both good support and great publicity. Nader didn’t get that kind of attention: Just count the late-night TV jokes. Nobody with the TV or talk-radio megaphone blames Perot for the 1990s — or should. Of course, the talk at the time was that H. Ross took about the same proportion of popular and electoral votes from each candidate.
Kerry needs to be both positive and negative. Negative in pointing out the incumbent’s mistakes and shortcomings (no not petty or corrosive). Positive in at the least proposing sound programs that a split Congress just may back and, most of all, positive in just pushing through a philosophy, a Kennedy-like hope.
Perhaps Kerry could co-opt his opposition by bring Nader and GOP maverick Sen. John McCain into his campaign. Meanwhile, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is the right vice presidential choice. My barber says so, and he’s a cut above. -30-
