Community Checkup

Nader has experienced a lot of hate in his day. Now that he’s running again there will be much more coming at him. The hate carried over towards him from 2000 is captured perfectly in Melissa Harris-Lacewell’s argument:

Ralph Nader… has some evil lying on his doorstep. The arrogant, destructive, self-aggrandizing hubris that marks both Nader and his supporters is directly responsible for President Bush’s occupation of the White House. For you to choose Nader is to cast a vote for McCain and you know it. It is irresponsible to hide behind some kind of intellectual justification forcasting a vote for a candidate that is guaranteed to lose, and thereby increase the vote share for a potentially dangerous war-monger.

Citizens of many nations are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. Americans are holding onto their homes by their teeth and fingernails. Our wetlands are eroding under the strain of unchecked development. This is the world that Ralph Nader helped to give us. [Source: TheRoot]

A very common argument. But I share the opinion of this Huffington Post author that…

None of this is Ralph’s fault. He’s always had specific plans, and his vision never falters. People hate Ralph because, much like that asshole teacher in eighth grade who wouldn’t let you skate by, he challenges us. He pushes the country left when the pendulum forever presses right. In a world of free trade and winner-take-all attitudes, Ralph fights for the environment, workers, and victims everywhere.

And yes, he will get votes, but he steals nothing from politicians who don’t willingly surrender their campaigns to mediocrity, or voters who cast ballots true to their consciences. A truly compelling Democratic nominee will win blue votes, and some reds and independents. However, if the Democratic nominee offers Americans more of the same centrist-right rhetoric brought to us during the Clinton years, if they cater to Big Business and Wall Street, then we may see a repeat of the 2000 election. [Source: HP]

I admit, I am a Nader fan. I would may have been behind him for this run if Obama wasn’t running. My problem with Nader this go ’round is not that he will take votes away from the Democrats and help the Republicans. My concern is that Nader can’t provide what American desperately needs right now–healing of the divisiveness within and beyond our borders. The same reason I love Nader is the same reason he would not be a great candidate for the moment–he’s antagonistic, stubborn, and uncompromising as hell. There is a time and place for that but at this particular time and in this particular place, I fear he would only exacerbate the divide in the VERY hypothetical situation of him being commander in chief.

I DO want Nader to run though and I do want to see him in debate with the Democratic and Republican candidates. Nader’s strength in debate is his ability to call out the B.S. and to “lay bear the naked truth” (shout out to L and Cornel West). If he’s given the opportunity, he will surely broaden the discussion beyond the talking points we’ve heard so far (by the way, why is education being treated like a step-child, again?). And if the Democrats lose some of their base or independents to Nader, that’s the Dems fault, not Nader’s.

[Check out Nader's announcement on Meet the Press]