| Ralph Nader for President 2008 | |
|---|---|
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| Campaign | U.S. presidential election, 2008 |
| Candidate | Ralph
Nader Founder of Public Citizen and progressive activist |
| Affiliation | independent candidate |
| Status | Lost election November 4, 2008 |
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
| Key people | Matt Gonzalez, Running mate |
| Slogan | People fighting back. |
| Website | |
| www.votenader.org | |
Ralph Nader announced his U.S. Presidential candidacy, running as an independent candidate, on February 24, 2008 on NBC's Meet The Press.[1][2] It was Nader's fifth campaign; he ran in the four election cycles prior to 2008: 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004. The 2008 election was the third in which he had officially run a national campaign. While Nader ran as an independent, in some states he had ballot access with the Independent-Ecology Party, the Natural Law Party, and the Peace and Freedom Party.[3][4] Nader received 738,475 votes.[5]
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In February 2007, Nader criticized Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as "a panderer and a flatterer." Asked on CNN Late Edition news program if he would run in 2008, Nader replied, "It's really too early to say...."[6] Asked during a radio appearance to describe the former First Lady, Nader said, "Flatters, panders, coasting, front-runner, looking for a coronation ... She has no political fortitude."[7] Some Greens started a campaign to draft Nader as their party's 2008 presidential candidate.[8] In June 2007, Nader said, "You know the two parties are still converging -- they don't even debate the military budget anymore. I really think there needs to be more competition from outside the two parties."[9] Nader praised Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel, and John Edwards during the race for the Democratic nomination.
After the election became a contest between Clinton and Barack Obama, Nader hinted more towards his own presidential bid by participating in the Green Party Presidential Debates in San Francisco on January 13, 2008, though not as an announced candidate. Then he formed a presidential exploratory committee on January 30, 2008, telling CNN he would run again if he could raise the necessary funds.[10]
Before entering the race, Nader was asked by Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room if he liked any of the Democratic presidential candidates in 2008, and said "in terms of his record, Dennis Kucinich and in terms of a great Democratic stengthened Democracy proposal, Mike Gravel."[11] A petition was started to urge Nader to run with Mike Gravel as a vice presidential candidate.[12] In the weeks before the Iowa caucus, Nader praised former Senator John Edwards and his populist message, calling him "a Democratic glimmer of hope" and encouraging Iowans to "give him a victory."[13]
In a Zogby International poll released March 15, 2008, Nader received 6% of the vote in a John McCain-Clinton-Nader race and 5% in a McCain-Obama-Nader race. According to pollster John Zogby, a self-described Democrat, "Nader’s presence in the race can potentially turn a lulu of a race into an absolute tizzy. The messages to Democrats are clear – number one, Nader may win enough support to get into the general election debates. Number two, what could be at risk is support among several key constituencies that the Democratic Party candidate will need to win in November, notably younger voters, independents, and progressives.” [14] However, according to pollster Mark Blumenthal, such an effect is overstated.[15]
A Lansing-based EPIC-MRA poll concluded that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama would perform better against Republican John McCain among Michigan voters than Democrat Hillary Clinton. In the poll, taken April 4-9, 2008, presidential candidate Ralph Nader received 10 percent of the vote in the hypothetical McCain-Clinton election. McCain received 46 percent of the vote to Clinton's 37. In the McCain-Obama situation, conversely, Nader received 8 percent, while Obama led McCain 43 to 41 percent, leaving the Obama victory unaffected. [16]
A mid-September 2008 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll found that Nader has the support of 4 percent of those polled, with Libertarian candidate Bob Barr and Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney each at one percent.[17]
According to an Ipsos/McClatchy Poll released on November 3, 2008, the results found 1 percent of likely voters supporting Ralph Nader.[18]
After announcing his run on Meet the Press Nader announced that he had chosen former San Francisco Board of Supervisors president, and Texas native Matt Gonzalez, as his running mate on February 28, 2008.[19] Gonzalez was a supporter of Nader in 2000 and 2004, and has a background as a public defender and civil rights attorney. He narrowly lost the San Francisco mayoral election to Democrat Gavin Newsom in 2003. [20]
While campaigning at his alma mater Princeton University, Nader gave a lecture entitled "The Corporate State and the Destruction of Democracy." He discussed the "political bigotry against third parties" and the lack of limitations on the power of corporations. Nader described his plans for reform, including single-payer national health insurance, cuts to the military budget, crackdowns on corporations, and a repeal of the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act. [21]
On March 9, Nader visited West Chester, Pennsylvania where he talked with the Chester County Historical Society about protection of the "victims" of "corporate crooks". He stated that taxes should be levied first on polluters, gamblers and corporations, and that taxes should be lowered on labor and necessities. He called for a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq criticizing the current presidential candidate's stance on the war, "Children not even born yet today will be in Iraq under these [current] candidates...We will bring our troops home".[22]
In April 2008, Nader praised Jimmy Carter's plan to visit the Middle East saying: "It is time for all retired military, diplomatic and national security officials from both parties who agree with Carter — and there are many — to band together and launch the Washington Peace Show leading to what a majority of Palestinians and Israelis want — a viable two-state solution." [23]
Nader was selected as the presidential candidate of the Peace and Freedom Party at its convention on August 2. He received 46 delegate votes (60.7%) defeating Gloria La Riva, Brian Moore and Cynthia McKinney who also vied for the nomination. The distinction gave Nader instant ballot access in California. [24]
In June, Nader accused Democratic Party candidate Barack Obama of trying to "talk white" and appealing to white guilt in the election campaign. Obama said about Nader's criticism, "He's become a perennial political candidate. At this point, he's somebody who's trying to get attention, whose campaign hasn't gotten any traction."[25]
On September 10, 2008, Nader appeared with Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul as well as several other third party candidates for a press conference at the National Press Club to present the four key principles that they all agreed were the most important of the election. Nader and Paul would later that day appear on CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer to briefly lay out these principles.[26] Although given little media coverage,[27] Nader campaigned vigorously, even potentially setting a Guiness World Record for most campaign speeches given in one day on October 25, 2008 (21 speeches, 315 minutes).[28]
On October 18, 2008 he and vice-presidential candidate Matt Gonzalez also held a large protest on Wall Street following the passage of the government bailout bill.[29] Nader's opposition to the bailout was a key issue of his candidacy during October 2008, in contrast to both major party candidates who supported the bill.[27]
Despite being blocked from participating in the nationally televised debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, Nader did participate in two third party debates, most notably with Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr and Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin on October 30, 2008 in Cleveland, Ohio at the City Club of Cleveland.[30]
On November 4, 2008, Ralph Nader issued an open letter to Barack Obama, wherein he stated, "Far more than Senator McCain, you have received enormous, unprecedented contributions from corporate interests, Wall Street interests and, most interestingly, big corporate law firm attorneys."[31]
Nader came under fire during and after the campaign for some comments made regarding the candidacy of Barack Obama. In June 2008, Nader commented in an interview with the Rocky Mountain News that Obama was trying to "talk white" and trying to "appeal to white guilt not by coming on as black is beautiful, black is powerful." Obama campaign spokeswoman Shannon Gilson responded, "We are obviously disappointed with these very backward-looking remarks".[32][33]
On election night, Nader said about Barack Obama, "To put it very simply, he is our first African-American president, or he will be. And we wish him well. But his choice, basically, is whether he is going to be Uncle Sam for this country or Uncle Tom for the giant corporations." Later that night, Fox News correspondent Shepard Smith asked Nader, "I just wonder if in hindsight you wished you'd used a phrase other than 'Uncle Tom.'" Mr. Nader responded, "Not at all."[34]
The Nader 2008 campaign relied heavily on grassroots organizing. The "Roadtrip for Ralph" effort sent Nader supporters to states to get Nader on the ballot.[35]
By September 18, 2008, Nader and Gonzalez were on the ballot in 45 states with write-in status in four of the five remaining states. Oklahoma does not allow write-in candidates.[36] For ballot access in most states, the Nader campaign had to circulate nominating petitions, with varying numbers of signatures and deadlines, to get on the ballot. In some states, the requirements for ballot access are lower for new parties than for independents, so Nader attempted to qualify as the candidate of the Independent Party (composed of Nader supporters). Nader qualified for the 2008 New Mexico ballot using the new party procedure, rather than qualifying as an independent, because the number of signatures for a new party is only one-sixth as many signatures.[37] The campaign also turned in petitions in Hawaii, which requires 663 signatures. The Independent Party turned in approximately 2,100.[38]
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   | www.votenader.org - Ralph Nader for President in 2008 |
| | Nader ponders run, calls Clinton 'coward' - Nader ponders run, calls Clinton 'coward' - Roger Simon - Politico.com |
| | DraftNader.org - Draftnader.org - environment Resources and Information.This website is for sale! |
| | Nader Leaves '08 Door Open, Slams Hillary - Nader Leaves '08 Door Open, Slams Hillary |
| | 'Meet the Press' transcript for Feb. 24, 2008: Ralph Nader, David Brooks, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Michele Norris, Chuck Todd - Feb. 24: Ralph Nader, political roundtable - Meet the Press- msnbc.com |
| | Ralph Nader enters presidential race - Ralph Nader enters presidential race - CNN.com |
| | Ralph Nader on "The Situation Room," names Gravel, Kucinich - YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. |
| | Nader picks running mate - CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Nader picks running mate « - Blogs from CNN.com |
| | "Nader throws support to Edwards." - Nader throws support to Edwards - David Paul Kuhn - Politico.com |
| | Presidency 2008 - Politics1 - 2008 Presidential Election (P2008) |
| | "Bob's Your Uncle." - Jan Herman: Bob's Your Uncle |
| | Nader/Gonzalez You Tube Channel - YouTube - votenader08's Channel |
| | Inside the Beltway - Inside the Beltway - Washington Times |
| | CNN Poll: GOP takes brunt of blame for economy, Obama gains - CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - CNN Poll: GOP takes brunt of blame for economy, Obama gains « - Blogs from CNN.com |
| | Nader chosen as the presidential nominee of the Peace and Freedom Party - Nader chosen as the presidential nominee of the Peace and Freedom Party - Wikinews, the free news source |
| | Green Party and Independent Party submit Hawaii petitions - Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Green Party and Independent Party Submit Hawaii Petitions |
| | "Obama using 'white guilt,' Nader says." - Obama using 'white guilt,' Nader says - CNN.com |
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