NYT: Nader Is Left With Fewer Votes, and Friends, After '04 Race

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 - This time around, no one can blame Ralph Nader's presidential candidacy for derailing the Democrats. At fewer than 400,000 votes - less than one-sixth of his 2000 vote total - Mr. Nader's dismal showing at the polls Tuesday probably put more of a dent in his own reputation than in John Kerry's vote.

Support for Mr. Nader, 70, suffered a "late collapse," as many of his sympathizers decided that defeating President Bush was more important than casting a symbolic vote for Mr. Nader's progressive agenda, said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University.

But the collapse was on a Lilliputian scale, from roughly 1 percent in the pre-election polls to just a third of a percent of the popular vote.

(snip)

Evidently unembarrassed by his vote total or by his election-eve prediction of a big Kerry win, Mr. Nader hit the airwaves after the election in fine fettle. If voters' concern about moral values re-elected President Bush, he asked on CNN, "What about the morality of corporate crime, the morality of dangerous workplaces and deaths from air pollution and bad hospital practices?"

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/11/06/politics/campaign/06nader.html

When you decided to run a campaign propped up by GOP donors.

It would be fitting.

I will never forgive Nader for sending my Jon to die in Iraq.

He has no "moral authority" as he likes to believe. He's culpable for your child's death. My family sends its heartfelt sympathy to your family at this terrible time. I'm simply happy that he got a public trouncing in 2004 tht will make him a foolish curiosity should he attempt to run again.

Again, I'm so sorry for your loss. May Nader burn in hell along with Bush* and the other architects of that debacle.

You guys are blaming the wrong people. Nader may have cost Gore the election, but to suggest that he is on par with George W. Bush is absurd. John Kerry was a vocal supporter of disarming Iraq (which I respect), and if you want to blame Nader, then by extension you could blame Kerry, Edwards, and just about anyone else. Bush is responsible for their death. Nader? Hell, without Nader, we could all very well be dead. What an absurd assertion.

Do you have any children?

Do you know what it's like to lose the only child you raised?

Let me tell you, the pain NEVER goes away. Thanks to Nader, many more parents will feel what I do and Nader has done his share to lock the Nazi party into total control for a generation.

If you cannot comprehend that, too bad.

Thought that Jon was your nephew that has been lying in Walter Reed as a parapaliegic for the last six months, as reported on every Nader thread.

Sorry to hear about Jon's recent passing, but Nader didn't have a thing to do with it. Why isn't any of the anger directed toward *bush?

I am a child. I'm 16, and it's very possible that I will be sent to fight in Bush's war at some point. It's terrible that it had to occur, and I attended anti-war rallies with guests like Jesse Jackson Jr., and others. Each was attended by hundreds of thousands of people. They made the news. I was a part of it. This is a war of geopolitics and war profiteering. It was organized by some of the most fiendish minds at the highest levels of government, and executed by an illegitimate group of criminals. But it's absurd to blame Ralph Nader, who was (and still is) so vocally opposed to the war and corporatism in general. All I'm saying is that your rage, while justified, is misplaced.

not Nader.

Stop your bullying and blaming the wrong person.

Too busy attacking Democrats, I guess.

Goodbye, Ralph.

I heard him. Maybe you weren't listening.

real smart!

I will never forgive that egomaniacal fuckhead for putting George Bush in the White House. Ever. He changed the course of history for the way, way worse... and I can't imagine how he can repay that debt.

The blood of 100,000 people is on his head and hands. As his mind further disintegrates he'll probably rationalize himself into believing that he is a savior or some such slop.

He is so like bush in that NEITHER can admit that they are wrong -- ever.

(reason for edit: typing with dog on lap.)

John "Mr. Concession" Kerry is still unrepentent about giving Nero his blank check for Iraq; Nader, on the other hand, has been vociferously anti-war--his business involves *saving* lives, not taking them.

In the end, Gore won FL. It's not Nader's fault. He's one of the good guys, you haters are so blinded by hate for him that you forget who the REAL bad guys are. Nader attacked Bush as much as Kerry, in fact he didn't attack Kerry until after DEMS tried to keep him off the ballots! That was wrong, I support democracy.

Gore lost the election in New Hampshire.

and personally heard him gloat at UNH about same day registration. Before the final week of that election and his relentless efforts in the college age population that threw Strafford County to him and therefore the state, I forgive him nothing. Before that day I supported his right to run but watching his actions first hand that week and his disgusting arrogance about the potential consequences. Enjoy your foolish defense of that egomaniac.

He has blood on his hands. Too bad he never will admit that to himself and pay the consequences of conscience for it---God knows families like the man in the post above will pay forever.

Good fucking grief are the DUers a bunch of illogical babies.

Bush started the war--not Nader.

Kerry voted *for* the war--not Nader. Nader was always against it.

I still would've voted for Kerry over Nader, simple because of his experience, but Nader Haters piss me off.

Without Nader, Gore wins. And Gore would not have invaded Iraq.

Nader IS as guilty as Bush and Cheney because he knew what his campaign could very well do, and he ran anyway!!!!!!!!

Just to prove his vile nature, the bastard ignored all pleas to desist and ran again!

May that pariah burn in hell for all eternity!

Republicans. He has lost his credibilty as far as talking about morality. How can he when he has none?

to get the dog to play with him.

"Friends"?

And please, could somebody tell me just exactly WHAT his "progressive agenda" was/is? All I ever heard out of him is "There's no diference between the other 2 guys, so you may as well vote for me if you want something really different..."

We're getting something "really different", you bet. The rise of the Taliborn-again.

indeed he will run every four years until the GOP finds someone else to soak up both the farther left votes, and the votes of those that want to send a message to DEMS - but do not want to send a message to the GOP.

Pariah par excellence!

Now go find a nice rock and crawl under it! We aren't interested in what you have to say.

Republicans don't have morality- they never have. There's no appealing to them- except maybe through greed- their own personal greed.

Ralph, get a clue. They don't- never have and never will care about corporate crime, workplace injuries, air pollution or improving healthcare unless it directly affects them. Personally. Then of course, they're the biggest crybabies you'll ever see.

but he ruined a lifetime of a good reputation by running this year. He let his ego get in the way of what was right for the country. I'll never think of him in the same way again. We know what your feelings are about corporate America, Ralph, and most of us agree with you, but your entry into the race and taking money from Republicans was hypocrisy at its best.

What a bunch of ugly louts on these boards, every bit as partisan as the some of the ugly Republicans. Apparently in the DU world you are with us or against us.

At least Nader stood against the war.

I held my nose and voted for Kerry and got nothing.

Professor 2

Which your post confirms

Professor 2

I just love blogs for their intellectual depth.

to contest the "vote."

instead you attack his motivation or his methods. I think some soul searching is in order. Flame if you want, I could not care less.

BTW, I voted Nader in 2000 and Kerry in 2004 and live in Mass. (full disclosure)

Same here, except I live in Kentucky.

The meaness towards Nader from Dems is deplorable. Nader was voted into one of the top ten conservative idiots when he announced his candidacy---and this was *before* he started taking Rupub money (not exactly a noble move on his part).

who turned against nader in 2004, im coming back to him now that he's getting active in hew hampshire

That is, proof so conclusive that Kerry wins and the Republicans are all put to shame, then I forgive him for 2000. But that's a big if.

You mean he has ANY friends????