Transcript of Nader vs Randi Rhodes on 1st Day of Air America

The Randi Rhodes phone interview of Nader went down yesterday, on the first day of Air America radio, and it was a fiasco, from I can see of the partial transcript. Randi just decided to basically shout down Nader, and he finally just hung up the phone on her.

Some selected excerpts:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

NADER: ... you've got a very bad interviewing technique .... and you're not going to get an audience by overtalking ... Do not overtalk!

RHODES: I am not ... interviewing you!


NADER: Fine, just close up and start screaming to your audience.

RHODES: Look. Don't tell me how to do radio; I've done it for twenty years. You screwed up the last election, and now you want to screw up this one, and I'm pissed!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/4/2/122801.shtml

((Warning: newsmax is a right wing site))

Randi: Who will you caucus with?

(asked several times until Nader, after ignoring the question the first few times, said...)

Nader: All kinds of people!

"All kinds of people"???

bwhahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

But Newsmax - who has an interest in seeing Air America fail - didn't provide the ENTIRE transcript.

Hint to Nader: There are only two kinds of people in Congress you can caucus with - Democrats and Republicans - unless you count independents - and how many are there?

Nader sounded goofy. Newsmax shows their agenda by using snippets from the interview that includes Nader's "Clinton was a draft dodger" allegation.

And while we're on THAT topic, notice, atleast according to NewsMax, Nader insulted the Clinton administration long before Randi took him out.

by "mobilizing voters..."

He only mobilizes just enough to turn elections.

Nader noted that, to be elected, he would require a sea change that would sweep through the congessional elections as well, and the newly elected congresspeople would provide him with his power base.

But, in truth, every thinking person understands that Nader is not running to win, he is running to promote and keep before the public issues that the democrats will not undertake to support as it would diminish their corporate money base.

While the nations finances are shredded and kids die for nothing.

Nice guy, for a deluded egomaniac.

Why democrats did, of course........calling Nader names may quantify your worth here but says little about anything else.

He can just preach criticism from an ivory tower about fantasies that cannot happen given inconvenient REALITIES like winning majorities, dealing with Republicans in Congress, and eventually changing the face of Congress itself.

He is not "promoting" anything that Democrats do not *already* support, that we have not supported for decades, that we're still fighting for with him as a drag on the effort rather than a help.

Let's see how far Ralphie can get without dealing with the fact that this IS a capitalist economy and corporations do exist -- oh wait, we've already seen how far he can get. NOwhere. So instead he harms the very causes he claims to support.

When he sees the result of his efforts, where is this man's conscience??

Nader has decreed that be elected, he would "require a sea change that would sweep through the congessional elections as well, and the newly elected congresspeople would provide him with his power base."

Pure idealogical fantasy.

What Ralph really said was that FOR HIM TO BE ELECTED, a sea change would be required.....annoying, those little grammatical curves and swerves.....

"to be elected, he would require a sea change..."

Verbatim.

Your faux superiority complex not withstanding.

though my five year old granddaughter could understand the meaning of that Nader comment and so could you if you were more interested in truth and accuracy than in defending the right wing takeover of the Democratic Party...so be it.

A difference of opinion is so intolerable to you that you must distort a simple statement to stamp out dissent...some democrat!

since neither of us personally know Nader and have called him up to ask him what he meant, we'll just have to hold to our own interpretations.

That's called tolerance.

Something you have a problem with. Some democrat!

(stamp out dissent? bwahahahahahaha! You overstate my authority - which is none - on DU)

does not bode well for Air America. Nader is a progressive, and should have been afforded the courtesy that an alleged Liberal Radio Network had to offer.

Rhodes did nothing but offend an entire subset of progressive voters. Not a good way to start the week.

Why the histrionics?

Progressive In Name Only.

I'm progressive, and I'm a Democrat, and she gave him a piece of my mind.

...for Democrats only?

I am a Democrat, and more of a Centrist than Progressive. How is this outburst constructive? It serves only to harden the resolve of the Naderish Left, and makes Democrats seem mean spirited and rude.

Is this how we expect others to see us? While I agree with what she had to say, her histrionics serve no one.

Come on! We need to act professionally if we are going to be taken seriously.

He works against progressive change by posing liberal while aiding the far-right.

The stupid liar deserves all the heat he gets, and his supporters likewise deserve derision for abetting the Republicans.

And guess what? More folks hate Ralph than love him. Diss Nader and help ratings: a twofer!

I heard the whole thing live. Randi Rhodes knows her shit, and I can't believe Nader expected any better. He thought it was her first day on the air, which shows how little homework he did.

I only wish she had been harder on him, and my view of him isn't even as generous as hers; she thinks he's "horse trading", trying to get a trade commission seat or something, but after listening to the conversation I can only conclude he is an utter and complete MORON. The questions he asked her showed he has zero clue what has been going on in congress this year. I can't believe how ill-informed he is, saying the same garbage about democrats as he did in 2000, as if we are even in the same universe as we were then.

By the way, something interesting happened to me the other day. Nancy Oden, from the green party, screwed up on their e-mail system and suddenly I was getting alot of their e-mail between her and members. She wrote them the shittiest letter about how democrats are scum and the Green Party shouldn't support them until the rapture happens and Oz appears and they stumble over the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, blah, blah, blah. They seem utterly clueless that they are getting further away from their goals instead of than closer. Until I hear that huge popping sound, of the Green Party's head popping out of it's ass, I don't want anything to do with any of them again, and quite a few of the e-mails they accidentally sent me from their members said the same thing.

No of course you dont....

Sorry I didn't see this earlier.

After I wrote her three e-mails telling her to get her and her party out of my e-mail box, she sent me three more e-mails apologizing and saying that someone had used an alias to their site in a reply to one of her e-mails and she sent some responses out not realizing this and it sent green party e-mails to every one on the mailing list.

\ I deleted all of it. I was actually stunned to hear her talking trash about dems, because as far as I knew they are not supporting Nader either. If you don't believe me, and I can assure you I couldn't care less, then e-mail Nancy Oden and ask her. The reason I posted this is to let everyone know that despite their official position, some are slamming dems and still planning on voting for Nader

honest, I never would.

Why oh why did they choose an unfit interviewer like Rhodes in the first place? Randi couldnt interview a moss covered rock without screwing it up!

Nader has a lot of truth to state ,truth such as this gem from the interview, done before Rhodes' personality got in the way of Nader and the listening public:

On Clinton

RHODES: You know the Democrats' policy, you know when the Republicans talk about regime change was the Clinton administration's policy, but it was regime change from within. It was never military action on our part on Iraq. That was not the policy ...

NADER: ... You know, Clinton was a draft-dodger so he wasn't willing to take on the Pentagon. And he wasn't willing to take on the Congress on many huge military expenditures and that starved many of the necessities back home among the American people. ...

On Nader's Presidential Run

RHODES: How many ways to Sunday do I have to tell you? We can't afford you.

NADER: I'm sorry, can you afford freedom? Can you afford choice? Can you afford civil liberties?



RHODES: Oh, no, you see ...

NADER: ... Log on to the web site votenader.org ...

And Randi loves him, and has had him on the show many times.

Ralph is not progressive, he is an obstructionist.
He is about his ego, far more than he is about current political history.

If he looked at the big picture, he would say exactly what Jimmy Carter said.

Which is what Randi said.

Do you dislike Carter for speaking out on this issue too?

And the acolytes are mortified.

This old crook was long overdue for the bitch-slapping Rhodes gave him.

and I have the same respect for Nader calling Clinton a "draft-dodger" as I do for Rush Limbaugh calling Clinton a "draft-dodger."

What's Ralphie "taken on?" He TALKS about "freedom" and "choice" and "civil liberties," but what is the EFFECT of what he has done??

in years that don't contain a presidential election.

Where the fuck was Ralph while we were protesting Bush's war?

He wasn't on my TV.

-as

Funny how this lying union buster gets the adolation of the Oxycotin left.

Why is it that Nader's supporters seem to be the kind of folks who haven't worked a hard day in their lives. No friends of labor there.

I think you hit that on the money. I don't understand how anybody who's seen the effects of the Chimp's administration can claim "conscience" in supporting Nader. Hypocrisy in its extreme.

said he was in Crawford, TX protesting the war on 3/20/04.

And who was collecting signatures for his ballot? Constitution Party members.

RHODES: How many ways to Sunday do I have to tell you? We can't afford you.

NADER: I'm sorry, can you afford freedom? Can you afford choice? Can you afford civil liberties?

No, Ralph! We can afford freedom, and we can afford choice. You are neither. You are just Ralph and we can't afford you.

Imagine the balls on this guy that he thinks HE'S Freedom and Choice

Ralph cited the freedoms in this nation that allow anyone to run for office, as you obviously know....why do you continue to play to the unwashed masses, are you that lonely for support?

if he has to argue that if he doesn't run, we aren't free. Ralph is so desperate he has to aargue that without himself in the race, we have no choice.

Ralph is a liar, and his supporters swear to his lies. No one has claimed that Ralph has no right to run. His supporters repeat that bogus argument in order to avoid the real issue which is "While he has the right to run, is it right (ie. will it help us achieve his goals) for him to run?"

Sangha.

Ralph Nader speaks to those who selectively seek to dole out rights. If you cannot (or more likely refuse to) deal with his absolute right to run for any political office he chooses then you are far less intelligent than I thought you were.

I realise that you have a long history of being an apologist for the abysmal failures of the democratic party since they have been usurped by the right wing thereof. I simply refuse to go along one minute longer, you may make your own choices.

If you cannot (or more likely refuse to) deal with his absolute right to run for any political office he chooses

I can deal with that. But I notived that, true to form, you did not address the real issue - "While he has the right to run, is it right (ie. will it help us achieve his goals) for him to run?"

Can you read that? "While he has the right to run..." I'm not afraid to address your issue, but you seem unable to respond to mine.

Between being called 'unwashed masses' and hearing that New Yorkers aren't really rude, it's those hicks from Jersey and Long Island the other day, I'm starting to detect a few noses pointed skyward.

It must be truly icky to have to wade through us 'unwashed masses' here at DU every day, huh?

-as

I was born in the Bronx, grew up on Long Island and do not mind unwashed masses at all. What does frost my cake, however, are people who jump on bandwagons without researching, listening impartially to both sides of an issue, or caring that their own party has deserted them long ago.

are people who jump on bandwagons without researching

I've been a Kerry supporter when he was near the bottom of primary candidates, and through the Dean effect.

caring that their own party has deserted them long ago

Ralph Nader deserts his party and his country at every opportunity

But worst of all

are people who jump on bandwagons without researching, listening impartially to both sides of an issue, or caring that their own party has deserted them long ago.

Note how people who disagree with you don't think and don't care, which you then equate with an appeal to unwashed masses. No, no elitist assumptions there.

PATRIOT remains the biggest threat to our freedoms since the Alien and Sedition Acts.

to smear Randi.

Jesus, wasn't everybody talking about how Randi was 'acting like a conservative?'

Well, you're quoting a right-wing site in order to score points against a Dem!

I gotta lie down. I'm awash in irony here.

-as

It would be ironic only if there were deluded goodwill undergirding Nader or his supporters. But there's not--it makes perfect sense--the Right and the Naderians have a common enemy: the Democratic Party, and transitively, the working people of this country.

They replayed the exchange on AA today and as much as I like RR she really did badger Nader.

But then again, he's playing with the big boys (and girls), and he should be able to weather and not hang up the phone.

take what he dishes out.

Is he like some bugs that only come our of the ground every 4 years?

Just sorta wondering about that. Never hear much from him during the other 3 years of each cycle. Guess maybe Truth, Justice and the American Way only needs his special voice 25% of the time.

Randi is right. We have to take the WH and congress before we can really fix anything and we can't afford Nader in that endeavor. If he really wants to help, he needs to understand reality. He would be great in a Dem cabinet or as a watchdog over some area of the government as a Dem appointee.

For posting right wing talking points. Fuck Nader and his phony supporters!

I have only just started listening to her. Die-hard fans, can you tell me, has she had anything good to say about Dennis K. in the past? :)

She just can't stand the man, just like many of us.

over crazy bellowing. Generally liberals come across far brighter than conservatives. Randi Rhodes makes us look as dorky as Limbaugh with the approach she's used so far. I cringed during her harangue of Nader, it was embarrassing for her and reflected poorly on Progressives.

power and liberal change. Really, it is.

Oh, yeah, what matters isn't for blue collar workers to have their overtime pay--what matters is our self appraisal as liberals.

And the sensibilities of Saint Ralph.

:eyes:

NOT!

If YOU prefer intelligent debate then I guess EVERYONE prefers intelligent debate, right?

After all, Charlie Rose is real big hit, isn't he?

As Randi says, the media is the problem. We DON'T come across anywhere, because we are being censored. In fact, Clear Channel moved her time slot back in Florida because she was beating Limbaugh and they couldn't have that. So they moved her back later so they wouldn't be on at the same time, and she couldn't say she was #1.

She has a great messag, telling people over and over to watch the commercials on cable news and network news shows and asks "why are they advertising things you can't buy? To CONTROL the CONTENT." That is genius, and it's a message that needs to be heard.

I don't see why we should discriminate against liberals who actually have a personality. This is talk radio, not dharma transmission. Air America is great, I like everything I have heard so far, and thank God for Randi's larger than life personality. I have laughed more in the first few days of her show than I have so far this year, because you never know what she is going to say next. The other day a man called and said "I'm your newest big fan" and she deadpanned "How big are you?" in a saucy Mae West tone before he could even finish his sentence. There is a reason C-span has such low ratings; because as important as that stuff is, it is f@cking boring to the general population. Randi has enough personality to attract people who aren't even liberal or moderate, and make them laugh against their own will.

And one more thing, it SLAYS me that Ralph had the nerve to say "you can't afford Choice" because this is the one think we (women) will most definitely lose if he helps bush win. He's such a nightmare the republicans HAVE to be behind him

Stupid fuck, I hope somebody throws another cream pie at him soon.

That was as bad as the idiot repugs I see on TV and hear on the radio...she sunk to the depths of the repugs. I have no problem with her making her case but if you don't give the other side a chance to answer how bad does that look?

I can't take it too seriously! The guy is a total egomaniac, a goon who can ONLY be a spoiler in this election, has a FRACTION of what he had in 2000.

Nader is NOT my hero....Randi Rhodes gets the big thumbs up from me!