Ralph Nader urges a primary challenge to Pres. Obama

[Bill USA]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-nader-obama-20110919,0,6585807.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fpolitics+%28L.A.+Times+-+Politics%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Still, Nader insists the purpose of his latest electoral effort is not to deny Obama the Democratic nomination, or undermine his chances in the general election against whomever the Republicans put up against the president.

"Just the opposite," Nader said, speaking via telephone from Washington shortly after the recruitment effort was made public. "If smart, he'll welcome it, because nothing's worse than an incumbent president slipping in the polls, being constantly on the defensive, being accused by supporters of having no backbone and running an unenthusiastically received campaign. That's a prescription for defeat.

"He's got a lack of enthusiasm with his base," Nader continued. "If he goes through a one-year presidential campaign with mind-numbing repetition, responding to crazed Republican positions, he is not going to activate his base. He will be put on the defensive, just the way he is now."

To launch their insurgency effort, Nader and his allies released a scathing "Dear Colleague" letter sent to more than 150 potential sympathizers, accusing Obama of turning his back on his liberal base and its progressive agenda.

[Avalux]

1. Ralph Nader can kiss my ass. Flawed logic. n/t

[Deep13]

2. Dear Mr. Nader: ...

After tanking the 2000 election and giving us an 8-year nightmare that apparently is still unfolding, I have a small suggestion for you.

[TheWraith]

3. +1,000,000.

If Nader had any sense of human decency, he'd drop out of public life and never be heard from again.

[elocs]

9. What Nader did in 2000:

http://www.hereinstead.com/DARK-SIDE-OF-RALPH.htm

In 2000, again with the Green Party, he ran a full-fledged campaign, raising and spending money to get on the ballot in all 50 states. He drew huge crowds at places like Madison Square Garden in New York and Key Arena in Seattle. While he assured Democrats that he wouldn't campaign late in the election season in key battleground states, he reneged on that promise, zeroing in on Florida, Oregon and New Hampshire in the last few weeks before the election.

Few analysts predicted just how close the election would be, but a number of people who had worked with Nader over the years feared that his run for president would be disastrous. "When he announced at a big gathering in Washington, I was the first person to stand up and say, 'How can you say there's no difference between Democrats and Republicans?'" says Gary Sellers, who was one of the original Raiders. "There was a big hush in the room. He had no response." Nader was the best man at Sellers' wedding; they no longer speak to each other.

Nader's share of the votes was the margin that threw New Hampshire into Bush's column and accounted for the difference in Florida that cast the state into the post-election turmoil that ended only with the 5-to-4 Supreme Court decision in Bush vs. Gore. Nader nearly cost Gore other states as well, especially New Mexico. Every study after the election determined that almost all of Nader's votes would have gone to Gore if Nader hadn't run, but Nader continues to insist that he bore no responsibility.

He knew what he was doing. For Saint Ralph it is always about Saint Ralph, first, foremost, and always.

[Gman]

4. Ralph, STFU. This is all your fault

[qb]

5. Nader has devolved from a pillar of consumer rights to a ridiculous scold.

Go away, Ralph.

[Wait Wut]

6. Who is he talking to?

More importantly, is anyone listening?

Maybe he should be doing commercials or something instead of helping the GOP with 2012.

[NWHarkness]

7. Is Nader a Democrat?

Because, if not, his opinion on what the Democratic Party should do is irrelevant.

[Old and In the Way]

8. I wonder who the Republicans will be investing in for the 2012

Indie candidate to run to the left of Obama in the GE? I'm thinking Ralph has gotten a little too old for the job. Thanks for the free advice Ralph...we'll get it the proper consideration it deserves.