Nader Advises Kerry to Loosen Up

[emad]

Wednesday March 31, 2004 2:46 pm

<snip>
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ralph Nader has some campaign advice for Democrat John Kerry: Loosen up. The consumer advocate and independent presidential candidate said Kerry comes across as stiff and coached on the campaign trail.

``John Kerry has got to get loose,'' Nader said Tuesday. ``He cannot allow political consultants to put handcuffs on his mind and his imagination. He's got to stop talking Senate-ese and be the old John Kerry I knew 23 years ago.''

Appearing on CNN's ``Crossfire,'' Nader defended his decision to run as an independent despite a torrent of criticism from Democrats who claim he will siphon votes from Kerry and help re-elect Bush. Many Democrats blame Nader for taking votes from Al Gore in 2000 and ensuring Bush's narrow electoral victory.

``The Democrats should just stop whining and go to work,'' Nader said. ``They should be landsliding Bush.''
<snip>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3923897,00.html

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. Nader needs to shut the fuck up.

Period.

[buff2]

15. I agree

It's the repukeliKKKan talking points and Nader is regurgitating it over and over.It's exactly what they did to Gore... "He's too stiff" "He's wooden"...on and on and on. People are either deaf dumb and blind or just plain stupid not to be able to see what is going on. I see nothing wrong with Kerry or his speeches. What the hell do they expect him to do? Break dance? Turn cartwheels? Geesus,why can't they point out how bu$h looks and acts like an idiot? And what about the fact that when bu$h talks,he chops his sentences to pieces? He says 5 words,stops,5 words,stops...that gets on my nerves more than anything I've heard in my life.That's why I can't listen to him. He is a moron. Let's talk more about that,rather than how "stiff" Kerry is. :argh: Nader....SHUT THE PHUK UP!!!!!!

[JI7]

2. nice to see that Nader cares

maybe he should come join the kerry camp and be his advisor and talk and do some of the things they did 23 years ago together.

[phillybri]

3. This coming from "Mr. Wild and Crazy Guy" himself...

Nader makes John Kerry look like Robin Williams back when he was still hooked on coke...

[liberalmike27]

10. Hmmm

While I agree there is some similarity between their deliveries, you get the clear feeling from Nader that he really believes in what he's saying. With Kerry I get the feeling often, especially during the campaign that he didn't even seem to know what he was saying. Now, both Republicans and the media are saying this too, which doesn't surprise me. Amazing that they were so sure he was electable when they were trying to destroy Dean.

Obviously Nader just meant that he needed to loosen up and use some of the "old" democratic party issues, like workers rights, increasing working conditions for America, stopping the slide of incomes, getting corporations in line.

Truly, the democratic party can't be both the corporate party, and the peoples' party. They have to make the choice, and for the most part, recently, they've come down not far from Republicans off the corporate tree, two apples from the same branch. You really can't serve two masters, and that is why Kerry is finding it hard to get people to contribute, and Dean found it so easy. We've got some serious problems in this country, and thank God Nader is out there talking about them.

[JI7]

11. uh, no, nader said kerry has a good record on issues

if it was issues he had a problem with he would have talked about that. his issue on this was kerry getting into senate talk. and i know kerry believes what he i saying as most voters in the primaries did since they voted for him more than any other candidates.

[messiah]

4. The only people who disagree with

Nader on how Kerry needs to "loosen" up are probably dlc types.

[buff2]

17. I disagree with Nader

And I'm NOT a DLC type.He needs to shut the phuk up. He's irrelevant.

[jrthin]

5. And I advise Nader to

go and EFF himself!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. This is...

Funny shit. "Loosen up" from the fireball of personality, Ralph Nader.

Riiiiiiight. ;-)

[Gman]

7. Nader's attitude has gotten to be...

"don't mind me. I'm just over here running for president too."

That no good SOB POS Nader is out for his self. He talks the talk but isn't willing to join the team to beat Bush. God, I hate people like Nader that if they can't have it their way they start working against everyone else.

[liberalmike27]

13. Honestly,

I can't believe anyone would think that about Nader. He has nothing to gain, and everything to lose, the only motive that makes any sense is the purest, he really believes in what he says. It is a rare quality today, and like Dean's honesty, we need more of it.

Anyone who believes Nader is ego-driven, probably believed Kerry was more electable too. They are both ideas promoted by the various media outlets, and are often adopted by those who don't want to trouble themselves by actually thinking.

No, I see nothing gained by Nader that would indicate his ego will profit at all. If anything, it is an ego-bashing exercise.

[Gman]

14. Well then, maybe Nader's incredibly stupid

The future of the free world is at stake and he can't join the team to beat Bush. He'd rather squawk about corporations (which employ tons of people in the US out of no other choice, but that's another topic). I'm not saying Nader's wrong about these things, I'm saying now is not the time. Here come the "well, when is the time going to be better than now" comments!

I guess its either Nader's pure as the driven snow or he's an egomaniac. If he's that pure that makes him even more dangerous. I guess that makes Nader the Charlie Manson of the left.

[mzmolly]

8. At the risk of sounding different. I would have to agree with Nader on

this one.

Though I don't know that he's in a postion to *cough* give advice. :P

[JI7]

9. Kerry's speech in san diego was really good

i understand the issue of "senate speak". since being in the senate does require need to learn all those many rules so debating with other senators brings those little technicalities in. this is actually a good quality once someone becomes president because it allows them to have an understanding of how to get things passed in the senate. it helped lyndon johnson a lot with civil rights and other programs.

but the speech kerry gave in san diego was him just talking like a regular person. i know it brought back memories for him because of his time in california while he was in the military. he seemed really excited being there and the speech was great and inspirational. very much on issues and specific enough without getting into all the little things and off on a tangent which throw people off. meeting all these people around the country and talking to them helps kerry learn from them and do less "senate speak". senate speak is ok for policy specific speeches and discussions aimed at an audience which is interested in that and has similar knowledge to kerry. but when he is just going around campaigning and trying to get votes he needs to have a different approach as in the san diego speech.

[zulchzulu]

12. Nader needs a long tall glass of "bugger off"

By St. Ralph saying crap like this shows that he is running AGAINST Kerry.

While having a great background on consumer affairs and other issues, he has lost all respectibility since 2000.

Talk about somebody who needs to "loosen up"...

[dolstein]

16. Nader: "C'mon -- Relax and Enjoy It."

Funny, but Nader is sounding increasingly like a political date rapist.

[sangh0]

18. I had the same exact thought

He gets more disguting by the minute

[Snivi Yllom]

19. bwahahahaa now that is funny

[redqueen]

20. "They should be landsliding Bush."

Very true. I wonder why Nader isn't commenting on the media bias. Has he?

It's amusing that a complaint many Kerry supporters themselves have gets Nader lambasted here. :D