Next stop for Nader: US Senate from Connecticut?

[jefferson_dem]

:crazy:

Next stop for Nader: US Senate from Connecticut?
By SUSAN HAIGH (AP) – 22 hours ago

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — Ralph Nader says he wants to gauge the level of grass-roots support before deciding whether to make a bid to represent Connecticut in the Senate.

The 75-year-old consumer advocate and Connecticut native said Friday that he is "absorbing" feedback about a possible bid. He was appearing at a book signing at the Noah Webster Library in West Hartford.

The Connecticut Green Party is trying to persuade Nader to challenge Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd in the hotly contested 2010 Senate race. Nader was previously a Green Party presidential nominee.

State Green Party spokesman Tim McKee says he's getting positive responses to the idea of Nader for Senate. He says social networking Web pages are springing up that are urging him to run.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jvGky28IfeN9Eygc6iwhqYjriJMAD9C85A3G2

[sharp_stick]

1. When Nader says

he's gauging support, he's simply trying to figure out a way to have that massive ego stroked enough that it's worth leaving his nice little gated community.

[Pirate Smile]

2. What a disaster that would be. He'd be another vote for the Republicans on just about everything

because nothing would be pure enough.

[AllentownJake]

3. Nice to see him putting his money where his mouth is sort of

Generally he shows up every 4 years gets media attention and runs away.

I'd have less negative feelings towards Ralph if he actually was trying to build the Green Party instead of using it as a media platform.

[Cha]

4. Yeah, build it from the ground up

as it were.

[AllentownJake]

5. I have no problem with the Green Party

Having 4 political parties and a Parliament System of government is optimal.

Our Constitution was not written with political parties in mind, it is a quirk that developed into the system. Being the first democratic republic without a Monarch in over 1700 years will do that.

Permanent political alliances that survived personalities were not something the Romans engaged in frequently.

[TankLV]

6. At least he'd be INFINITELY better than LIEberman...that's for SURE!!!

[quiller4]

7. I'm not at all sure about that. I'm not suggesting that Lieberman is

good--only that Nader has an ego just as big and he is such a purist he couldn't support any compromise on any measure. The citizens of Connecticut deserve better than either of these two.

[depakid]

21. Thank you for the vacuous assessment

You hit the two talking points:

"ego" and "purist" that generally indicate a person with little of substance to say on policy issues.

[harkadog]

10. He would not be running against Lieberman.

He would be running against Dodd.

[Jennicut]

8. As a CT resident I say stay out Ralph. I don't want a Rethug Senator.

[LoZoccolo]

9. Lieberman will win. n/t

[Brother Buzz]

20. Lieberman is not it this race. Nader would be challenging Chris Dodd's seat

[doc03]

11. Nader has been a bigger pain in the ass than

even Lieberman.

[davidwparker]

12. Is there an announced Democrat? CT, do you think you can turn out for the

the Democrat this time?

[Jennicut]

14. Our attorney general, Blumenthal, may run. He is much more popular then Loserman.

[davidwparker]

16. Good. Just waiting to turn on my TV and see Joe's fairwell speech.

[Freddie Stubbs]

27. Yes:

http://www.chrisdodd.com/

[davidpdx]

13. Nader would have been better off running for the Senate 10 years ago

His last three runs for President have just made him more of a marginal character in politics then he was then. That being said, if he wants to run, go for it. I just wish he was running against Lieberman instead.

[Aramchek]

15. Nader is a buffoon, as are those who would support him.

Just tools in the GOP arsenal

If you want a Repuke to win, send in the Naderite Clowns

[hayu_lol]

17. 75 is too old to run for anything...

No one needs Nader to run anywhere for anything.

[doc03]

19. Tell that to Robert Byrd n/t

[saltpoint]

18. Not a Connecticut resident but would hope that that state's voters return

Christopher Dodd to the upper chamber.

If I were a Connecticut resident I would casually ignore the Republican candidate, make a strong point to reject Nader's possible candidacy, and donate to and vote for Chris Dodd.

[depakid]

22. Now that would be quite the strategy!

for a losing campaign.

[saltpoint]

23. You may have the arithmetic argument, depakid.

But I'd stick with Dodd over Nader any time.

[depakid]

24. See, here's the thing- I like people who get it right- repeatedly

While Dodd was championing all sorts of financial deregulation- including this baby that he and others managed to override Clinton's veto on:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2207418

Nader (and others accused of being "purists) were warning about the (inevitable) consequences of this sort of reckless behavior.

On the other hand- with Nader in the debate, Dodd (who has since had something of an "election coming up" change of heart on matters like these) might actually be able to tag team on the Republican- whose policies on issues Nader will popularize are no doubt going to be worse.

Had Gore adopted a similar strategy in 2000- Bush may well not have gotten close enough to steal the election away. And :gasp: maybe the public debate would have exposed all sorts things about Bush that Gore (and the corporate media) refused to bring up in their quest for the ephemeral center. Instead- all the Gore campaign did was manage to piss off much of the progressive base- which was already weary of the Clinton administrations incessant pandering to the right.

[saltpoint]

25. I hear your point and respect the sure-footed thinking, depakid.

Extremely characteristic of your posts on this site, IMO.

I would argue that Nader has a remote chance of winning a Senate seat in Connecticut. This is not to say that he is not a demonstrably capable and insightful soul -- he most certainly is. It is only to argue that he will not be the next U.S. Senator from Connecitcut.

I don't wish it to be a Republican (unless Lowell Weicker got younger and politically hungry again -- I always did like Weicker), and I'll take the liberal Dodd over other regions' Democrats like Nelson and Bayh and Landrieu and Dorgan.

[Freddie Stubbs]

26. Perhaps he can do for Rob Simmons what he did for Bush in 2000

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

28. He wants to run against the same Sen. Dodd that's trying to create a bureau of consumer protection?

Wasn't consumer protection his biggest issue once upon a time?