Nader Looks to Another White House Bid in 2004

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ralph Nader accused by some Democrats of
helping elect President Bush by seeking the presidency as a Green Party
candidate three years ago, said on Thursday he wants to make another White
House bid in 2004 and will announce a decision next month.

The veteran consumer advocate said Democrats have not put up enough of
a fight against Bush, but he was still weighing whether he had the financial
and volunteer support to make another third-party or independent bid.


"I would like to run," said Nader, who gained nearly 2.9 million votes
for president in 2000. "Substantively there is a strong argument for
running. Now it's a question of resources -- just getting on the ballot is a
major endeavor."


Nader has started an exploratory presidential committee to begin
raising money for a campaign. He said he was uncertain whether he would run
again for the Green Party, which has been split on his possible candidacy,
or mount an independent bid.


Democrats blame Nader for siphoning votes from Al Gore in the disputed
2000 election, particularly in Florida, where Nader earned 97,488 votes and
Gore's loss by a bitterly contested 537 votes ultimately decided the race.


Nader, who argued in 2000 that there was little difference between the
two major parties, said Democrats should "stop whining" and start mounting
more of a challenge to the Republican Bush on issues like corporate crime,
wages, taxes and the military budget.


"They know that Gore beat Gore," he said of Democrats. "It's just
scapegoating."


He said his campaign could open a second strategic front against Bush
on issues that Democrats had been reluctant to take on, like the size of the
military or corporate malfeasance.


'HANDS TIED'


"If the goal is to defeat Bush, the Democrats have their hands tied on
so many issues that a third political force could elaborate on," he said in
an interview. "They are dialing for dollars from the same corporate
interests and they aren't willing to really challenge him."


Nader said he would push for inclusion in the fall presidential
debates if he runs in 2004 -- he and independent candidate Pat Buchanan were
excluded in 2000 -- and that part of his campaign would be aimed at breaking
the stranglehold on the process held by the two major parties.


A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll in October found two-thirds of Americans
did not want Nader to run again, and he acknowledged that some of his
supporters in 2000 might back a Democrat this time because they were focused
on beating Bush.


"There are a lot of people who supported us in 2000 who are
anybody-but-Bush adherents, and going back into the fold of (Howard) Dean or
the Democrats," he said.


He said Dean, the former Vermont governor who shot to the top of the
Democratic field with his heated denunciations of Bush's policies, was
"better than most," but still did not push Bush hard enough.


He criticized Dean's refusal to back cuts in the military budget and
said he was "a pretty conservative governor."


"He's at a crossroads now," he said of Dean. "The Democrats are
damaging each other far more than any Green campaign could. What they are
saying about Dean ... all that will be used by Republicans."

"I would like to run," said Nader, who gained nearly 2.9 million votes
for president in 2000. "Substantively there is a strong argument for
running. Now it's a question of resources -- just getting on the ballot is a
major endeavor."

No it isn't.

The Republicans will gleefully finance his campaign again in 2004, just as they
did in 2000.

My check is on its way already...



"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
"I would like to run," said Nader, who gained nearly 2.9 million votes
for president in 2000. "Substantively there is a strong argument for
running. Now it's a question of resources -- just getting on the ballot
is a
major endeavor."

No it isn't.

The Republicans will gleefully finance his campaign again in 2004, just as
they
did in 2000.

Sort of like Perot putting Clinton in office.

"NOYB" wrote in message
om...
My check is on its way already...



"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
"I would like to run," said Nader, who gained nearly 2.9 million
votes
for president in 2000. "Substantively there is a strong argument for
running. Now it's a question of resources -- just getting on the ballot
is a
major endeavor."

No it isn't.

The Republicans will gleefully finance his campaign again in 2004, just
as
they
did in 2000.

NOYB wrote:
Nader Looks to Another White House Bid in 2004

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ralph Nader accused by some Democrats of
helping elect President Bush by seeking the presidency as a Green Party
candidate three years ago, said on Thursday he wants to make another White
House bid in 2004 and will announce a decision next month.

The veteran consumer advocate said Democrats have not put up enough of
a fight against Bush, but he was still weighing whether he had the financial
and volunteer support to make another third-party or independent bid.


Sure he does...the GOP will pick up the tab for Nader again.

--
Email sent to is never read.

From: "Calif Bill"

Sort of like Perot putting Clinton in office.

Sort of, with one rather large exception, Perot ran on his own money. It
probably would be safe to say that some republicans gave money to Nader on 2000
and probably would do so again. Politics is a dirty game which also reminds me
that I did not hear to many democrats complaining about the Perot run in 92 or
96. It did help get their man elected twice. Turnaround is fair play they say.

Don'tcha just love election time.

Florida bound in the morning hoping for some sun and fun.

118 days to go..

Sort of like Perot putting Clinton in office.

It would be interesting to know if the Democrats were supporting Perot's
campaign financially. I don't recall.

As for Nader, he showed himself to be the consumate whore a few weeks before
the 2000 election. An investigation revealed that Republican interests (not the
GOP directly) were making monstrous contributions to Nader's campaign efforts,
particularly in states where the race between Gore and Bush seemed tight.
When challenged with the results of this investigation in a news conference,
Nader the Whore said, "I don't care where the money comes from."

With an attitude like that, he should have gone into politics years ago rather
than
build an entire career knocking the Corvair.

Just about now, some right winger will check in with a fubar remark about black
helicopters and consipracy theories.

One of many examples; to save them some typing and later embarrassment.

http://www.insidepolitics.org/heard/heard102800.html

"RGrew176" wrote in message
...
From: "Calif Bill"

Sort of like Perot putting Clinton in office.

Sort of, with one rather large exception, Perot ran on his own money. It
probably would be safe to say that some republicans gave money to Nader on
2000
and probably would do so again. Politics is a dirty game which also
reminds me
that I did not hear to many democrats complaining about the Perot run in
92 or
96. It did help get their man elected twice. Turnaround is fair play they
say.

Don'tcha just love election time.

Florida bound in the morning hoping for some sun and fun.

118 days to go..

Perot only got Clinton elected once. The Republicans got Clinton elected
the 2nd time, by running Dole. Could you pick a much worse candidate?

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
Sort of like Perot putting Clinton in office.

It would be interesting to know if the Democrats were supporting Perot's
campaign financially. I don't recall.


No, it would not be interesting. The statement was Perot got Clinton
elected. There was nothing regarding financing.