by Steven Jonas, MD, MPH - October 01, 2008
I first visited the “Ralph Nader Problem” on March 11, 2004. In this election he is surfacing again, this time in concert with Cynthia McKinney. They could assure a McCain win, just as Nader assured the Bush win in 2000. Here’s what to do to prevent that from happening.
One of my good friends and a regular reader of my columns (for better or worse) sent me a comment following the publication back in July of my first “No Obamallusions” column. He said: “After reading your last article, despite your urging backing Obama, if this keeps up, I'll be going back to Nader.” Ouch. So here comes again the former Boy Wonder of the Chevy Corvair
Late August national polls showed Obama’s numbers scarily falling, even while McCain’s stay fairly steady (around 42-44%). Then McCain got his “Palin bounce,” and went up into the 48-49% range. As “Palin Reality” has set in, McCain has come back down to the 42-44% range, while Obama has moved up some, a bit above his own earlier 48-49% range. This is encouraging (at least for those of us who want reverse the Georgite slide towards the end of US Constitutional Democracy). However, we are still looking at about 10% not supporting either candidate at this stage. Some of those are actually still “undecided.” But some of them are Nader/McKinney voters. About three weeks ago, Nader/McKinney together were reported to be pulling up to 8% in certain swing states, like Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. You do the math. And so back to Nader, beginning with (modified) some text from that first column.
Well, all the world knows that Ralphie boy has done it again. How should progressive Democrats react? Yes, we could talk about why, if one is really interested in changing the Democratic Party, one didn’t do what Rep. Kucinich did: enter the Democratic primaries (not only this year, but back in 2000 and 2004) and give the best single speech at the Democratic National Convention? Yes, we could say: “why didn’t Nader (and McKinney too) support Kucinich, who stands pretty much for the same polices they do.” Yes, we could engage in an analysis of Nader’s ego needs (as some leaders have already done): why did he have to start on another one of his destructive ego trips just now? Or on the policy side, after listening to McCain and Obama how can he continue to maintain, as he does, that “there are no differences between the two parties.” We could ask if, regardless of any other considerations, it is really helpful for progressive politics and policies for Nader to be doing what he is doing. Apparently he really, really, deep down thinks that it is.
Many observers, including myself, think that it does precisely the opposite. Indeed, divide and conquer is exactly what the Republicans want. Does Nader really want a third Bush term, to follow the first two that he was so influential in creating? But that is what could actually happen unless there is some monumental anti-McCain dirt to come out. Nader hardly gives one the impression that he is capable of negotiating anything. Thus in my view, attempting to do that is a lost cause, a total waste of time. This man is totally convinced of his own rightness. He will listen neither to leading left-wing Democrats who agree with him on many of the issues, nor even to a number of his own advisors, former and possibly even present. He marches to his own drummer, whose drumbeat is so loud in his ears that no other sounds can possibly get through.
So let’s forget about Nader and either trying to analyze him or worse yet, trying to get through to him with a view to getting him to back off. If the results of the 2000 and 2004 elections couldn’t do that, I don’t know what can. His behavior is so obviously unchangeable that why then should time and effort be wasted trying to change it now? Thus what we need to do now is ignore Ralph and aim at getting through to the Nader (and McKinney and indeed Clinton ultra-loyalist) voters, past and potential. Here are a few suggestions for how to do that.
A. Don’t run guilt trips. Don’t focus on the 2000 election. Focus on the 2008 election. Focus on what happens if the Georgites (as I like to call them) in the form of McCain get re-elected. Focus on the need, therefore, for every possible Democratic vote, in every single election district no matter Democratic it is.
B. Point out that while neither Senator Obama nor the Democratic platform is or will be perfect, on many of the major issues, both are and will be certainly a lot closer to the interests of the potential Nader voter than are those of the Georgites. And on some of them, like the principles on which health care and environmental policies should be based, it is virtually the same. (On health care in particular, please don’t swamp me with the detailed differences between the Obama position and single-payer. I have been a well-published health policy analyst for over 40 years and know all about the differences between single-payer, which I am for in principle, and what Obama is proposing, which we actually just might get if he is elected. But the 45,000,000 uninsured and the possibly 60,000,000 under-insured would like just about anything that would cover them right now.)
C. Point out that if Nader voters and especially activists get involved in the Democratic platform-building process even now, they will have much more influence than they could have as outside voices, which many Democratic voters and most of the Democratic leadership would look upon with scorn.
D. Please, please, please, we should say to these folks, if nothing else, don’t ignore what has happened to the Federal judiciary under the Georgites, how that process would be compounded many fold should they be re-elected, and what impact that outcome would have on so many interests that progressives have in this country. Just think of what this country would look like if Justice Stevens, now 89, were to be replaced with another Scalia/Roberts/Alito.
Back in 2004, in aid of focusing on the Nader voter, there was a website, brought to my attention by Democrats.com. The web address at the time was The Nader Factor.com. (Don’t bother going there now. For some reason that is hard to fathom, someone took over that URL to use it for some totally unrelated commercial purpose.) Here is what they had to say about themselves at the beginning of their Home Page:
“What is TheNaderFactor.com? Karl Rove’s greatest dream is for Democrats and progressives to be divided. Let's give Karl Rove his greatest nightmare - a united front of progressive Democrats, former Nader voters and Nader supporters ready to take on the right wing in Washington and put an end to the destructive policies of the Bush agenda. The Nader Factor is dedicated to building a dynamic grassroots community of former Nader voters, Nader supporters, progressive Democrats and others who understand what's at stake and are uniting to change the Democratic Party and take this country back from the right-wing in Washington.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself! This time around, let’s make it for Barack Obama. 