Wednesday, January 30, 2008

More on Nader ...

Ralph Nader's friends have launched a new Web site: ["Nader Explore 08"]. On the site, the campaign volunteers, a lot of the same faces from 2000 and 2004, make their case:

Maybe we're wrong.

Maybe the Democrats and Republicans will nominate Presidential candidates this year who will stand up against the war profiteers, the nuclear industry, the credit card industry, the corporate criminals, big oil, and the drug and health insurance industries.

We doubt it.

But hope springs eternal.

In the meantime, take a few minutes and explore with us an idea.

The idea is this—1,000 citizens in every Congressional district.

Each and every one committed to challenging the corporate powers that have a hammerlock on our political and economic systems.

Organized citizen power facing off against corporate power.

In this election year – 2008.

Instead of spending this election year sitting back and watching the corporate candidates spin their vapid mantras – hope, experience, change.

Instead of spending the year complaining about inertia, exhaustion, and apathy.

Let us instead weigh the possibility of pulling together half a million dedicated citizens collectively rising up off our couches and organizing a ground force in every Congressional district in the country.

A ground force of citizens who are informed, committed, tenacious advocates for a just future.

This is what we are contemplating.

Something new.

Something big.

Something bold.

Something that works.

Something that will prod young and old alike.

To join in a mass push back against the corporate powers that are dictating our future.

No one person can get us there.

But one person is ideally suited to lead this grassroots force – if he chooses to do so and runs as the citizens’ candidate for President in 2008.

And that one person is Ralph Nader.

In the 1960s, Nader brought together a group of young people who challenged the corporate status quo.

The press dubbed those young people Nader’s Raiders.

And the rest – as they say – is history.

Here's the idea—1,000 active and informed citizens in each Congressional district ready to take on the corporate political structure in this 2008 election year.

Half a million citizens – mobilized, informed and powerful, organized for a common cause – facing off against corporate power and corporate control.

It is a pretty lofty goal. Let's see how it goes.

2 comments:

Christopher said...

I think that Nader always gets into the political arena too late at each election cycle.
I think he'd do better at being more involved in the years proceeding and being more vocal in his grassroot efforts.
Ron Paul has seemed to build up a dedicated base but I don't see it really going anywhere and what will happen to it once the election is over....like what Nader is suggesting, Ron Paul should also work on but as a long term system, not just a last ditch effort.
I think that in the next 8 years a 3rd party canidate will have good chance at being elected because I think both major parties are having identity crisis right now.

Tony said...

Thanks for reading and posting Christopher.

You know, that is a relevant point. It is really, really late in the process, which is one of the reasons the Unity08 people folded their tent. They realized that they couldn't get it together in time or with the money they needed to get it done. I think the only way a third - or fourth - party could really get into the swing of things is if there was a real grassroots movement to get it done, ala what Dean had in 2004, or there was a ton of money involved in setting up the structure. People are really sick and tired of the two party system and the way the system is rigged against the majority of Americans who belong to no political party and don't even vote.

I also have wondered if the Nader endorsement didn't hurt John Edwards. While there is no real poll position evidence before or after showing this, since Obama was pretty much surging before Iowa anyway, I have to wonder. It solidified my vote for Edwards but I am sure that it did not help Edwards much which is really too bad.