The New York Times says Ralph Nader has no business running for president. I’m guessing the stench of failure emanating from the Gore campaign must be getting in the nostrils of the gray lady of American journalism and is causing panic attacks. According to the Times’s editorial page, Ralph is a self-indulgent “spoiler” on a “misguided crusade” “likely to distract voters from the clear-cut choice” presented by Al Gore and George W. Bush.
And yet, some people claim there is no class warfare in America today. Here is the official organ of the establishment, telling us we must choose between the son of a senator and the son of a president, each of whom is backed by corporate millions. I expect such obvious anxiety from the Wall Street Journal, but I’d have thought the Times could present a better face, at least in public.
What’s so bad about a third party? I know liberals who are sick at the thought of voting for Gore and conservatives who are equally distressed by George W. I suppose the worst thing about a third party is the fourth party. So far, the only person riding Ralph Nader’s coattails is Pat Buchanan. If voter disenchantment with the two major parties leads to a fracturing of our political system, would that be a bad thing?
We’ve got Ralph running as the Green Party candidate, although he refuses to register as a Green Party member. It’s a marriage of convenience. Ralph gets something of a national platform from which to spout, the Greens hope Ralph’s name recognition will pull enough votes to qualify the party for federal matching funds for the next election. This is the same strategy the Greens employed in New York a few years ago when they tapped Al Lewis as their gubernatorial candidate. Mr. Lewis is best known for his portrayal of “Grandpa” on the television series “The Munsters” 30 years ago. The intervening decades have done nothing to grind the fine edge from his shrillness.
Matching funds – twelve and a half million of them – are the prize in the Reform Party’s convention. It is the honey that lured Pat Buchanan, and for a while, Donald Trump, in – and the squabbling over it is one thing that drove Jesse Ventura out.
The only other remaining contestant for the Reform nomination is Dr. John Hagelin, who is already the candidate of the Natural Law Party and a professor at Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa. Dr. Hagelin’s crime-prevention program calls for the encouragement of transcendental meditation. Some people think that’s odd, but I’ll bet it has a better chance of success that George Bush’s contention that he can lower the price of gas by having a talk with OPEC.
Last year, a group of Southerners who feel let down by the supposed moderation of the GOP formed the Southern Party. They’re already talking about secession. I say, let ‘em go.
My problem with alternative parties is that they all want to run right out and elect a president first thing. If an alternative candidate by some oddity reached the oval office, he – or she – would have no support in Congress. The Reform Party does have Governor Ventura in office and the Greens have elected a dogcatcher here and there, but neither represents a movement.
In Vermont, we have a third party, the Progressives. The Progressives have been a force in the city of Burlington for 20 years. Congressman Bernie Sanders, although an independent, was launched by the springboard of the Progressives.
This year, the Progressives have a gubernatorial candidate, Anthony Pollina. Like Ralph Nader, Anthony is full of good ideas and is the only candidate in the race to address issues that really matter to the average citizen. The pundits accuse Anthony, like Ralph, of “stealing votes from the Democrats,” as if the Democrats own them. Anthony has a good response. He says he doesn’t want to steal votes from either the Democrats or the Republicans. He wants the votes of all the people who didn’t vote last time. If he gets them, he’ll win by a landslide.
Third Time Lucky
The New York Times says Ralph Nader has no business running for president. I’m guessing the stench of failure emanating from the Gore campaign must be getting in the nostrils of the gray lady of American journalism and is causing panic attacks. According to the Times’s editorial page, Ralph is a self-indulgent “spoiler” on a “misguided crusade” “likely to distract voters from the clear-cut choice” presented by Al Gore and George W. Bush.
And yet, some people claim there is no class warfare in America today. Here is the official organ of the establishment, telling us we must choose between the son of a senator and the son of a president, each of whom is backed by corporate millions. I expect such obvious anxiety from the Wall Street Journal, but I’d have thought the Times could present a better face, at least in public.
What’s so bad about a third party? I know liberals who are sick at the thought of voting for Gore and conservatives who are equally distressed by George W. I suppose the worst thing about a third party is the fourth party. So far, the only person riding Ralph Nader’s coattails is Pat Buchanan. If voter disenchantment with the two major parties leads to a fracturing of our political system, would that be a bad thing?
We’ve got Ralph running as the Green Party candidate, although he refuses to register as a Green Party member. It’s a marriage of convenience. Ralph gets something of a national platform from which to spout, the Greens hope Ralph’s name recognition will pull enough votes to qualify the party for federal matching funds for the next election. This is the same strategy the Greens employed in New York a few years ago when they tapped Al Lewis as their gubernatorial candidate. Mr. Lewis is best known for his portrayal of “Grandpa” on the television series “The Munsters” 30 years ago. The intervening decades have done nothing to grind the fine edge from his shrillness.
Matching funds – twelve and a half million of them – are the prize in the Reform Party’s convention. It is the honey that lured Pat Buchanan, and for a while, Donald Trump, in – and the squabbling over it is one thing that drove Jesse Ventura out.
The only other remaining contestant for the Reform nomination is Dr. John Hagelin, who is already the candidate of the Natural Law Party and a professor at Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa. Dr. Hagelin’s crime-prevention program calls for the encouragement of transcendental meditation. Some people think that’s odd, but I’ll bet it has a better chance of success that George Bush’s contention that he can lower the price of gas by having a talk with OPEC.
Last year, a group of Southerners who feel let down by the supposed moderation of the GOP formed the Southern Party. They’re already talking about secession. I say, let ‘em go.
My problem with alternative parties is that they all want to run right out and elect a president first thing. If an alternative candidate by some oddity reached the oval office, he – or she – would have no support in Congress. The Reform Party does have Governor Ventura in office and the Greens have elected a dogcatcher here and there, but neither represents a movement.
In Vermont, we have a third party, the Progressives. The Progressives have been a force in the city of Burlington for 20 years. Congressman Bernie Sanders, although an independent, was launched by the springboard of the Progressives.
This year, the Progressives have a gubernatorial candidate, Anthony Pollina. Like Ralph Nader, Anthony is full of good ideas and is the only candidate in the race to address issues that really matter to the average citizen. The pundits accuse Anthony, like Ralph, of “stealing votes from the Democrats,” as if the Democrats own them. Anthony has a good response. He says he doesn’t want to steal votes from either the Democrats or the Republicans. He wants the votes of all the people who didn’t vote last time. If he gets them, he’ll win by a landslide.