The Boston Globe reports that Ralph Nader is campaigning for the votes of former Ron Paul supporters, now that the renengade libertarian Republican has formally ended his campaign for the presidency.
“Ron Paul was a lightning rod for millions of Americans against the war in Iraq and for the protection of personal liberties that the two major parties have turned their back on — by continuing to support the illegal criminal war and the Patriot Act,” said the Nader campaign. “Now that Dr Paul has formally withdrawn his candidacy for the G.O.P. nomination and is no longer seeking the Presidency, there is a clear choice for those who want to support a candidate who will stand up against the war and stand up for personal liberties and privacy that have been trampled by the notorious, misnamed, Patriot Act.”
Although commonly associated with the political left, Ralph Nader has wooed conservative voters in the past. He wanted his 2004 independent candidacy — as opposed to his 2000 Green candidacy — to attract disaffected conservatives and libertarians. Justin Raimondo supported Nader in ’04, and Pat Buchanan and Ron Paul himself are friendly with Nader.
Mike Gravel, too, he was the first to be excluded from the debates. And that was after he made the first move to knock Hillary from her pedestal of inevitability by bringing up the Iran vote.
Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich were both unfairly excluded from debates during the primary season. Now, Ron Paul’s new organization should put together a debate between Bob Barr and Ralph Nader, both of whom are trying to earn the support of Ron Paul’s supporters.
I think it’s great that people like Ron Paul, Pat Buchanan, Nader, and others like Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich can all be friendly and work together toward some common causes. It shows how the rest of our third party political world should work. Instead of dividing over the nuances of libertarian policy or even more major things like whether or not universal health care should exist, we should be united over the simple fact that we are rejecting the choices offered to us, and seeking our own, more righteous way in the world.
Given that nader is willing to accept matching funds, I wonder how the Ron Paul brigade would react to that? Perhaps some of the more left-leaning will overlook it.
I believe Richard Winger stated on one of these sorts of blogs that Nader was close, if not there, to qualifying for $400k in primary matching funds.
I also think Nader has such a consistent and clean record that he can be comfortably voted for by folks from across the ideological spectrum. Which is good and bad. Gives lots of folks someone to vote for (I think there is a very good chance Nader may pull more votes than in ’04), but me being on the Left, I would be more interested in him helping build a new independent progressive populist political party.
But, what are you gonna do?
I vaguely remember RP mentioning in an interview that some of his supporters might go for Nader.
Ummm….Not sure how Nader could get $5,000,000 anyway considering FEC contribution regulations.
LOL-Everyone is after “that” $35 million. Sadly $30 million of it is GONE never to return. It won’t happen again this year, SORRY to all who covet it.
Got to find it from someone else. That bunch is about TAPPED out…
Laine – I’m not a big fan of Barr, but people CAN change. I’m more concerned about his current positions than his voting record, which, as you correctly note, is atrocious.
He’s against the Patriot Act.
He’s against “part” of DOMA.
He’s sort of against the War on Drugs.
If he could be as strongly against DOMA and the drug war as he is against the Patriot Act — and I DO BELIEVE he’s against it — then I think he’d have my vote.
Barr is a total hawk and should not be trusted. The man voted for the Patriot Act, DOA, and was at the forefront of the War on Drugs. If personal liberty is something you desire then do not vote for Bob Barr.