The Independent Returns

By Broadside Staff Reporter Patrick Wall

Ralph Nader announced Feb. 24 that he would seek the office of the President of the United States for the fifth consecutive time.

Nader, 74, whose Web site, describes him as "a consumer advocate, lawyer, [and] author." Nader began presidential campaign as a 1992 write-in candidate. He has run as a Green Party candidate, as well as an Independent. Nader has chosen to run as an Independent for the 2008 election.

Nader is a graduate of Harvard University, as well as the University of Hartford. He has written several books, including Unsafe at Any Speed, a treatise on automotive industry safety standards that became a best-seller after the CEO of General Motors testified that he hired a private investigator to follow Nader's private life.

On Thursday, Nader announced that his choice for Vice President would be Matt Gonzalez, a Green party member turned Independent from California. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and ran to become the city's mayor in 2003. After being outspent eight to one, Gonzalez was defeated 53 to 47 percent by Gavin Newsom.

The former consumer advocate justified his candidacy on Meet the Press, citing polls, which suggest that 81 percent of Americans would consider voting for an Independent candidate this election. When asked about his role as a spoiler in the 2000 presidential election, Nader said that there were several other factors, including the approximately 250,000 Democratic voters who voted for Bush.

The 2000 presidential election was nearly a decade ago, but many Democrats haven't forgotten. It was one of the closest in history. After a lengthy recount in Florida, then-Texas Gov. George Bush won the state by a narrow margin, 537 votes. With that victory, Bush became the 43 President of the United States. Many within the party are strongly convinced that if had Nader not run, Gore would have won the presidency in 2000.

The news of his decision has not gone over well with the Democratic Party as a whole, which is still angry at Nader for running and becoming a spoiler in the 2000 election. Democratic frontrunners, Obama and Clinton, were both quick to criticize Nader's decision. Speaking to reporters, Clinton said, "I remember when he ran before. It didn't turn out very well for anybody, especially our country."

Obama echoed Clinton's statement, saying on Sunday that "[Nader] thought that there was no difference between Al Gore and George Bush, and, eight years later, I think people realize that Ralph did not know what he was talking about."

Republicans take a different view of Nader's announcement. Republican nominee Mike Huckabee told CNN that Nader would pull votes away from Democrats "…so naturally, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race."

Shooting back at his competitors, Nader called Republican frontrunner and Arizona Sen. John McCain a candidate for "perpetual war," and said that "If the Democrats can't landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up."

How seriously the American people will ultimately take Nader's campaign remains to be seen. In a CNN interview, former chief 2000 Gore advisor Tad Devine said, "People realize how much is at stake in this election, and they desperately want change, and that's why I don't think Ralph Nader will be a factor."

The challenge for Nader and his campaign will be getting his name on enough state's ballots in time for the general election in November. Because of his Independent candidate status, Nader will have different criteria for getting on to ballots. Each state has different requirements, but most involve paying a filling fee and obtaining the signatures of a small percentage of that state's voters.

In 2004, Nader was called into court on several occasions over his ballot status. Party officials were skeptical that he had in fact garnered enough votes to be on the ballot in some states.

This time around, Nader is aware that he is a long shot candidate. "A Jeffersonian revolution is needed in this country," he said on Meet the Press. "Dissent is the mother of ascent…and in that context, I've decided to run for president."