Running for the Right Reasons

Perhaps he wants to steal the distinction of being the oldest presidential candidate in 2008 from John McCain. (Nader turns 74 today; McCain is 71.) Perhaps he simply has nothing better to do. Whatever his reasons, lifelong consumer advocate Ralph Nader has once again decided to launch a long-shot presidential bid as a third-party candidate.

We respect Nader’s right to run and agree that third-party candidacies strengthen our democracy by pressing the two major parties to take stronger positions on oft-neglected issues. But if Nader is running as a steward of democracy, we can’t help but question his stated reason for candidacy.

On Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” Nader justified his candidacy on the grounds that there is not enough enthusiasm for either of the major party candidates. For anyone who has been paying attention to the presidential race, Nader’s reasoning rings hollow. Huge turnouts have been the hallmark of this primary season, particularly in the Democratic race. The historic candidacies of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have brought droves of new voters to the polls.

Nader’s efforts to diminish the vibrancy of the Democratic race reinforces the popular perception of him as a vanity candidate. So long as Nader suggests that the two major parties are indistinguishable, he will do his own values a disservice.

In the 2000 election, Nader asserted that only a hairline of difference separated George W. Bush and Al Gore. In Florida, he siphoned 97,488 votes, likely from Al Gore, handing Bush a margin of victory of 531 votes. After two terms under Bush, few would dispute that a world in which Nobel Peace Prize winner Gore were president would come much closer to Nader’s vision of the world than our own.

On “Meet the Press,” Nader highlighted military spending, corporate greed, and labor rights as three issues that have been neglected in the 2008 campaign. To deflect criticisms that his entry into the race makes him a spoiler once again, Nader should focus on shifting the terms of the debate to include these issues, and in doing so, help foster that democratic discourse third-party candidates are able to foster.

After 74 years of life, Nader surely understands the reality of American politics: Either a Democrat or a Republican will be elected in November 2008. For that reason, Nader should ensure that his words are used to better the causes he advocates, not simply harm the candidate whose position most resembles his own.

Happy birthday, Ralph.