Nader

Ralph Nader is making noises about running for president again.

I have no patience for Ralph Nader. While his role as a spoiler in 2000 continues to grieve me for all the obvious reasons, I do not subscribe to the viewpoint that his candidacy that year was illegitimate in some way. He had as much right to run for president as any other native-born American who has reached the age of 35. He did not, as many Democrats believe, take away any of Al Gore's votes. They weren't Gore's votes. Every American has the right to cast his vote, or not, as he sees fit. You can't blame Nader for convicing some people to cast theirs for him.

That having been said, my problem with Nader is that he was not then, and will not be in 2008, a serious candidate for president. He ran in 2000 as the standard bearer for the Green Party. After the race was over, did he work to build the party in preparation for future contests? Did he help to identify and develop Green Party candidates for congress, state legislatures, city councils and local school boards? He did not. He dropped out of site. If he really believes that the two dominant parties need a serious third-party challenger, then he should commit himself to the hard work it takes to make that happen. Otherwise, his candidacy is just a vanity project. He has every right to run under those circumstances, but he doesn't have my respect, and he will not have my vote.