Deseret News | Reader comments: Nader says he's a victim of 'political bigotry'

Reader comments
Nader says he's a victim of 'political bigotry'

Go Away Ralph | 11:28 a.m. Aug. 1, 2008

As much as George W. Bush has tried to ruin our country, Ralph Nader gets an assist. If it was not for Ralph, Bush never would have been President, and all the horrible things that have happened to us since would not have happened.

Go away Ralph. You've done enough damage, you egomaniac.

Tab L. Uno | 11:41 a.m. Aug. 1, 2008

I have learned over half a century that nobody can ever get everything one wants. And so with politics. Insistance on the fringe ideas while perhaps laudable are ideals that in reality can never be put into real action because people and society is diverse and different opinions abound. In order to move this country ahead, I have a firm belief there is a fundamental difference between the Democratic and Republican Parties and that their election into office can have a substantial and distinctly different outcomes in this nation's position of health care, the environment, government regulation of consumer products, foods and drugs, on funding of education, even whether we go to war or not. If Ralph Nader hadn't run in 2000, I still believe that our Country would have taken a far different path than it did. Unfortunately Mr. Nader, a person I used to look up to and admire has lost most, if not all of the good will he accumulated over his life. Unlike some people, Mr. Nader appears to have hardened and his thinking become more rigid, intransigent as he ages. It is really sad to see Mr. Nader like this.

joe | 11:51 a.m. Aug. 1, 2008

few points.

1. the election in florida was stolen. if nader was not there it still would have been stolen. polling showed only 35% of nader's votes would have gone to gore... while 25% would have gone to bush and 40% would have voted for another 3rd party or stayed home.

2. in florida alone 250,000 registered democrats voted for bush. almost 3 times as many votes as Nader got in that state.

3. gore ran a lackluster campaign, blurring the lines between him and bush, causing him to lose his home state and clinton's home state... both of which would have won the election for him regardless of florida.

4.. here's the big one.

presidents, despite popular opinion don't have absolute power.

everything... EVERYTHING that has happened in this country has happened with the help or blind eye of the democrats.

Ralph Nader is not to blame for the war, or environmental violations, or warrentless wiretapping... the politicians in power are...

yet you plan to vote for them again..

sending a message that you feel their actions are acceptable.

good luck with all that.

Comments continue below

Raph's a spoiler | 11:56 a.m. Aug. 1, 2008

If Ralph's not a spoiler, why did Al Gore not also win the electoral college in addition to the popular vote?

Ralph Narcissist Nader. That's why.

At least he can't spoil things here in the reddest of states.

Anonymous | 12:04 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

To the previous commentors: why do you insist on repeating the propaganda of the democratic party - you sound like empty vessel robots. ralph nader did not cost anyone the election. Gore won in florida. Bush stole the election.. Why don't you blame Gore for costing himself the election since he didn't have the balls to stand up to bush when it was obvious Gore won. Nader has the right to run and people have the right to vote for him. Obviously the people who voted for nader wanted nader not gore. So I don't see how any candidate who people legitimately vote for can cost someone the election. better yet blame the criminals (the bush's George and his brother jeb the governer of florida, who oversaw the counting of votes - blaming Nader is an easy scape goat. get it right!

Bore-Leiberman | 12:06 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

Gore was too stupid to ask for a full recount which daddy Bush's partisan friends on the Supreme Court wouldn't have allowed anyway.

Bore couldn't win his own state and wasn't entitled to our votes in the first place. Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris purged the voter roles of black people. Then the Democrats voted for war, right wing judges and confirmed a whole host of fascists!

If you don't know the facts it's best to just keep quiet instead of trying to silence the greates American alive.

Tim | 12:26 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

To Bore-Leibermann,

Follow your own advice. Your post is a waste of bandwidth.

Ira | 12:30 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

It's time for the fringe parties of the elite, like the Democrats and Republicans, to step aside so that candidates who are in step with mainstream values, like Ralph Nader, and parties that represent the interests of the majority, like the Greens.

Ralph Lamer | 12:31 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

I CANNOT believe this character. He may have some ideas, but he needs to be more realistic. No one cares about him.

Mark B | 12:37 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

We owe Nader a debt of gratitude for changing society from the time Dick Cheney was changing his draft status. As for his impact on elections, Democrats need to treat Nader as another not controllable factor, like Utah being full of LDS, the military vote or the local placement of polling places.

Tom Paine | 12:47 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

Nader has become a bitter old man who's ego demands that he get public attention. He's soiled his legacy and should have stayed with what he was good at, fighting for the consumer.

To: Ralph Lamer | 12:49 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

Why do you think you speak for all? It is one thing to say YOU don't care about him--it is entirely idiotic to state that NO ONE does.

Student Nader Raider | 1:10 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

Ralph Nader is an inspiration. He's the only candidate that stands up for the people's interst not the corporation's interst

1 suppotrs cutting military spending already taking > 50 of gov. spending when US is in debt, and invest in reparing infrtrucure etc.
2 end to the war and military and corporate occupation in Iraq within a 6 month timetable, and replace with UN peackeepig not combat force
3 was against the war in Afghanistan
4 no new war in Pakistan
5 no threat of war to Iran
6 no wasting US txayers money funding Israel's military annually to be neutral
7 single payer universal healh care
8 invest in renewable energy (not nuclear)
9 supports Ni4D

As Jon Stewart said:
"ONE THING NOBODY HAS NEVER SAID is that Ralph NADER WASN'T RIGHT. And so we appreciate your service"

I don't care what the Demohawks say, I'm supporting someone who stands up for me, my family and the people.

Vote Issues. Vote Independent.
Vote Ralph Nader/ Matt Gonzalez 2008.

Ronald A Young | 3:42 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

I have the greatest respect for this Man. Thousands and Thousands of lives have been save by this man and his actions over many, many years. Al Gore may have well Won Florida in 2000 had Ralph Nader not been on the ballot. America has been preserved and saved by the actions of Ralph Nader and the more sane of his supporters. He will not be on the Ballot in Hawaii and is a non issue, except as a write in. Nader for the most part has been a shining light in a World Gone Mad. He is not much of a factor in this race but he is there and deserves respect. A lot of us Love and Care about Ralph Nader.

BH | 4:06 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

Vote Ralph Nader!!!

If every registered voter, who finds both McCain and Obama to be less than desirable candidates, would vote for McCain, at the very least we can send a clear signal the Republican and Democratic national parties. Nader would not win, but he would get more votes than any independent since Perot.

And if he did win, he couldn't be any worse of a prsident than the other two candidates!!!

Ralph Lamer | 4:14 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

To: Ralph Lamer. Oh, yes, I see what you mean. You're totally right. I don't speak for everyone. Silly me. I'll pay more attention next time. What I should have said was no one SHOULD care about him as far as his chances for being elected are concerned. There, you happy?

SLMG | 4:29 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

I find it humorous these comments comeing out of Utah when so many on these posts said they would never vote for John McCain because he had the audacity to run againist the favorite son, Mitt Romney and win even though he is the republican candidate. I read "I will write in Romney anyway", "I will write in Ron Paul", "will vote for anyone one except McCain or Obama" and now all of the ratty comments about Ralph Nader when you are being given a 3 choice. Nader will never be elected president and as much as he doesn't want to be called a spoiler, he can certainly spoil the election for someone.

Ralf Nata | 6:55 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

This guy's the bomb

to ralphy | 5:57 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008

You did some serious damage letting the gop win an election. And now you stand up and are going to try to do that again.

Like the hardward store that got hit by the tornado, you have a few screws missing.

Fair Voter | 8:07 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008

Most of the world's democracies use a spoiler-free electoral system: the preferential ballot, which allows voters to rank candidates in the order of their preference.

FairVote: The Center for Voting and Democracy is an organization that explains and promotes these more competitive and representative electoral systems.

NA | 8:30 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008

Nader says he's a victim of 'political bigotry"

when the rest of us say he's completely detached from reality . . .

Brother Chuck Schroeder | 8:51 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008

Perennial presidential candidate Ralph Nader is a spoiler who takes away votes from other candidates, this time around again "The Obamacon" as he did with AlGore to before, and is a victim of political bigotry by the drive by news media and the Obamacon's as an independent candidate to over-throw the liberal's. Republican's ARE in the race ti win, and win they will. Because the drive by news media ALWAYS treats small-party candidates or third-party candidates are second-class citizens, and don't give them any coverage at all. Nader is and will always be considered spoilers. THE OTHER spoilers are those Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Ellen Degenerate, Rosie O'Donnell, Whoopi Goldberg, Ozzie Osbourn and Michael Moore Obamacon types, because that's the real problem with this great country, is people like them. All "low life" liberal's and Dem's that kill America.

Vote 4 McCain for President and Mitt 4 VP in 2008, we'll all be better off for it to!.

Stewart | 10:49 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008

I could vote for Ralph it it weren't for the fact that he is friends with Rocky. He is right about the abuse of the two major parties. So I will be voting for a different third party candidate. Voting for the lessor of the two evils between Obama and McCain is still voting for evil.

Another Joe | 11:14 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008

I appreciate the comments about Bush stealing the election in Florida in 2000, and we can agree that Bush is the anti-Christ and everything bad with America resulted from him and Cheney. Fine.

However, just consider the actions of Gore. He didn't call for a statewide recount; only asking for a recount in those precincts that he thought would help him. How is that an intellectually defensible position, if you honestly want to know who won the vote? Second, democrats did everything they could to prevent absentee votes from the military from being counted. This, too, is intellectually dishonest.

Nader may have cost Gore the election in Florida, but Perot certainly cost the republicans the election in 1992; hurts doesn't it.

Nader speaks to a certain segment that don't feel their voices are heard by the democrat party. If his message didn't resonate with some, or those voters didn't feel disenfranchised by the major parties, then Nader (like Perot) would drop off the political landscape. You just don't like him because he lessens the chances for Obama to win (political bigotry, since no one but Obama should be able to get democrat votes).

This is the reality.. | 11:45 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008

Nader is detached from reality?? Sorry but Nader has the tightest grip on reality out of any presidential candidate that has run in my lifetime. Just because he's not part of the corporate parties (i.e. democrat or republican) doesn't mean he's detached. It just means he won't be able to get enough media air time because all those companies are run by the same corporations that rule the two party system in America. They tell all of you how to think - which is obvious because all I hear are people repeating the same thing over and over (i.e. nader cost gore the election, he's a spoiler blah, blah) if you take a step back and get your facts in order you'll see how ridiculous that sounds in a democratic society, you'll see why Nader is correct in saying he and his supporters are victims of political bigotry. Nader has a reputation for getting things done - his ideas for this country are what the majority want - they are not radical ideas. Knowing his record we know that he would be uncompromising in getting them done. Unlike the others who pander to corporations.

lRalph | 11:55 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008

Nader is just old trash recycled, but is shows that anyone with a buck can get an audiance.

victim of political FREE MONEY | 1:53 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

You go hungry in Utah, can't make it from pay check to pay check, gas prices keep going up, food prices as well, now ask yourself, do they care when they get free money?. Data available for Chris Cannon:

Cycle Fundraising, 2007 - 2008
Raised: $824,664
Spent: $771,202
Cash on Hand: $66,780
Debts: $328,227
Last Report: Monday, June 30, 2008
Individual Contributions $137,036 (17%)
PAC Contributions $678,787 (82%)
Candidate self-financing $0 (0%)
Other $8,841 (1%)
TV/Movies/Music $41,000
Computers/Internet $40,092
Leadership PACs $34,000
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $30,950
Retail Sales $28,500
National Cable & Telecommunications Assn $15,000
AT&T Inc $10,250
Associated General Contractors $10,000
Campaign for America's Future $10,000
National Assn of Convenience Stores $10,000

More fun fact's here Utah | 2:42 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

You all go hungry in Utah, can't make it from pay check to pay check, gas prices keep going up, food prices as well, now ask yourself, do they care when they get free money?. And they use you for a walking ATM to get re-elected?.

Data available for Orrin G. Hatch:

Raised: $6,759,540
Spent: $5,225,608
Cash on Hand: $1,838,330
Debts: $257,180
Last Report: Monday, June 30, 2008
Xango LLC $47,200
Blue Cross/Blue Shield $45,050
Cerberus Capital Management $45,000
St Paul Travelers Companies $31,300
Bear Stearns $30,700
Lawyers/Law Firms $528,292
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $450,681
Securities & Investment $355,000
Insurance $274,416
Computers/Internet $205,327
Individual Contributions $3,826,934 (57%)
PAC Contributions $2,376,156 (35%)
Candidate self-financing $0 (0%)
Other $556,450 (8%)

Here's Obama's political bigotry | 3:18 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

We the people can't make ends meet, gas goes up, food prices climb, can't pay the rent or mortgage, no proper health care in America, Veteran's can't get help, Congress since Clinton vetoed the federal poverty wage guidelines in his 2nd term, ignore it, it's not at $14,600 for a married couple without kid's, and needs to be raised up to $75k in 2008, and the Obamacon don't care, "ABOUT YOU", just the ones that stuff his pocket's for payback faviors. Why is that?.

Data available for Barack Obama:

Individual Contributions $14,817,058 (91%)
PAC Contributions $1,301,378 (8%)
Candidate self-financing $0 (0%)
Other $251,024 (2%)
Lawyers/Law Firms $21,126,520
Retired $16,722,771
Securities & Investment $9,472,773
Education $8,024,122
Real Estate $5,879,799
Goldman Sachs $658,430
University of California $495,159
JPMorgan Chase & Co $423,107
Citigroup Inc $393,904
UBS AG $377,600
Raised: $16,369,460
Spent: $16,442,360
Cash on Hand: $122,456
Debts: $0
Last Report: Monday, June 30, 2008

McCain's on top of it? | 3:49 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

We can't leave out McCain now can we?. Data available for John McCain:

We the people can't make ends meet, gas goes up, food prices climb, can't pay the rent or mortgage, no proper health care in America, Veteran's can't get help, Congress since Clinton vetoed the federal poverty wage guidelines in his 2nd term, ignore it, it's now at $14,600 for a married couple without kid's, and needs to be raised up to $75k in 2008, and McCain don't care "ABOUT YOU", just the ones that stuff his pocket's for payback faviors. Why is that?.

Individual Contributions $3,519,698 (80%)
PAC Contributions $690,393 (16%)
Candidate self-financing $0 (0%)
Other $178,937 (4%)
Retired $15,391,807
Lawyers/Law Firms $6,179,468
Securities & Investment $5,480,732
Real Estate $4,978,084
Misc Business $2,825,074
Merrill Lynch $258,360
Citigroup Inc $251,801
Goldman Sachs $197,895
Blank Rome LLP $183,076
AT&T Inc $179,930
Raised: $4,389,028
Spent: $3,906,216
Cash on Hand: $14,899
Debts: $0
Last Report: Monday, June 30, 2008

Robert | 4:03 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

Ralph Nader has every right to run for political office and speak his mind about the issues of the day. We should be grateful for people like him. It's the American way. The major parties need a constant check on their views and ideas. Ralph Nader and others like him do just that.

Robert F. Bennett | 5:09 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

Data available for Robert F. Bennett:

Individual Contributions $1,474,471 (39%)
PAC Contributions $1,670,986 (45%)
Candidate self-financing $0 (0%)
Other $598,313 (16%)
Securities & Investment $324,300
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $180,796
Commercial Banks $169,950
Insurance $158,950
Lobbyists $151,820
Morgan Stanley $48,000
1-800-Contacts $30,000
JPMorgan Chase & Co $30,000
Citigroup Inc $28,200
American Express $28,000
Raised: $3,743,770
Spent: $2,439,297
Cash on Hand: $297,978
Debts: $1,015,031
Last Report: Monday, June 30, 2008

Jim Matheson | 5:10 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

Data available for Jim Matheson:

Individual Contributions $256,295 (19%)
PAC Contributions $1,034,424 (79%)
Candidate self-financing $0 (0%)
Other $23,695 (2%)
Health Professionals $131,087
Oil & Gas $67,847
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $66,252
Securities & Investment $52,094
Leadership PACs $41,000
Pfizer Inc $10,252
American College of Cardiology $10,000
American College of Radiology $10,000
American Osteopathic Assn $10,000
American Psychiatric Assn $10,000
Raised: $1,314,414
Spent: $283,896
Cash on Hand: $1,332,251
Debts: $0
Last Report: Monday, June 30, 2008

Rob Bishop | 5:11 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

Data available for Rob Bishop:

Individual Contributions $102,835 (52%)
PAC Contributions $95,050 (48%)
Candidate self-financing $0 (0%)
Other $512 (0%)
Computers/Internet $16,400
Real Estate $12,750
Credit Unions $12,000
Leadership PACs $10,000
Misc Defense $7,500
Es3 Inc $16,000
Campaign for America's Future $10,000
Credit Union National Assn $10,000
National Assn of Realtors $6,000
National Auto Dealers Assn $6,000
Raised: $198,397
Spent: $113,254
Cash on Hand: $190,011
Debts: $49,859
Last Report: Monday, June 30, 2008

Ralph Nader cuts back on gas? | 5:25 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

AND THEY WANT YOU to cut back in fuel?. Although House and Senate ethics rules limit the number of congressional trip days a private source can pay for, there's no limit on the number of sponsored trips Congress members can take during their term. Though it may seem like the lawmakers listed below are really getting around, it's important to remember that these tallies also include staff members who may be traveling in place of the politician. Some travel forms list the purpose and itinerary of the trip specifically, while others fall well short of being comprehensive. Up to one relative, including spouse or child, may also accompany either the politician or the congressional employee, though the additional travelers aren't included in CRP's calculations of the most frequent travelers. If additional individuals want to come along for the ride, the sponsor cannot pay for their expenses. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) cost $87,549 50 OF YOUR MONEY, number of trips 50.

Green Party of Utah | 6:15 a.m. Aug. 4, 2008

Ralph Nader did not spoil the election in 2000: Bush stole it. That's been proven repeatedly, yet there are those who insist on the untruth that Nader spoiled. Read the facts by goggling it.

We need MORE choices for Utahns. This year, get Cynthia McKinney on the ballot - the Green Party Presidential Candidate. Running Mate is Hip Hop Activist Rosa Clemente. Young people and WOMEN are coming out in droves to register to vote and join the Green Party. If you want to get active, volunteer to gather signatures for these WOMEN so that Utahns have MORE choice - not just the choices currently on the ballot!

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