General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Yes, Nader cost Al Gore the presidency in 2000. [View all]Spider Jerusalem
(21,786 posts)you know what the ultimate margin of "victory" in Florida in 2000 was? 537 votes.
The Socialist Workers' Party candidate, James Harris, who was on the ballot in Florida, got 562 votes.
Monica Moorehead, candidate of the Workers' World party, got 1804 votes in Florida.
It may be easy to blame Nader; it's also wrong.
Something no-one mentions; there wasn't much compelling reason at the time to believe Gore was or would have been a better choice for a disaffected leftist to vote for; not when his running mate was Joe Lieberman, not when Gore was a strong supporter of things like NAFTA, not when Gore was associated with the policies of the Clinton administration like financial deregulation and welfare reform and free trade and DOMA. In hindsight? Sure, a lot of people would have voted differently.