I think Nader's impact is being overated by pundits.

[Liberal Veteran]

Bush supporters who are trying to get Nader on the ballots are all going to vote for Bush.

Non-Bush supporters who haven't been signing the petitions for Nader are going to vote for Kerry.

That doesn't exactly leave a wide swath of the populace to vote for Nader.

Nader got 2.7 percent of the total vote in the last election and it's HIGHLY UNLIKELY he's going to get more this time considering he isn't on the ballot in many states and doesn't have a national party like the Greens backing him this time.

So there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY he can get the 6 percent most polls are showing him at.

[mstrsplinter326]

1. repukks believe

if they say it enough, it will come true.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. Their self imposed blindness will be their downfall.

[tom_paine]

2. Of course. But aiding Nader aids their Bushevik Masters

That's all the Pravda Whores need to know.

[elperromagico]

3. A lot depends on how many ballots he can get on.

He's already on several with the Reform Party, but his luck isn't quite as great with other states. We'll just have to wait and see with this, I think.

[Liberal Veteran]

4. Being on the ballot doesn't mean people will vote for him.

I mean really: I can't see more than 0.5 percent voting for Nader this time around. Even where he had massive support last time, most are not going that way again.

[elperromagico]

5. I realize that, but his absence on the ballot

means no one there will vote for him. Of course, they could write in his name on some ballots, but write-ins rarely break 1% in national elections.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. And some states don't allow write-ins n/t

[elperromagico]

11. Quite right. n/t

[bigwillq]

6. I agree. I don't think Nader

will have an impact at all this time around.

I think the DEMS or the independents have learned their lessons from 2000 and I think most will vote for Kerry.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. I agree

the Greens will vote Cobb. If Nader is on a few tickets as the Reform candidate, he may get a few votes, but that's it. Nader's draw has been way way overestimated.

[Mike L]

16. Cobb is telling Greens in swing states to vote for Kerry.

Nader will get the .7% Socialist vote he got last election and the old hippie nuts and some weirdos Dean drew out of the woodworks. On the other hand, Dean registered enough new Democrats to add a few hundred thousand to the Dem vote this year.

[Ghetto_Boy]

10. I agree

[Downtown Hound]

12. The very fact that Nader isn't on the ballot in California

is going to cut into his totals a lot. I think like 15% of his votes came from this state the last time. I'm very skeptical Nader will get over a million votes this time. I think he'll end up with about 500,000. That could hurt Kerry in some of the crucial swing states, but we'll have to wait and see to really know for sure.

[lapfog_1]

13. Repukes think

it can't hurt them (this could be a miscalculation)

AND

it worked last time.

Even if it didn't, they believe that, and that's enough.

[Liberal Veteran]

14. I don't understand....

Repukes think.

I know what a "repuke" is.

I know what "think" is.

When you put the words together, it just doesn't jibe.

[lapfog_1]

15. Ya got me

That's an oxymoran for sure.