Reply #52: True.

[ShimokitaJer]

I misspoke. I should have said "voted for the presidential Democratic candidate." Gore did have the greatest total number of votes of any presidential candidate since Reagan, but Bush was #2 in that reckoning. 2000 was a year with an extremely large number of voters period, and I chalk that up to the closeness of the race and the increased attention caused by "spoilers" such as Nader and McCain.

As for the Senate and Congressional seats, just as Nader said, having Nader supporters show up for the presidential election also means having more spillover for the Dems in seats where a Green candidate isn't running.

Personally, I don't give Nader credit for those wins. At the same time, I do give him credit for helping to increase turnout at the polls. And if we are debating whether or not Nader "cost" Gore the election, that issue needs to be acknowledged.