Kudos for Kerry for his "presidential" behavior towards Ralph Nader.

[wisteria]

I suppose everyone is now aware that Mr. Nader is in the 2008 Presidential race as of Sunday. Why, I can't explain other than him being a spoiler, but the Huffington Post has a positive opinion piece of how Senator Kerry handle this situation the right way. It is nice to see positive pieces written about the 2004 campaign.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glenn-hurowitz/what-kerry-did-right-eng_b_88317.html">here

[sandnsea]

1. That was fine in 2004

But I think the correct response now is to be dismissive because he's proven his only interest is himself. I've already seen Greens questioning him running rather than supporting Cynthia McKinney. Obama also said the way to deal with third parties is to have the kind of support where a couple of points don't matter. That's exactly what Ralph Nader has said all along, so I don't see how he can complain now.

[wisteria]

4. Perhaps you are correct. However, Nader is a strange bird.

What motivates him at this point? Entering now gains him nothing but attention. He was a small threat in 2000, a minuscule one in 2004 and even less of one in 2008.

[sandnsea]

5. I'm more worried about Green Party defections

I recall Tay Tay's funny post about attentiveness to liberals and it occurs to me that some folks might feel put out if they aren't the center of attention on traditionally lefty issues. I don't know. I hope they never confuse Democrats for Republicans again. Hillary annoys me, but she would never be as bad as McCain. In that sense, I think it's perfect that Obama reminds people that Nader was dead wrong.

[wisteria]

6. Does anyone take Nader seriously anymore? n/t

[MBS]

7. some journalist this week described Nader, and his decision to run

again, as "stupefyingly narcissistic". You betcha.

[karynnj]

2. This is great

He does make a great point that Obama and Hillary don't have the history to bring things up that they could have in common. (I bet they laughed at that Nixon administration comment to destroy Kerry before he became another Ralph Nader. ) I think the author may be underestimating Obama between his organizing in Chicago and his ethics stuff, he might be able to hit a similar shared values time. The thing is Nader still did not pull out - even when he knew Bush was worse than he thought and - asthis says, Kerry better than Gore.

[wisteria]

3. I have ceased to try and figure out what motivates Nader to run when he knows he will lose

and will do no better then the other candidates that have pulled our already. He is going to do what he is going to do, why not just be cordial about it and do all you can to gain more votes than he might take away?

[MBS]

8. I finally got around to reading your link, and oh, this is good

The whole article was very good, but I was especially pleased to see this introduction:

.. .I've got my criticisms of the 2004 Kerry campaign. But I also saw first-hand how the Kerry campaign and John Kerry in particular did many things right and many things better than any previous Democratic campaign. I'll be writing occasional posts about the many positive lessons we can take from Senator Kerry's 2004 run

Well said, and IT'S ABOUT TIME.

I also liked the quote from the May 2004 NYT article:

"I've known him (Kerry) a long time," Mr. NAder said. "It's hard not to like a 27-year-old guy who comes back from the war and helps lead the antiwar movement."

Indeed. :)

And, even though I'm a strong Obama supporter, I do agree with the sense of Hurowitz' penultimate paragraph:

It's important to remember that neither Hillary nor Obama are likely to inspire the same positive feelings in NAder or his hard-core supporters. They've both been more accommodating of the special interests Nader has spent his lifetime fighting than Kerry ever has been. As a result, Nader will have ammo to make his absurd case that there's little difference between Democrats and Republicans, and possibly more inclined to do it than he was in 2004.

[wisteria]

9. I liked those comments also and look forward to more Kerry praise. n/t

[MarjorieG]

10. Interesting Nader take by NYT Herbert

Concerned about Democracy, ballot access, and consumers, I wish Nader would take hold of the voting machine industry, which has held America hostage with junk equipment and unfulfilled service and replacement agreements. The counties and states need money returned to them by an industry that caused Florida (intentionally bad paper) to jump start to electronic, with systems that didn't work and weren't tested for security, or anythng else.

Wow, I thought I could access and all editorials free?? Nader inherits his warped view of people and reality from his dad.

[wisteria]

11. Interesting suggestion by Herbert. Now if Nader did that it would be a benefit

to this country.

[MarjorieG]

12. Oops, misled. Voting is my suggestion.

[wisteria]

13. Well it is a great suggestion and Nader would be wise to act upon it. n/t