Media Criticism

I read an advertisement yesterday saying that Ralph Nader would be going on Meet the Press this morning to discuss his presidential bid. The reason why this ad jumped out at me was that it assumed that Nader may not end up running. I am sure that Tim Russert wouldn’t have Ralph Nader on his show if he was going to say that he would not run for president.

I just finished watching the interview with Mr. Nader and felt as if I had jumped into a time machine and headed back to 2000 and jumped ahead to 2004. Ralph Nader is a great man with a record of accomplishment in consumer protection that is impressive. His organization (Public Citizen) epitomizes the spirit of grassroots politics that has carried forward from the 1960s. I just don’t think that he would make a great president.

My problem with Ralph Nader goes to his presumption that the presidency is the only vehicle for change in the United States. Nader could have built a career as an independent starting with state legislatures and rising up through Congress to build political credibility. His popularity in the 1960s and 1970s could have been used to promote his platform of equality and political reform starting at the lowest levels of government. The 80% of people who Nader stated would vote for an independent candidate in 2008 want someone with the combination of experience, knowledge and the right platform. We aren’t going to vote for someone who wants to jump to the head of the class without having a track record in government.

I dislike the vitriol slung at Ralph Nader since the 2000 election debacle. The election should have never been that close between Al Gore and George W. Bush with Gore’s wooden campaigning one of the reasons why he “lost.� Nader has every right to run and I respect his persistence in pushing a progressive agenda. I just cannot imagine voting for him at this point because I think there is an element of vanity in his pursuit of the White House. I need proof that other independents will help promote his agenda to clear this perception of Ralph Nader.