Nader lost a lot of ground with me when he declared this time.

I felt he should have withdrawn at the end of the last election because that was when he could demand concessions from the democrats. After they'd lost, there wasn't a lot he could do. This time around, I'm not sure he has anything to add.

He didn't lose Gore the election, a whole heap of things went wrong...among them, Gore doesn't campaign terribly well...never has. Nader was one of the things that went wrong, and if you look at the numbers, he did make a difference in a couple of key states. But so did stopping the recount in Florida (as well as a host of unsavory moves there) and the Gore's inability to unClintonize himself. Add to that the American people's failure (and it was a big one) to demand real policy statements from Bush, or even to take a good look at the candidate (I knew 5 people in my immediate circle, not counting dozens of more distant contacts, who honestly thought they were voting for Powell....he'd keep Bush straight. Woops.).

I get the impression Nader wants to use his candidacy to try to pull the Democratic candidate to the left....but back when people didn't think it mattered if Gore or Bush won, he only got 2.5%. This time...folks seem to know it does matter. Electibility is the issue of the moment....and Nader hasn't got any. So he has no influence....or damned little. But he's going to take over the news cycle and make noise, it's what he does best....and he's got credit with the press after last year. And THAT can be a problem, because it's just another way to distract from the issues.

But he has nothing to bargain with this time, and that means he can't accomplish his goals. Sure, he'll attract some protest votes, but heaven help him...he's gonna be running for last against LaRouche this time....and I think that's just sad considering what a force for good he used to be before politics gave him a case of inflated self importance.

What I really wonder is where the money's coming from. The cynic in me wonders if, should you chase the dime all the way back to the sourse, if some of this man's suddenly ready cash comes from people who want Bush to win. It'd be ironic, Nader running on Industry money...but the kind of funny that makes you want to cry.

My 2 cents, I hereby surrender the soapbox.