Third Rail...uh, Party Needs Hazardous Waste Designation

The continuance of our country as a civilized nation is in peril. Your vote, every intelligent vote, needs to be cast to maintain it.

This morning, again, the discussion at comments on Eschaton needs more attention. As we went around again on the hazards of wasting a vote on Ralph Nader, Ross Perot, Ron Paul and the like. This morning, we had a commenter who does really think he should vote for Ralph Nader because the choices of Obama or Hillary do not make him think he will be represented in the fashion he would like. Of course, the reasoning is specious on its surface, but I have a few choice comments responding to this confusion that I think are worth a look.

To quote filkertom:

Addressing issues would be very appropriate in a better situation. Unfortunately, there are two factors which you seem determined not to notice yourself.

First, Nader himself has not and does not address the issues at any other time besides when he stirs up the pot regarding a potential presidential run. Yes, his advocacy groups are out there, but he himself is not, and it highlights one of his greatest weaknesses as a candidate: the inability to connect to people, to sell them on himself and his ideas. And if you refuse to see that that is as big a part, perhaps the biggest part, of campaigning, then I don't know what else to tell you.

Second, he has only proven that he can get exactly enough votes to not get elected to anything and to screw things up. If he's serious about changing government, why doesn't he prove that he can in fact get elected? Why not go for state office, or for Congress, get in there and do some more productive street-level stuff? He's always been a scrapper; go to where the fights are.

He has not. He is at this point a frightening combination of unrealistic idealist and stubborn narcissist, and he refuses to see that he cannot bludgeon the American people into accepting a campaign slogan which roughly translates to Eat your vegetables, you morons, they'll soften your damn stool.
filkertom |

then Southern Beale:
Let's all sprinkle magic fairy dust over Ralph Nader, maybe he'll actually make it up to half of one percent of the popular vote this time, bwaahaaa.

and mogwai:
anti-Nader ad quotes parts of that news release as coming from a "right-wing group." The words are quoted accurately and in context, though the description of the group as "right-wing" is a matter of opinion.

Citizens for a Sound Economy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt group co-chaired by Dick Armey, the former Republican Majority Leader in the House, and C. Boyden Gray, former White House counsel to George H.W. Bush, the current President’s father. It describes itself as devoted to “free markets and limited government“ and claims thousands of local activists. It pushes to make Bush’s tax cuts permanent, cut federal spending, create private Social Security accounts, enact school vouchers and enact a “flat tax” in place of the current system of higher rates for higher incomes.

it is well documented that some Republican-leaning groups have worked for Nader, and that a few wealthy Republican donors have given money to the Nader campaign.

that was in 2004, nader is a fool-tool-tr00l
mogwai

All of these arguments are valid, but may I just point out, what everyone probably well knows, that in 2000 Nader promised in order to get support that he would not campaign anywhere that a vote for him would make a difference, and despite his promise, he campaigned in Florida. Enough delusional vote went to him to elect the present occupier of the White House. This should be disaster enough to keep anyone responsible from voting for him, or any other improbable candidate.

I repeat:
The continuance of our country as a civilized nation is in peril. Your vote needs to be cast to maintain it.

Long ago I was involved in Maryland politics, and having managed a very successful campaign was asked to manage another one. I did, and therefore was very closely acquainted with what went on. The opponent, a candidate backed by powerful moneyed interests because he supported their causes rather than his constituents' interests, would have been defeated except for a third, 'independent', candidate's pulling off just enough of the vote to throw the election to the opponent. We knew, and it was not hidden, that the main backer and supporter of the 'independent' was a close ally of the actual opponent.

The election of those who don't represent the public, who violate their oaths of office, should be eschewed. We need to act in sensible, and responsible, ways if we are to get this nation out of the gravely dangerous position it is in.

All the posts at cabdrollery are directed toward pointing readers toward the truth, and please let us know if we make any mistakes, we will correct them. If you think that returning this country to the worst administration in history is in any way desirable, please let us know your arguments.

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Noted in a Dallas Morning News op-ed yesterday:

Orthodox Easter is coming at the end of April, and meat will be back on my family's table. But to the best I'm able to provide, it will be meat raised by Christian small farmers in the Dallas area or otherwise produced in a morally responsible way. (Emphasis added.)

While I have not noted that raising meat produces a lot of atheists, the doctrine of those raising anything I eat has not struck me as a proper concern of mine in any way. And though ql often visits the Amish markets, and praises their output, she has yet to advocate their theology because of their cheeses, that I have noticed.

IOW, huh?