Saturday, February 02, 2008

Nader Exploratory Committee

In yesterday's post, I mentioned the fact that I see a campaign based primarily on a genuine distrust of Corporate Greed, Corporate Power, Corporate Control, the anti-corporate message. Yet, that is exactly what Nader is doing. It would appear from the web site of his Presidential Exploratory Committee that this is his only message.

Yet, if you go back to his 2004 campaign site, which is still up, you can see that he has positions on a wide range of issues. The question I would have of a Nader candidacy is "which Nader will we get?", the anti-corporate crusader or a newly energized Ralph Nader who would offer a future of unlimited promise.

Unfortunately, all I see is a one dimensional candidate when he has the ability to be much more. Sadly, also, even some of the news agency press coverage trivializes his serious intent.
He’s baaaacccckkk….Nader forms presidential exploratory committee

2 comments:

Alex Walker said...

Dear Wes,

What is it exactly that you don't like about an "anti-corporate" candidate?

One of the challenges of a third party is to show how it is different from the "major" parties and why that difference is important. The Democrats and the Republicans are both going to nominate "pro-corporate" candidates for sure.

At other times you have also written that you don't like spreading the Green message as a kind of religion.

So, how are we going to break through?

Wes said...

Alex,
There are two things that I am discussing. One is the fact that a campaign based on what you are against is not effective with the American Public unless you have a forward looking visions of what you are for. Being against poses a problem; being for gives your solution.

The other is the fact that the anti-corporate message of John Edwards did not win him significant representation given the long association of the Democratic party with organized labor. While he had substantial labor support, so did Hillary. Even among the unions, Edwards' anti-corporate message did not fare as well as it should.

Any campaign that relies solely on a single message, that corporations are bad, will not bring 5% of any vote to this party. There must be more to the campagin than that. Yet, if you look at Nader's Exploratory Committee web site, that is the only point they make.

Stay tuned to see how this plays out.