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Ralph Nader Reiterates Support for the Green Party, Democratic Renewal, and Defiance of the Two-Party System. |
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2000 national candidate urges Greens to join local and state races. |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Green Party of the United States 2000 Presidential candidate Ralph Nader reiterated his support for party growth on NBC News' Meet The Press on Sunday, January 13. "What we're trying to do is build a political reform movement," said Nader, whose book about his 2000 campaign, titled "Crashing The Party: How to Tell the Truth and Still Run for President," was published in December. "The Green Party now is the third largest party in America -- the fastest growing party. It won 25 percent of its local races last November. We hope that thousands of people will run at the local, state and national level in the year 2002," Nader told Tim Russert on Sunday's Meet The Press. Nader did not rule out another run for president in 2004, adding "It's early to say. I don't like long campaigns." "Whether Mr. Nader decides to run again or not, we look forward to his continued assistance and support for the party," said Tom Sevigny, a Connecticut Green activist and member of the national steering committee. "Many Greens anticipate a contested nomination in 2004. An amiable competition for the nomination among two or more candidates of Mr. Nader's caliber would prove maturity and staying power for the party, and would help our local and state candidates immensely." Nader rebuffed the notion that he "spoiled" the 2000 election for Democratic candidate Al Gore. When Meet The Press show host Tim Russert asked if Nader regretted the fact that his numbers could have put Gore over the top in Florida, Nader answered, "Of course not. You don't run for president to help elect your opponent. What isn't on that screen, Tim, is the exit polls showed that George W. Bush got 12 times more Democratic votes in Florida than I did." Nader added that a Gore presidency "wouldn't have been any different in terms of military and foreign policy, soft on corporate crime. It wouldn't have been any different in ignoring the need to transfer our country to renewable energy and organic agriculture and protecting the small farmer. And it wouldn't have been any different on GATT and NAFTA and the increasing trade deficits and exporting American jobs." Greens agree, adding many other examples to the list of bipartisan collusion: national missile defense, constitutionally defective anti-terrorism legislation, Plan Colombia, the War on Drugs, the death penalty, opposition to national health insurance, welfare reform that blames and penalizes the poor, concentration of corporate media ownership, depredation of local economies by powerful corporate lobbies and PACs, acceptance of contributions from Enron, and a 'blank check' for Bush to wage unilateral war without regard for international law and cooperation. Democratic votes helped pass President Bush's plan to drill for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in July, 2001, and helped confirm Bush's cabinet, including conservative ideologues John Ashcroft and Gail Norton. "If voters were sore at the Green Party for 'spoiling,' they didn't show it at the polls in 2001, where we won a quarter of all the races in which we competed and emerged as the second party in New Haven, Connecticut and Minneapolis, Minnesota," said Starlene Rankin, Illinois Green Party Media Coordinator. "Voters are realizing that the Green Party is not an extention of the Democratic Party, and that Democrats and Republicans have grown so similar that many voters are now choosing the Greens as their political home. We offer a party for everyone who loves peace through justice, a clean environment, and a participatory democracy." More Information: Contacts: Search: elws, prty, elct |
