Democrats
I understand "Nader Democrats," because 22 years ago, I was a "John Anderson Democrat." I felt the same way about Jimmy Carter Nader Democrats seem to feel about Al Gore. Other, better writers - Joe Conason, Eric Alterman, Greg Palast - have gone over these points, but mainly from a place of astonished anger at Nader.
I've written angry articles as well, but this time I want to write a different kind of article. I consider Nader himself a lost cause, but I will not abandon good people who saw Nader as a worthy cause - the Nader Democrats.
I remember that the day after Election Day 1980, my government professor Isaac Kramnick, now Provost of Cornell University tongue-lashed Anderson supporters for helping Reagan. We didn't think Reagan could possibly win. Our professor knew better.
Professor Kramnick realized Carter had flaws, but understood what we didn't. Carter was a decent man and a worthy President. Reagan was neither. He also knew that making the perfect (or idealized) the enemy of the good (or realistic) makes for dismal results.
Even strident Greens concede Jimmy Carter was a better President than he was given credit for. Proving my point. The point is not that Carter was correct on every issue. He wasn't. The point is my own decision was wrong. It was based on emotion more than good sense.
I was angry with Carter over military increases, draft registration, and other issues I forget now. I helped Anderson. That helped Reagan - the worst President in decades, a disaster for working people, the poor, the environment, and innocent victims at home and abroad.
I don't excuse my mistake. I knew better, although it was my first Presidential Election. After the debacle in 1980, I've never helped another Republican by splitting from my party. I've worked to change it from within. But this is not about me. It's about the lesson I learned the hard way.
No one is saying Nader is always wrong or Democrats are always right. What we are saying is very simple. Nader is wrong about Democrats when he claims they are no better than Republicans. He knows this is a lie, even if some other people don't understand. The evil of the Bush Occupation goes without saying. Anyone still in doubt can read all the excellent articles at this site demonstrating the existential horror.
Sometimes Nader says Democrats are beyond saving, and he doesn't care how many liberals lose to right wing GOPs. He doesn't mind helping the right wingers hold the House and retake the Senate, because he claims they are no worse than Democrats and may be even better. But Nader proves he doesn't really believe this.
Other times, Nader claims he is trying to bring Democrats to the left. If Democrats and GOPs are just about the same, then why does he bother trying to save us? Nader is using mutually contradictory rhetoric to suck the life out of the progressive movement. Nader aims different pitches at different people to hurt our cause as much as possible.
I don't know for sure that Nader understands the harm he's doing, but the harm is obvious and his concern - if it exists - is invisible. If Democrats and GOPs are the same, why isn't Nader demanding progressive votes from GOPs, and demonizing them when they don't act as he demands? He does that to Democrats, but not to the "identical" Republicans.
Nader is too busy bashing Democrats to tell the truth about the GOP. He knows almost no GOPs will vote for him, so he's not trying to take votes from them. He is trying to take votes from even the most liberal Democrats like Paul Wellstone. He's less liberal than they are, so he has to fudge the facts to take away their support. But this isn't about Nader; it's about the Nader Democrats.
I respect Nader Democrats enough to tell them the truth. Coddling people doesn't help them. It's either patronizing them or worse. I will do for others what my professors and other wise people did for me.
If you please come home, you will find many Wellstone Democrats, Kucinich Democrats, McKinney Democrats and others who will welcome you with wide-open arms. We need you to challenge the appeasers and wimps in our party. We need your fire, energy, and idealism. We need you to retake our party and retake our nation.
Nader Democrats, Please Come Home!
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