The Little Brown Reader

Please, Ralph, Not This Year

Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine

...

It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.