Nader is On The Ballot, But May Not Be a Thorn in Obama's Side

Nader Ralph Nader, the electoral bogeyman who many blame for tipping the 2000 election to President Bush, will be back on the Florida ballot this year. Nader is not running nationally with any party affiliation, but is aligning with parties in certain states to gain ballot access. His appearance at...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

September 18, 2008

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Nader

Ralph Nader, the electoral bogeyman who many blame for tipping the 2000 election to President Bush, will be back on the Florida ballot this year.

Nader is not running nationally with any party affiliation, but is aligning with parties in certain states to gain ballot access. His appearance at Florida polls is thanks to the Ecology Party of Florida. "Who?" Exactly.

Obama supporters shouldn't fret just yet that Nader will take a bite out of democratic votes. A CNN/Time poll released today shows that the horse race in Florida is back in a dead heat with both McCain and Obama getting 48 percent (Wow). But when the pollsters included third party candidates Bob Barr, Ralph Nader and Cynthia McKinney four percent of McCain's support eroded, while Obama's remained steady. Making the race 48% to 44% for Obama.

This may be due to the fact Rep. Ron Paul endorsed Barr, Nader, and McKinney in a joint announcement. Paul had sought the Republican nomination during the primary season with a strong grassroots campaign, but was never seen as a major candidate. However he attracted a fervent group of supporters, many of whom are more loyal to him than the party.

Kyle Munzenrieder

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