Ralph Nader seeks qualified spokespersons ready for certain defeat

How would you like to head up the public communications effort for a surefire losing presidential candidacy? You would know in advance from now through Nov. 4 that nothing you did or said would change the outcome for your candidate. You might get to travel a little. Wouldn't have to worry about getting a large salary.

And, who knows, you could play a key role in siphoning off enough angry Democratic votes to help elect another Republican president.

What's more your boss has never shown any reluctance to speak for himself.

Ralph Nader's latest presidential campaign is looking for two top media people. Experience necessary. It's posted an erudite and well-educated want ad on the Poynter.org website appealing to the idealism of potential job applicants.

It says the Nader "presidential campaign for a progressive, majoritarian redirection of our country is seeking experienced media persons to conduct outreach and receive press inquiries.

"You can bring your conscience to work daily, commit truth, and engage the great issues of our times.

"Writing and reportorial experience are needed, unless you are a sui generis talented and motivated dynamo in these tumultuous arenas of newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the blogs.

"Applications are invited, together with references, writing samples and other magnetic material that you believe commend you for these tasks.

"Savor the experience, make a consequential contribution to public dialogue, public education and the substantive quality of this presidential year, whose major party candidates are so besieged thus far with trivia and distractions."

Also the applicants should be prepared to answer the inevitable media question: whether Nader prefers boxers or briefs.

--Andrew Malcolm

                                                                             Photo Credit: AP

Comments

[Core Democrat]

Nader is one of the main reasons that Gore lost! Now these far left voters are out there for Obama. And Obama will lose, too. But not because of Nader, because he has said too much and it just starts all adding up. Nader needs to just stay an active voice for Consumers.

[Lawson]

The La imes, just a sevant to power. Not a mention of Lugo in Paraguay or the many other countries that the reins of Power have been broken recently. Just more ad hominm attacks easily pushed aside by Sagen.s Bullshit detector. What's funny to me is that you think people are buying it. Well, I can only speak for my own observations and your hold over the people is sinking fast. As November gets closer and sitting in LaTraffic costs triple and milk surpases $10 all your propoganda ain't going to stop the tide. It's the outside parties like Nader that have caused the most change and you can see it in your own backyard. IMHO. The Best Things in Life ... aren't things

A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[Daryl Ducharme]

I grow weary of the issue of siphoning of votes statements and spoiler arguments slipped into articles. Ralph Nader is running for president of the United States against all the other candidates. He is fighting for each and every vote he can get. Politics are more than just left or right, liberal or conservative. Politcs are multifaceted. Adding candidates to the mix, be they independent, Libertarian, Green, Socialist or Reform parties just adds to the discussion and benefits the greater good of the nation.

[Clint]

Yeah, seriously. This is a democracy. Ralph should stick to supporting one of the LA Times' pre-approved candidates. Voting your conscience for someone who speaks for you is totally not cool, especially if they lose!

PS This article is trash.

[Jenny C.]

Nader is NOT one of the main reasons Gore lost...Besides election fraud, GORE is one of the main reasons Gore lost. Also, Nader's supporters are not "far left" -- they are anti-corporatist and there is a difference, just as there's a big difference between Nader and the Democratic candidates. If you think that Nader can just go on doing work for consumers, please see "An Unreasonable Man". The entire reason Nader has entered the electoral arena is due to the fact that him and organizations like his have been shut out of Washington, as politicians have allied themselves completely with corporate interests.
As for "siphoning away votes for Democrats", people have a right NOT to vote Democrat. Americans are not slaves to either the Democrat or Republican party. Since when is it mandatory to vote Democrat, simply because you are not a Republican? When people don't vote Democrat, no one can presume that that votes "would have been" some other candidate. The presumptiousness of these two parties is not only astounding and tyrannical, it is ingrained so deeply people are trapped in it. Considering this, Nader is doing extremely well. His campaign will only grow the more people awake from the prison of a two party system mentaility, which is at work against the interests of the majority of Americans.

[Camille2000]

Gore doesn't blame Nader, so why do Dems?

Gore won Florida, even though he had a lousy campaign and a lousy VP (Lieberman is campaigning with McCain and will be a keynoter at the REPUBLICAN Convention.

250,000 DEMOCRATS IN FLORIDA VOTED FOR BUSH, yet 2000 is all Nader's fault?

Nader was crushed in 2004 by 20 DNC/DLC lawsuits, yet Kerry lost. But Kerry supported the war and would have "run it" better. Kerry also wanted McCain as a VP. Wow.

In 2006, the Dems won both houses in Washington and have continued the war and left all of Bush's signing statements and imperial beyond-the-law precedents in place - ready for the next president. Impeachment was off the table within hours of the Novemebr 2006 "victory".

The Democrats are worthless. I'm sorry I had to break the news.

[Tannim]

I hear that Mark Penn is available...

[joe]

gore lost because dems voted reupublican, and not because they voted green. gore lost because he centered himself with lieberman... what is lieberman up to these days? oh right! hanging out with mc cain. gore lost because he couldn't even carry his own state and didn't have the balls to really fight the nonsense in florida election fraud.

the bush presidency has been a disaster.
the democrats have allowed the disaster to take place.

like 40% of naders votes in 2000. i'm voting for nader, and if he weren't on the ballot, i wouldn't vote.

[Ryan Henige]

Disgusting, but totally expected. God forbid anyone realize that choices are what this country was founded on. I used to feel bad for people who were so ignorant, but now I'm just upset. They're the reason this country is circling the bowl.

[Kendrick Olson]

I arrived at the LA Times website for the first time looking for real news about Ralph Nader and his pursuit of the US presidency. Instead, I get the idiocy of Andrew Malcolm. It reads like it was written by a very self-absorbed, and very intoxicated Andrew Malcolm the night before it was due, with the dim-witted last-minute idea to simply be snide and sneering above and below the quoted information. It is so easy to simply dismiss Andrew Malcolm. A slacker like Malcolm is no help for the revolution.

[Mike Jack Gravel]

Why isn't Nader going after Green Party nomination with Cynthia Mckinney as VP?

They are tied in Green Party delegates after primaries so far. Cynthia has raised no money. Nader has raised $650,000.

Simple math. Invite Nader to join the ticket Cynthia. Green Party and Nader benefit. Most important the American voter benfits from a strong ticket that would advocate stopping $1 Trillion tax dollars wasted every year on military misadventure overseas!

[steve conn]

I was the very person Nader is now seeking back in 2000. Serious journalists who want to learn just how pathetic the corporate media has become- from the new york times to the washington post and down to the la times will gain a valuable learning experience. Nader articulates issues and solutions which the major party candidates will not touch and voters will hear nothing about thanks to the go-along, get along media. Apply for the job and learn something!

[John S]

I agree with almost all the other posters. This article is blatant propaganda. If you are going to marginalize Nader you could at least be smarter about it. I mean who is running the show there? This is a pathetic attempt to subvert elections and its going on daily.

And to the first poster. No Obama is not a far left candidate. He is a mainstream corporate candidate. He just is branded differently. Open your eyes?

-John

[Karin W]

I don't understand how people wrapped around the (2) party ONLY system think. The rationale is simple! At least one would think? Ask one to eat either a hot dog or, a hamburger all year. Nothing else, just choose between (2) food items. A Hot Dog or, a Hamburger. You're going to try to find some other food. Right? Ok, some might not....
In either case, there are people such as myself that think for themselves. I prefer Nader. You tell us that preferring him is against the rules due to the fact he doesn't stand for the Democratic party or the Republic party. Or he isn’t the prom king. Tell me again, why you’re an American?
I am going to vote for Nader. He has a record for bringing American people forward. I can’t think of anything that the other candidates have done. With the exception of John McCain. He did make a big sacrifice in time of war for us. Sorry John, Nader just seems like the better candidate.