Saturday, August 07, 2004
Bwahahaha: Nader Fails the Kal-ee-fonia Ballot Test
The San Francisco Chronicle reports the latest sorry chapter in Ralph Nader's quest for relevance: his campaign is on the verge of failing to place on the California ballot. CA requires 153,000 signatures and the Nader people turned in just under 83,000. Oops!
One might have thought that Nader in his prime might have gathered that many signatures from San Franciscans alone.
Now, in the campaign's latest gambit, they are attempting to get the California state Green Party to endorse Nader as its candidate. The fact that the national Green Party has already endorsed another candidate is apparently not an issue.
Nader's vice presidential candidate, Peter Camejo is alluding to the possibility of a Green endorsement. Still, I'd be surprised if that really happened. As California Green Medea Benjamin notes, Nader has nothing to offer the party. If he gets to the 5% that qualifies him for federal funding the next time out, the CA Greens won't see a cent.
There is a serious institutional hurdle in the way for Nader as well. 80% of attending Greens at a special convention would be required to change the nominee. Are there that many California Greens who are eager to open a rift with the national party?
The more likely event of Nader failing to make the ballot will be a serious blow to his candidacy. It will throw into question his viability, even as a splinter candidate.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports the latest sorry chapter in Ralph Nader's quest for relevance: his campaign is on the verge of failing to place on the California ballot. CA requires 153,000 signatures and the Nader people turned in just under 83,000. Oops!
One might have thought that Nader in his prime might have gathered that many signatures from San Franciscans alone.
Now, in the campaign's latest gambit, they are attempting to get the California state Green Party to endorse Nader as its candidate. The fact that the national Green Party has already endorsed another candidate is apparently not an issue.
Nader's vice presidential candidate, Peter Camejo is alluding to the possibility of a Green endorsement. Still, I'd be surprised if that really happened. As California Green Medea Benjamin notes, Nader has nothing to offer the party. If he gets to the 5% that qualifies him for federal funding the next time out, the CA Greens won't see a cent.
There is a serious institutional hurdle in the way for Nader as well. 80% of attending Greens at a special convention would be required to change the nominee. Are there that many California Greens who are eager to open a rift with the national party?
The more likely event of Nader failing to make the ballot will be a serious blow to his candidacy. It will throw into question his viability, even as a splinter candidate.
