Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Nader's campaign has turned in around 50,000 signatures in Pennsylvania, trying to meet a requirement for around 25,000, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Now begins the usual round of legal challenges.
Nader's "Western Pennsylvania coordinator" turns out to be a 22 year old recent college graduate. Perhaps this is a very precocious individual, but one is tempted to think that a 22 year old coordinating a petition drive across the expanses of western Pennsylvania is a reflection of how shoestring and half-assed the Nader campaign is this year. Especially since this guy and his colleague both drove across the state to Harrisburg and turned in their signatures 10 minutes before the deadline. Sort of like a term paper. I wonder if they proofread.
Pennsylvania has been fairly stable for Kerry, so far, and a Nader presence on the ballot probably wouldn't pose too dire a challenge for him. Still, it's probably worthwhile to see how many John Does are on the petitions.
The number of wavering liberals supporting Nader - ie voters who want to see Bush defeated - is inevitably going to be smaller this time out. According to polls, some of Nader's base is disturbed by reports of him taking help from Republicans. What's left after the waverers desert? (Just as in 2000 they will in close races as the clock ticks down.) A very strange core of voters who are exceedingly unlikely to vote for any Democrat. Who can't be bothered to care about the direction of this country, having invested themselves in the unlikely proposition that Ralph Nader is anything other than an aging egomaniac.
Nader's "Western Pennsylvania coordinator" turns out to be a 22 year old recent college graduate. Perhaps this is a very precocious individual, but one is tempted to think that a 22 year old coordinating a petition drive across the expanses of western Pennsylvania is a reflection of how shoestring and half-assed the Nader campaign is this year. Especially since this guy and his colleague both drove across the state to Harrisburg and turned in their signatures 10 minutes before the deadline. Sort of like a term paper. I wonder if they proofread.
Pennsylvania has been fairly stable for Kerry, so far, and a Nader presence on the ballot probably wouldn't pose too dire a challenge for him. Still, it's probably worthwhile to see how many John Does are on the petitions.
The number of wavering liberals supporting Nader - ie voters who want to see Bush defeated - is inevitably going to be smaller this time out. According to polls, some of Nader's base is disturbed by reports of him taking help from Republicans. What's left after the waverers desert? (Just as in 2000 they will in close races as the clock ticks down.) A very strange core of voters who are exceedingly unlikely to vote for any Democrat. Who can't be bothered to care about the direction of this country, having invested themselves in the unlikely proposition that Ralph Nader is anything other than an aging egomaniac.
