February 21, 2004
Nader Joins The Argument
The Nation has an open letter to Ralph Nader pleading with him not to run for president.Ralph Nader has written a response.
I like what Ralph writes. He spells out a lot of problems, and a lot of reasons to take action against those problems.
However, nowhere does he show that that action must be Ralph Nader running for president.
Nader is a liberal. I mean, come on. He reads The Nation. Rail all you want at how we are prisoners of a linear metaphor, but he's going to get more support from those who prefer Dem over Bush than those who prefer Bush over Dem.
At the end of the day, he says he's trying to defend liberal interests, but he's doing it by holding them hostage.
"Love animals more, or else the kitten gets it!"
The thing that really bugs me about this is that I'm the type inclined to support Nader. I donated to the Green party in 2000. I like his platform better than I like the Democratic voting record. But I've also put a lot of thought - available in these archives - into what American voting means, where it's messed up, and - most importantly - the best steps to take to improve it. Nader's implication is that the only reason I'm not supporting him is because of fear, or because I'm a sheep, or because I somehow lack the consciousness he has. It's insulting; to me, and to other people whose support he needs.
I'd like to address the issue of voting out of fear. To state the obvious, our culture is fear-phobic and yet so run by it at the same time. Fear is what often controls our decisions we make and yet none of us really like the emotion all that much.. It's probably the most vulnerable emotion there is... but it does have a purpose. How's about we take a goooood look at why someone might not vote for Nader "out of fear" and see where the fear is coming from? I have a feeling that we'd find that this person really does have something to be afraid of!
it is no more healthy to tell a population to deny their fear like Nader does than it is to whip a population into fear like Bush does. Fear is powerful as Bush has shown us- but telling us to ignore and deny and discount our fear by shaming us with it (you're too afraid to vote for me) is just as maddening to me and tells me that Nader actually really doesn't care about his voters as much as he cares about his agenda. He'd rather push through his agenda than listen to anyone's annoying sheep-like concerns.
So to Nader, I say, "You know what buddy, you're right- I'm not going to vote for you out of fear and you know what? That's not a bad thing. There actually IS something for me to be afraid of- a very real, a very pressing danger. And I think the problem is you- not me- that you're asking to ignore my fear, my very real fear that has merit."
I'm less likely to vote for Nader if he gives me a lecture about what a pussy I am for not wanting to vote for him, instead of addressing the fears of his supporters and potential supporters and somehow showing me that I don't have anything to be afraid of.. (which is impossible after 4 years of Bush). Any politician who asks me to put my concerns aside and instead put my faith in him is going the exact opposite direction he wants to be. I think we really do have something to be afraid of and I think it is Nader, not us, that is in denial. That denial will and can cost us another 4 years of President Dickhead.
Posted by: Tamara Turner at February 21, 2004 04:44 PM