Yet another Republican group, fearful of Bush’s chances straight up against Kerry, is working to get Ralph Nader on the Michigan ballot.
Too bad there’s not a way to require ballot petition signers to vote for Nader in November.
UPDATE: More:
Nearly one in 10 of Nader’s major donors — those writing checks of $1,000 or more — have given in recent months to the Bush-Cheney campaign, the latest documents show. GOP fund-raisers also have “bundled” contributions — gathering hefty donations for maximum effect to help Nader, who has criticized the practice in the past.
. . .
But the financial records show that $23,000 in checks of $1,000 or more have come from loyal Republicans. Among those who have given recently to Nader are Houston businessman Najid I. Fares, who donated $200,000 to President Bush’s 2000 inaugural committee; Richard J. Egan, the former ambassador to Ireland, and his wife, Pamela, who have raised more than $300,000 for Bush; Michigan developer Ghassan Saab, who has given $30,000 to the RNC since 2001; and frozen food magnate Jeno Paulucci, and his wife, Lois, who have donated $150,000 to GOP causes since 2000 alone.
Funny how all these Republicans are giving to Nader, since he’s going to draw from both Democratic and Republican voters, right?
You know, If I were Nader, I’d take all this support and effort by the GOP to me on the ballots in various states, push for it from the GOP really hard, then…
Let it leak out that the GOP was subverting my campaign, and finally drop out just in time to withdraw my name from all the state ballots I was on. Call a press conference and announce that the GOP was corrupting democracy and throw my support behind JOHNJOHN…
But that is only what I’d do.
Why would Nader do anything to help Kerry? Kerry’s operatives are actively blocking Nader’s attempts to get on the ballot in a number of states. Apparently Kerry is against the true democratic process. Goes along with all his other elitist tendencies.
Speaking as one of the people heading the Nader petition defense against the Irish Mob (known to outsiders as the Chicago Democratic Party), I have to say that knee-jerk support of anyone, including Democratic douchebags like John F. (for “Fucking”) Kerry is unprincipled and unintelligent behavior.
Two more points: I know this regarding the Nader Illinois situation: Specifically in Illinois, ballot access laws — created and administered by Democrats and Republicans — require 5X the signatures for independents and 3rd-party candidates as for major party candidates. Specifically in Chicago, the Democratic Party is essentially a criminal organization ready to use strongarm tactics if the legislative barriers don’t work.
I have absolutely no respect, and no sympathy, for utilitarian, ends-justify-any-means-at-all knee-jerk bullshit you Democrats are pulling this year to preserve the one-party-with-two-heads system in this country. This behavior makes you no better than George W. Bush.