CBS News | Nader Urges Kerry To Pick Edwards | June 23, 2004?12:24:33

Nader Urges Kerry To Pick Edwards

In an unusual move, Independent Ralph Nader on Wednesday urged Kerry to choose Sen. John Edwards, saying in a campaign press release that Edwards "has already gone through a primary campaign" and that his "rhythm and oratory" are "well honed."

Unusual move? Or having it both ways? The other Nader news from yesterday:

Nader had a meeting of his own on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, conferring with black members of Congress and rejecting their request that he quit the presidential race. Shouts could be heard from inside the meeting in the basement of the Capitol with more than a dozen Congressional Black Caucus members, including Nader's voice, in what proved to be a rancorous session. One female shouted, "You can't win," to which Nader shot back an inaudible response.

Nader dismissed the shouting as an "exciting exchange" between two sides with the same goal – the defeat of President Bush – but with different strategies for achieving it.

Maybe the Dems are trying to have it both ways too. Is the Democratic party actually offering anything to Nader? ("Let's see. I drop out and I get...what?")

But it's not Nader that matters. It's Nader's voters that matter: 3 million actual voters and 6 million more potential voters who got scared off at the last minute, either by the closeness of the race or the fear tactics of the Gore campaign.

What the Democrats failed to understand in 2000, and are struggling with in 2004, is that the Nader appeal is mainly rhetorical. Progressives are tired of being taken for granted, tired of being told to shut up about issues that are "too controversial," tired of being expected to go along. Tired of being overlooked in the elusive quest for the ever-vanishing centrist voter. Six million voters are not hearing what they want to hear from the Democratic Party, and three million more are not even hearing what they need to hear. Apparantly people in the middle are entitled to a choice while people on the left are not.

We want to hear John Kerry talk to us, to ask for our votes based on progressive principles and not merely expect our votes because he's NotBush. (Hey! Tina Turner could do the campaign song, "NotBush City Limits"!)

I'm Kerry-committed myself. The sign is in my window (taped up with an old Dean sticker). It's not too late to win folks over. But John Kerry needs to be the one singing the song.