The Machinery of Night

Posted 8:04 PM by Angie Schultz

Republican Party Nadir

This just in to Yahoo, via Agence France Press:

The man many Democrats blame for Al Gore's achingly narrow defeat by George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential vote, could be a candidate when the next election is held in 2004, he will be 70.

...

[Ralph] Nader says that if the Greens reject him, he might choose to run as an independent, or possibly even as a Republican, which would pit him against George W. Bush in the primary.

...

When asked why a campaigner so closely identified with progressive causes would contemplate running for the White House as a candidate from a party on the other end of the political spectrum, Nader answers without missing a beat.

"To give the American people a choice as to the political institutions they desire and the clean elections they deserve," he said. "Isn't that what politics should be all about?"

So. Has Nader gone completely crazy, or what? An election always needs some comic relief---and Nader on a Republican ticket would be nothin' but---but, aside from the laughter of millions, what would Nader get out of it? Does he somehow believe he has become Spoilerman, able to undermine candidacies at will? Or is his grasp of politics not firm?

Perhaps he intends to run on a platform of prayer in the public schools, outlawing abortion under all circumstances, stiffer drug penalties, pornography crackdowns, etc, thereby attracting the rightmost wing of the Republicans (who will, of course, be too stupid to know who he is) and drawing them away from Bush.

Or maybe he's just pulling the reporter's leg.

Note that "progressive causes" is presented to us naked, with no quotes. Also note that the story's titled "Liberal pariah Ralph Nader flirts with new White House run."

Via Hollywood Halfwits.