Consumer advocate and former Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader again will be a contender in 2004, but some Northwestern students and local Democrats have differing opinions on whether Nader again could draw voters away from the Democratic nominee.
Nader announced his presidential bid Sunday, billing his campaign as a reaction against corporate interests that have “drained trillions of dollars” from U.S. workers and small businesses. He stressed the need for a viable third-party option in a country dominated by two similar political organizations.
“The dreaded supremacy of corporatism over civil institutions, stomping both conservative and liberal values alike, has broken through any remaining barriers by the two major political parties,” Nader said in a speech Monday.
Although Nader’s message of a third-party alternative was not lost, some NU students who described themselves as liberal found Nader’s entrance into the race troubling — reflecting a view held by many who supported Nader in 2000.
“His effort to equalize the two-party system is understandable, but by entering the race, he is creating the potential for Democrats to lose,” said Communication senior Lizzie Perkins, who identifies herself as a Democrat. “I’m not surprised, but I can’t say that I support him.”
Weinberg sophomore Joe Breen said he is more optimistic about the possible effect Nader’s candidacy could have on Democrats’ chances of winning the White House in November.
“I wouldn’t predict it to have as large an impact as in the last election,” Breen said. “Candidates like (Massachusetts Sen.) John Kerry have a lot of momentum right now, and I don’t think (Nader) will be able to overtake him.”
Leo Fontana, who manages the Democratic Party of Evanston’s coordinated campaign, said the campaign of Nader, who is running as an independent, will attract voters everywhere but will not affect the election in Illinois, which Fontana predicted the Democratic nominee would win.
“I think that if the Democrats do what they are supposed to do, I believe (Nader’s) candidacy won’t make a difference,” he said. “Since he is running as an independent, it’s likely that his candidacy will make even less of an impact.”
Nader also ran as an independent in 1996 and was the Green Party’s nominee in 2000. Kenneth Janda, an NU political science professor emeritus, said Nader’s decision to run as an independent will limit severely the impact of his campaign.
“We have seen what he can do when he runs as an independent, and now having done this twice, he is pretty tarnished,” Janda said. “People get tired of individuals trying to proclaim themselves as a new (alternative) in politics.”
Still, Nader’s platform supporting consumer protection could draw a few voters away from the Democratic candidate, though it probably will not affect the election’s outcome, Janda said.
“The kind of policies that Nader is going to speak about are Democratic themes and certainly not Republican themes,” he said. “There is no way that Ralph Nader entering the race as an independent can help the Democratic Party.”
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who ended his bid for the Democratic nomination last week, called on liberal voters to rally behind defeating President Bush — which he said meant supporting the Democratic candidate.
“I urge my supporters, and all other Americans committed to progressive values and honest government, to stick with us, to stick with the Democratic Party,” Dean said in a statement Monday.
Nader has said his candidacy might draw away disenchanted Republicans from supporting Bush. But College Republicans President Ben Kohlmann said he doubted Nader would harm Bush.
“For the Republican party, Nader is unimportant,” said Kohlmann, a Weinberg senior. “I think he will do no better than he did in 2000, and I don’t think that it is an issue worth talking about.”
