Why do you think Ralph Nader waited until now to put in his bid?

The field of candidates has narrowed enough that he won’t be lost in the crowd?

(Nader’s political strategies are kind of a mystery to me)

a lot of people are saying he was kind of forced back in, and maybe even got some campaign funding and support thrown his way to pull votes away from the dems. Who knows anymore… I don’t know who to believe anymore… A third party may be a refreshing change. I am in no way political person, just some stuff I have heard on the grapevine.

a) it’s expensive

b) see phoenyx’s answer

c) his role, similar to Ron Paul’s is to raise awareness of grassroots/anti-corporate issues that would otherwise be ignored or glossed over by the big pharma, media and military-industrial complex backed candidates. His aim is to inject those issues and points of view into the public debate.

a) He’s really aiming for the VP slot
b) It’s all about ego
c) He’s a crazy ol’ curmudgeon and refuses to go away…

(btw-among other things-he is the reason seatbelts came about in cars)

I think he didn’t get in earlier because he doesn’t have a lot of money. He can get some press at the moment and hopefully pull the Democratic candidates a little to the left. I honestly can’t imagine his goal being anything else. He has about 0.001% chance of winning.

He didn’t have too.
Because 3rd party candidates don’t have a long process of picking a candidate.
Green Party just had their convention. The rest of the OTHER candidates will begin announcing soon too. As well as Independents that don’t have to be a part of any party.
Also his name was on the Green Party ballot along with others, But the news does not usually give much if any time to primaries of 3rd parties.

he’s there to sway some votes away from the democratic nominees regardless of who. That the republicans can remain in office. It was the same way when gore ran against bush and look what happened

@siri

That is my position as well. I believe Nader put in his bid for presidency not to win, but to soak up the votes of ambivalent democrats and disillusioned republicans, as well as independents.

@siri, Are you saying Nader is purposely trying to keep Republicans in power? What motive could he have for doing that?

a shilling. :)

because republicans don’t work for the poor and only monopolize their checkbooks while putting all the taxes upon the under paid. Where do you think Nader comes from? Do you think that Nader worries about your well being and how much you earn , I don’t think that’s the case. You sit there and figure out why most people in the united states have to live worrying about of they’ll have food to feed their children because daddy can’t work enough over time to support them

@siri, I guess what I’m getting at is that Nader has spent his entire adult life advocating for consumer and worker rights, so why would he want Republicans in office? I am guessing his motivation is more to pull the Democratic nominee a little to the left (to more closely align with his causes).

then don’t you think that he would work more wit the democrats on economic issues for this country than for his own financial stimulus

I guess that’s the part I don’t follow. How is his entry into the presidential race “for his own financial stimulus”?

Not that I agree with siri, but running for president on a third party platform can both add to your wealth, name brand recognition for public speaking and donations to your cause.

However his presence on the national scene, even knowing he wont win, brings to light the views of the Green Party. This benefits candidates of the Party running for much lower level positions, who actually may have a chance of winning their election. Advancing the Party in the political process.

@ironhiway, Don’t the Greens have their own candidate this time around? I think Nader is just running as an independent.

I really don’t think he’ll be much of a factor this time around. The novelty has worn off and people who remember 2000 will do everything in their power to persuade friends not to potentially swing the election by voting their “conscience.”

segdeha your right, http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=34

He was the front runner in the Green Party. It was Party members trying to draft him in.
They will choose their candidate in July.
I agree with you on the factor issue. His separation from the GP last election may have been to broaden his base of financial support?