So much for President Obama’s unchallenged primary run. In a letter released today, former presidential candidate Ralph Nader announced his plans to challenge the incumbent for the Democratic nomination in next year’s primaries.
TPM
The letter was endorsed by 45 ‘distinguished leaders’ and included Princeton professor Cornel West, who has been highly critical of President Obama as of late. ‘His administration has tilted too much toward Wall Street,’ said West. ‘We need policies that empower Main Street.’
I fully support Nader's timing on this. By running a primary challenge he can hopefully raise issues that would otherwise be ignored and perhaps move Obama perceptibly leftward. He will, of course, be crushed like a bug and probably win fewer delegates than Rick Santorum, but he'll have his say, and give Obama the opportunity to look moderate by comparison. I see little down side to this and possible upside.
If he carries on with a third party in the general I will show up at any Colorado events he holds holding two pictures: George W. Bush and Al Gore. And if he comes anywhere near me I'll call him an egotistical maniac. But only if he tries a 3rd party challenge in the general.
2:58 PM PT: Just to clarify: I'll vote for Obama if Nader is on the ballot in Colorado. I don't want Nader to win or even come close. I just think that a primary challenge has an upside. If he tries to repeat the 3rd party challenge of 2000 I will stick pins in a Nader voodoo doll.
3:16 PM PT: Nader is NOT necessarily running himself. He is trying to recruit candidates, plural. He may be one of those. These candidates will represent different interest groups. I would imagine that each would run in the state of his or her residence to simplify getting on the ballot.