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Ralph Nader, who seems to be becoming this era’s Harold Stassen (who sought the Republican presidential nomination a staggering nine times) is running for president again. Even if you’re paying attention, it would have been easy to miss this news.
But Nader, who proclaims himself the champion of the common man, has landed a spot on Colorado’s presidential ballot. That brings to four the number of states where those inclined can vote for the once and future consumer watchdog.
Actually, Nader will be one of many running for president in Colorado, where the requirements for ballot access are pretty easy. Look at your ballot come November and you’ll see candidates from just about every group but the Tinfoil Hat party, and they may be running someone.
Colorado has the right idea of letting just about anyone run for president. In an age when so many in our country believe the two-party system is broken (not a new thought, by the way), it’s devilishly hard to break those parties’ stranglehold on national politics.
It took a determined, expensive effort by Ross Perot to get on the ballot in all 50 states in 1992 and 1996, and the closest he came was about 20 percent of the vote.
Perot was able to use his charisma, his existing fame, and, most of all, his money, to muscle his way onto the national political stage for a time.
Most fringe candidates, though, don’t have anything like the pull Perot did. So that means just the two big-party candidates will be featured in this year’s presidential debates. And, because money literally talks, and fringe candidates don’t have much talking power, voters won’t be able to hear their messages.
It’s easy to poke fun at candidates like Nader, who have no realistic chance of even influencing what issues get discussed in this year’s presidential race. And anyone who votes for Nader — or Libertarian Bob Barr or anyone else — will be casting either a throwaway or a kiss-my-heinie vote.
But part of the fun of America is the dream that just about anyone can grow up to be president. That may not be true, but just about anyone can run. That’ll have to do for now.
But Nader, who proclaims himself the champion of the common man, has landed a spot on Colorado’s presidential ballot. That brings to four the number of states where those inclined can vote for the once and future consumer watchdog.
Actually, Nader will be one of many running for president in Colorado, where the requirements for ballot access are pretty easy. Look at your ballot come November and you’ll see candidates from just about every group but the Tinfoil Hat party, and they may be running someone.
Colorado has the right idea of letting just about anyone run for president. In an age when so many in our country believe the two-party system is broken (not a new thought, by the way), it’s devilishly hard to break those parties’ stranglehold on national politics.
It took a determined, expensive effort by Ross Perot to get on the ballot in all 50 states in 1992 and 1996, and the closest he came was about 20 percent of the vote.
Perot was able to use his charisma, his existing fame, and, most of all, his money, to muscle his way onto the national political stage for a time.
Most fringe candidates, though, don’t have anything like the pull Perot did. So that means just the two big-party candidates will be featured in this year’s presidential debates. And, because money literally talks, and fringe candidates don’t have much talking power, voters won’t be able to hear their messages.
It’s easy to poke fun at candidates like Nader, who have no realistic chance of even influencing what issues get discussed in this year’s presidential race. And anyone who votes for Nader — or Libertarian Bob Barr or anyone else — will be casting either a throwaway or a kiss-my-heinie vote.
But part of the fun of America is the dream that just about anyone can grow up to be president. That may not be true, but just about anyone can run. That’ll have to do for now.
