Ralph Nader Promises To Challenge President Obama In Primary

by Zara Golden | 7:31 pm, September 19th, 2011

» 17 comments

Ralph Nader, Cornel West and 45 other “distinguished leaders” have joined forces in search of a “recognizable, articulate” candidate who could pose a challenge to President Barack Obama as he campaigns for reelection. Never a content Democrat, Nader says it’s “very unlikely” that he will run himself, and that this challenge is not meant to hinder Obama’s chances of reelection. ”I just want all these liberal, progressive agendas to be robustly debated. Otherwise, there will be a de facto blackout of their discussion,” he told the Washington Post yesterday.

According to the Post’s report:

The group said Saturday it is seeking six “recognizable, articulate” candidates who would not mount serious challenges to Obama, but “rigorously debate his policy stands” on issues related to labor, poverty, foreign policy, civil rights and consumer protections.

While the group does harbor certain concerns regarding President Obama’s policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, his handling of the recent debt ceiling debate, and his relationship to Wall Street, they remain insistent that in offering a challenger they mean to do well by the Democratic Party. As Nader explains in the Washington Times, the group’s intent is to create debate and draw attention to the Democratic Party in the same way the GOP primary has done for the Republicans:

“Without debates by challengers inside the Democratic Party’s presidential primaries, the liberal/majoritarian agenda will be muted and ignored,” Mr. Nader said in a news release. “The one-man Democratic primaries will be dull, repetitive, and draining of both voter enthusiasm and real bright lines between the two parties that excite voters.”

Nader has famously been faulted for his nettling in the 2000 campaign, costing Al Gore a lot of Democratic votes with his Green Party win. His intentions here, though, sound pure. Moreover, as the Post points out, while President Obama’s ratings have continued to drop, his reelection campaign has picked up speed:

Obama is building a formidable reelection campaign that is easily exceeding quarterly fundraising goals and is on course to raise more than $1 billion. Campaign aides last week defended the president’s slipping approval numbers by noting that more than a year before the election, he is attracting thousands of volunteers and small-dollar donors.

2012 elections, barack obama, Cornel West, Democrats, DNC, Ralph Nader, Washington Post, Washington Times

Anonymous

Congrats to Mediaite for finally covering the growing uneasiness about Obama now stirring in the ranks of the Democrat party.
Anonymous

Man, if I had a dollar for every time Ralph Nader ran for president I could buy Cornel West that frigging missing tooth.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CQWUTBF2KSSVOXCR4PSN66L2PM James

frist of all. How is Ralph going to do that. To run a pirmary he has to be a demrcrat. Last I heard he was a 3rd party guy. Nader is just trying to get air time.
Nancillarypeloslinton

Never thought much of Obama back in the mania days but the fact that he is a complete fucking idiot is something of a shocker even to the most ardent left-winger.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_52BNPBEO4RIXQ4SIKI6GB7XWJ4 FLWC

Testing?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1075072162 Barbara Foucek-Montgomery

Thanks to Ralph we got Bush for President and 2 wars.
TruDat

Now we’ve got Obama and 5 wars.
TruDat

It’s not a shocker to intelligent people. Obama was elected due to votes from 18 year olds without a clue, minorities seeking more handouts, and goofy left-wing nutcases who wanted to “feel good” by electing a half-black president.
Anonymous

YES! Run, Ralph, run!-but as a 3rd party candidate as well.
http://www.facebook.com/pballard1 Pete Ballard

Ralph,

If you get in this race, I PROMISE that I will vote for you in the Primary. Just like I voted for Hillary in the 2008 DNC primary.

Too bad I’m not a libtard Democrat huh?
Anonymous

ALAN GRAYSON!!!!!!!
Anonymous

What rat hole did the slimeball Nadir crawl out of?
–Looks like the Democrats have to dig up fossils
–just to find somebody scandal free
–not to worry
–if he’s a retarded Liberal, he’s bent
–and that means looking at Nadirs recent activities
–place a clothespin on your nose beforehand
–remember, Nadir’s not only a retarded Liberal
–He’s a slimeball Democrat
Anonymous

FLWC:
–what? and give up on Obama?
–RACIST !!!!!!
–why don’t you write a big check to a physciatrist
–and see if he can cure your RACISM !!!!!
Vietnam2

Dear Mr. Nadar! Here’s a suggestion: Select one or all of the 8 Senators (7 Dems 1 GOP) who voted AGAINST the repeal of Glass Steagall act in 1999. Mr. Nadar, as I’m sure you know. The repeal of the separation of depository (regular) banks and investment banking firms and the deregulation of derivatives / credit default swaps created the hugh financial disaster the world and the US is in. NOT only the republiCONS (mastermined by phil gramm (R) TX Senate Financial Chairman) but 90 Senators from both parties voted for the repeal. Over $645 TRILLION in derviatives were traded between 2000 – June 2008. (Crisis hit Sept 2008) During this time,
Bush 2 bragged about all the people buying homes. (many sub-prime loans) They had to launder the money somewhere??? One of these 8 people deserve credit for standing up against the biggest PONZI scheme in the history of the world. They deserve to represent the American people as POTUS.
Anonymous

Paul Ryan and
Mitch McConnell keep saying how taxing the Rich will cause a downturn in the
Economy, Whose Economy? Do they mean the
United State’s Economy or China’s Economy?
We don’t give a hoot about China’s Economy. We just keep watching more
homeless and jobless showing up in America and non-Republican Voters in America
have had about enough over the past 30 years from the double standards of
Billionaires, the Rich and Politicians.

Mitch McConnell
says; “We’re not opposed to more revenue.” Bud “the way you get more revenues
is to get the economy going.” Industry
creates jobs, which is why we allow them to get rich, but they never seem to be
satisfied. Government is not allowed to become a business. Maybe we should
change that.

He needs to look
in the mirror and say that. The American Government doesn’t make jobs, China’s
Communist Government Creates Jobs and own business like American Industry does.

The Freedom
Loving American People maybe should have a Government who is allowed to own
business and create jobs. Many of our lives could depend on it. This may be a
good new Constitutional Amendment. The Tea Party loves Constitutional
Amendments. It would get Our Economy Moving forward and even the homeless could
get a job which pays a living wage with money left over at the end of the month
to enjoy some of the relaxing entertainment and fun the Rich enjoy. Maybe they
could eat more expensive food like Salmon, Halibut and other low carbohydrates
which are less fattening and the ghettos’ people would not be obese anymore
putting large burdens on Medicare and Social Security.

I guess a person
start thinking this way after Industry kicks you around for 30 or 40 years with
double standards. Even the Billionaires and the rich need to understand, “Good
things don’t last forever.” And everyone should know his limits. Do you hear me
Republicans and Billionaires? Be satisfied and know when you are well off.
Ignorance is bliss and bliss is happiness but still doesn’t last forever.
Jgoodyear

You people who blame Nader for George Bush’s victory for President in 2000 should be ashamed of yourself. Al Gore lost because he thought he could squeeze by with a narrow margin without sacrificing his pro-corporate agenda.

IT DIDN’T WORK!

That’s ignorant to blame George Bush for everything. The Democrats were just as guilty because Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton both endorsed the Iraq War and the Libyan Wars.

Screw you guys. I left the Democratic party because of all of that.
Anonymous

Willie John, None of us OWES our vote to Obama. Refusing to support him is not racism. Obama has done NOTHING to get us out of NAFTA or the WTO. In fact he has signed even MORE unfair trade deals to ship our few remaining jobs overseas. He just signed the National Defence Authorization Act permitting indefinite detention without trial of terrorism suspects. He has continued Bush’s warrantless wiretap program and escalated the Afghanistan war. I don’t care what color he is, Obama is a disaster for our country. I campaigned for him last time; this time I’m hoping Nader runs.