Nader can't win but Gore can lose.
The Supreme Court will have 3-4 vacancies in the next four years.
Choice is at stake, as are many civil liberties.
The environment. Gore has always been there. Bush has never been
there.
The economy. Back to tax breaks for the rich and the huge deficits of
the Reagan/Bush years or continue the stable growing economy of the past
eight years?
Back in 1980 the NY Senate race was Elizabeth Holtzman vs Al D'Amato.
Except Jacob Javits, who lost the GOP primary, was still the nominee of
the Liberal Party of NY and stayed in the race for whatever reasons of
vanity. He drained off enough votes from Holtzman and we stuck with
D'Amato as a US Senator, voting for Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia,
etc.
In 1992, Geraldine Ferraro was favored to knock off D'Amato in the fall
election, but in a split primary, Ferraro lost because - guess who -
Elizabeth Holtzman persisted in staying in the primary race for
whatever reasons she had, splitting the vote for a woman nominee and
giving the nomination to a weaker (male) Democrat who lost to D'Amato.
So I am not at all fond of third party candidates who can cost us all
because they stay in.
What does Nader want? Matching funds for the next presidential
election? I am sorry Ralph, but the US Supreme Court and the decisions
it makes in the next four years is a hell of a lot more important to me
than whether you can get matching funds in the next election.
I am not voting for the lesser of two evils. I am voting for the best
of the two viable candidates. It will be Bush or Gore. A vote for
Nader is a vote for Bush. Those who don't like the two major
candidates: did they vote in the primaries? Have they supported
campaign finance reform for real or just in the days before an election?
Is the system corrupt? Yes. Can it be changed if Bush is president and
Nader gets matching funds for the next election? No. Can it be changed
if Gore is president? Maybe. So vote for the chance we have to make
some change.
I am off my soapbox. I know some think we should never discuss
politics. Politics is life and this list is about life so there we
are. Sorry to bore the nonUS citizens and sorry to bore the
nonpolitical amongst us.
(the Rev) Vince
