The Ralph Nader Reader, by Ralph Nader, Oct. 1, 2000


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BOOK REVIEW by OnTheIssues.org:

This book contains a collection of published essays and speech transcripts by Ralph Nader in the period 1959 through 1999. Yes, you read that right -- 1959 -- Nader has been in public life for nearly a half-century now. We'll get to the ramifications for his 2008 presidential run later, but first we'll review the book.

And that brings us to the political consideration. Democrats and Republicans alike hate Nader -- Democrats, because Nader costs them elections; and Republicans, because Nader represents all the wrong policy choices. So, if he's hated by both sides, why does Nader run? As a political activist, I've thought about that question a lot, over many years, and will provide a policy answer below and then a psychological answer in another review.

I think Nader ran for president in 1996 and then 2000 because he saw that his policy accomplishments were at risk. His stated core issue was about the corporatization of American politics -- that big business funded major-party candidates, who then catered to the needs of big business after they got elected. All of Nader's accomplishments focus on empowering individuals over the empowerment of big business and big government -- so the way to make his life's work last longer would be to attack the corporate forces that oppose the agencies he caused to be founded. Nader's much-maligned characterization of the two major party's candidates in 2000 as "Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee" meant that it was just a matter of WHICH big businesses funded the party in question; they were "the same", in Nader's view, in being beholden to corporate interests.

To some extent, Nader accomplished his purpose in 2000. Corporate issues, lobbying, campaign reform, and their related issues are now a solid part of the American political dialogue, even if the third-party candidates who most loudly espouse those views are not. FOIA is permanent despite the Bush Administration's dislike of it; the EPA has Cabinet rank; no one questions OSHA and plenty of people question NAFTA. Nader's legacy will assuredly live on for many decades to come.

Nader explores his rationale for running in 2000 -- as well as insight for his runs in 2004 and 2008 -- in his political book, Crashing the Party.

-- Jesse Gordon, jesse@OnTheIssues.org, April 2008

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