# Did you vote for Nader? If so, why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356 "2004-11-06T16:12:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/1 "2004-11-06T16:12:54Z")
Equal time and all. Poor fellow only got 400,000 votes. Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/2 "2004-11-07T01:04:00Z")
I’m not holding my breath for any replys. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/3 "2004-11-07T01:13:27Z")
Just like Nader. Ba-da-BOOM! Sorry, Ralph. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/4 "2004-11-07T01:30:54Z")
I know someone who voted for Nader. Yeah, really. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/5 "2004-11-07T03:58:38Z")
(condensed version) I like Libertarians. I think a Lib system would be to the benefit of all. However, the current system is so damn screwy that trying to transition to even a mild Lib system would be disasterous and ruin the prospects of a Lib government at any point in the future. I also think the proper way to institute a Lib system would be from the ground up: once cities and counties got their act together, capital that formerly flowed to them from the state gov. could be used to get the states in working order. Once they’re relatively self-sufficient, the federal government could use the freed-up cash to get the trains running on time (as it were) and Nader, however, would be a good start to transition. Fixing corruption/croneyism, etc. (insomuch as is possible), going back to the Founding Father’s idea of not making a mess abroad and fixing up the infrastructure would allow a much better environment for the Libs to come about. Of course, there’s also the possibility that everything would run smoothly and that’s cool too. Yeah, it’s theoretical, yeah, it’s pie-in-the-sky, holier-than-thou and makes a lot of assumptions, but so was thinking that Kerry was a worthwhile candidate. Tear it apart if you will. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/6 "2004-11-07T04:03:39Z")
um,. Nader was Not a Liberatarian. Hey, did he get more votes than Badnarik?? If so, I demand a recount! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/7 "2004-11-07T04:11:36Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > Nader, however, would be a good start to transition. Maybe in the past, Nader would have been a good person to bring down the two-party system. I voted for him in 2000 as a matter of fact, partly out of disgust for the two-party system, partly because he had a lot of smart ideas. But now he doesn’t even have a platform, he’s only running because of spite. His own party wouldn’t even run him this time around. Michael Moore’s right, the dude’s off his rocker. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/8 "2004-11-07T04:38:53Z")
Nader voter here. Reasons: 1. I’d like to see a viable third party. 2. Lurch and Duh-by both disgusted me. Unlike 2000 Nader wasn’t on a lot of state ballots this time. Really cut into his tally. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/9 "2004-11-07T06:02:24Z")
Sandy, not to criticize, but why did you vote for Nader over another third party candidate (such as David Cobb)? ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/10 "2004-11-07T06:33:54Z")
> [@vanilla](#): > > um,. Nader was Not a Liberatarian. Try reading my post again. **CE** : As opposed to Kerry who ran for…lack of anything better to do? I was continually surprised at how often the Dems claimed to be fighting for whatever and then watching the debates &c. it struck me as interesting how they either a) didn’t respond to anything in particular (see my earlier post of "ask me a question and I will avoid it like a presidential candidate) or didn’t take the easy opportunities to put Cheney or Bush in their place. In fact, as far as I could tell, their entire platform was run on saying, “The Reps are running a campaign playing on your fear of terrorism. They have no real plan. Our campaign is playing on your fear of Bush. We have no real plan besides that. Oh, we might order more flu shots or something.” Tepid, tepid, tepid. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-vote-for-nader-if-so-why/273356/11 "2004-11-07T07:14:21Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > **CE** : As opposed to Kerry who ran for…lack of anything better to do? Fair enough. True, Kerry was a pretty weak candidate. I voted for him, but I’m not going to pretend I didn’t because he wasn’t Bush. I just think that Nader, who I used to really respect, has turned into a crackpot. The fact that the Green Party wasn’t willing to run him says a lot about where his mind’s been these last few years. I saw Nader on CNN recently where he flat-out said that the only reason he was running was to show people there was somebody else on the ballot besides the two major parties. If you look at his website, it’s basically all anti-Dem and Pub stuff; even the official Nader T-shirt just has a picture of a donkey and elephant with a no sign through them. It’s a good thing to be against the two-party system, but it seems like that’s his _only_ message anymore. I want more of a message than that. I like third parties, I’ll probably vote again for third parties for President, but I want to vote for somebody who stands for something other than “hey, I’m not a Democrat or Republican, vote for me.” Off the subject, here’s what the Onion had to say about Ralph’s campaign: > [@](#): > > **Nader Supporters Blame Electoral Defeat On > Bush, Kerry** > WASHINGTON, DC—Supporters of presidential candidate Ralph Nader blamed his defeat Tuesday on George W. Bush and John Kerry, claiming that the two candidates “ate up” his share of the electoral votes. “This election was stolen out from under Mr. Nader by Bush and Kerry, who diverted his votes to the right and the left,” Nader campaign manager Theresa Amato said. “It’s an outrage. If Nader were the only candidate, he would be president right now.” In his concession speech, Nader characterized Bush and Kerry as spoilers.