# Let's say Nader croaks before the election **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 17, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-nader-croaks-before-the-election/264795 "2004-09-17T04:04:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-nader-croaks-before-the-election/264795/1 "2004-09-17T04:04:40Z")
Note to Mods: I am _not_ wishing death upon Nader, at least not on this forum. But… If Nader were to die in, say, the first week of October… Would that guarantee a Kerry victory as Nader voters _en masse_ switched their votes to Kerry or would there be little to no effect because Nader voters would stay home? Explain your reasoning and show your work. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-nader-croaks-before-the-election/264795/2 "2004-09-17T04:12:25Z")
_What_ Nader voters? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-nader-croaks-before-the-election/264795/3 "2004-09-18T07:12:20Z")
I would speculate that a significant number of former Nader supporters would switch their allegiance to Michael Badnarik or Walt Brown or some other third party candidate. I’m guessing any Nader voter who was considering switching to Kerry would have done so by now. The ones who are left are the ones who want to go through the motions of participating in democracy while avoiding the stigma of actually voting for a candidate who’ll get elected. ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-nader-croaks-before-the-election/264795/4 "2004-09-18T19:09:25Z")
I agree with **Little Nemo** except that voting for someone who won’t win isn’t just “going through the motions”. I don’t see any great upswing for Kerry because there are other alternatives such as David Cobb, the standard bearer for us Greens. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-nader-croaks-before-the-election/264795/5 "2004-09-18T20:39:26Z")
everyone would be really sad. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-nader-croaks-before-the-election/264795/6 "2004-09-18T22:16:32Z")
um, the quixotes would switch their votes to Jimmy Carter? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-nader-croaks-before-the-election/264795/7 "2004-09-18T22:19:44Z")
I think it would help Kerry some, & the Greens some.