According to http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/10/28/stocks/index.html and http://www.realchange.org/nader.htm , Ralph Nader is a hypocrite, owning hundreds of thousands of dollars in Occidental Petroleum and not allowing workers at the Nader-founded Multinational Monitor to form a union. How might this affect his candidacy and his credibility in the eyes of his supporters?
Has Ralph Nader become the lesser of three evils?
I have heard it reported that he donates a ridiculous percentage of the money he makes to charity. He also lives fairly modestly for a man with all his money.
I hope a die-hard Naderite will come in here and set the record straight, but I can’t blame him for investing smartly if he uses the money he makes to advance the causes he believes in.
I was a die-hard Naderite until I read that he wouldn’t allow his workers to form a union. Now I’m not so sure. If I could vote, I’d still vote him over Bush and Gore, though. The stock bit is excusable. I just read something else where he said that he uses the stocks for power at the shareholders’ meetings.
He has given away over 80% of his money to charity.
Based on what I’ve read, I’d classify Nader fairly low on the hypocrite-o-meter, especially compared to Al Gore and The Shrub. So he owns some questionable stocks and he’s an asshole to his employees. So what? Oh yeah, and he’s a hypochondriac. Big deal! You don’t see people holding Bush and Gore to such high standards. They get off pretty easily because everybody expects them to be disingenuous bastards.
The whole point in voting for Nader is to reject the ridiculous personality contest masquerading as an election. It’s not like he’s going to get elected or anything!
–Caliban
Jello, though is the union actually necessary?
A big part of the Greens’ platform is for workers’ rights: unions, more pay, livable wages, more benefits, etc. That’s why I was surprised when I read the realchange.org link. If I could vote, I’d still vote for Nader, but I found it odd that he’s not the squeaky-clean person who’s a step above the rest. (Maybe I’m too much of an idealist) He’s still much better than Gush and Bore, no doubt about that.
I think it’s damn important! It means, he’s like, oh yeah, I support unions. However, as long as I can treat my workers like shit…etc etc…
I’m sorry, I saw it as VERY relevant. If he supports unions-why doesn’t he allow his own workers to form one?
Wonder what vanilla has to say about this… 
So what you’re saying is that Nader doesn’t really like unions?
Cool. Another reason to support him.
I’m still worried whether he would work well with Congress. He has never struck me as being much of a team player…
I’ve read that site before. I don’t believe all of what the guy is saying, I’d like tos ee some cites.
Do small organizations that small really need a union?
I don’t see where he’s living luxuriously, either.
No candidate is above detractors.
Yesterday, I joined with a few of my fellow greens handing out literature at the Browns stadium before the game. First hing I ever did politically. First time I ever wanted to do anything for a candidate.
One other unpleasant fact about mr. Nader:
he plays it cool-he owns almost nothing himself (this basically makes him immune from actions of tort). He lives in a house that is owned by his sister, and draws no salary from his organization (but a SUBSTANTIAL expense account). So the guy is almost judgement proof-he can sue any organization he wants-but nobody will ever get a nickel out of Ralph.
Plus, he owns a lot of things through straw mwn, and thus is able to avoid paying income taxes.
And that’s why I have lost so much respect for him. He has cynically taken advantage of a lot of people who need to trust a candidate, and his arrogance and sanctimoniousness has drawn them like a mound of shite draws flies.
I want to trust a candidate, too. I really want to be able to put my hopes for the future of my country in an honest, wise, and responsible individual. But Nader is not my man. He has perpetuated some pretty serious lies, has invested his money in corporate concerns that he opposes, and has horribly misrepresented the crisis in the Middle East to the point that his followers have said, “don’t worry about his views on Israel and Palestine. He won’t get elected, anyway.”
These are the same people that are trying to tell progressives to vote according to their consciences!
Nader is just not my man.
MR
I also have read the allusions at realchange.org and, assuming they are true (they give sources for their allegations) I will admit that they reflect unfavourably on Ralph Nader. However, I am voting for him, not because I expect him to be perfect, but because I believe that his party platform best represents my views. As I mentioned in another thread, you can find inconsistencies and unsavoury behaviour in almost anyone’s past. I am not going to succumb to the cynical position of stating “they’re all crooks” and refusing to vote at all.