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"Unreasonable Man" will be Negligible Presence in high-stakes 2008 Campaign

Most countries in the world would have elected Ralph Nader years ago. He has a record of legislative accomplishment that would embarrass even the most successful members of Congress. Like the security of having seat belts in your car? They would not be there if not for "Unsafe at any Speed," Nader's award-winning work on automobile safety. Add to that his relentless activism which culminated in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. Hillary Clinton champions herself the most experienced progressive candidate in the race. But her resume pales next to Ralph Nader's four decades of looking out for the little guy-never afraid to fight the entrenched corporate interests that dominate American politics. It is understandable why the perennial candidate is unconcerned about taking votes from the Democrats. The more liberal of the two major parties has acted as if Ralph Nader were a pariah, rather than a prize endorsement to be sought by any serious candidate. Driven out by Washington liberals, he chooses to make his appeal directly to the people.

Conventional wisdom has it wrong in thinking George Bush owes his 2000 electoral victory to Nader. All credit goes to Al Gore, who ran a dreadful campaign in a year when Democrats retaining the White House was viewed with virtual certainty. Bill Clinton defeated Bob Dole in Florida with ease in 1996. Even counting Jewish votes Gore mysteriously lost to Pat Buchanan, there should have been tens of thousands more in a state which prospered wildly under the Clinton administration. Ralph Nader may be the force in consumer protection advocacy, but he is small potatoes when it comes to national elections. In the dismal history of third-party presidential candidates, Nader is not even among the top five, except in the number of times he has run unsuccessfully (1992, 1996, 2000 , 2004).

Eight years ago Ralph Nader received 2.7% of the popular vote. In 2004 he performed far worse, with less than one-half of one percent of Americans casting ballots on his behalf. The lost votes were attributed to big issues then facing the country, not least of which were the war in Iraq and looming threat of radical Islamic terrorism. Mr. Nader will struggle to get more votes in 2008 with what appears to be strong candidates on both sides. The vast majority

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