Posted: February 23, 2004
(Washington, D.C.) The entry into the 2004 presidential campaign of Ralph Nader gives LGBT voters a broader choice, but many gay civil rights groups are concerned it could result in another term for George W. Bush.
Nader announced Sunday he would make a fourth run for the White House, this time as an independent, four years after his populist Green Party bid helped tip the presidency to George W. Bush.
Nader said his candidacy would offer an alternative to Republicans and Democrats but would focus on ousting the incumbent.
He said he would support same-sex marriage, calling it an issue of civil rights. Senator John Kerry, the Democratic frontrunner is opposed to gay marriage, opposes amending the Constitution to bar same-sex unions, and would support civil unions. President Bush opposes both gay marriage and civil unions and has all but endorsed amending the constitution.
Neither the Human Rights Campaign nor GLAAD was prepared to comment Monday morning. "We may have something to say later in the day," HRC's Mark Shields told 365Gay.com Monday morning.
But, Democrats are clearly worried. Nader is seen as the spoiler who denied Al Gore the presidency in 2000.
And while his support of same-sex marriage may on its own be appealing to many gay voters the question remains if that is enough to warrant voting for him with the knowledge he stands virtually no chance of winning.
"He going to go nowhere," said 365Gay.com political columnist Michelangelo Signorile. "It's the last gaff of an egomaniac."
Without the Green Party's help, Nader will face major hurdles just to get his name on the ballot in many states.
Last week a major study of voters showed that an exceptionally high number of gays and lesbians will head to the polls this November. (<http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/02/021804gayVote.htm>)
The survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive, found that 56 percent of respondents who identified themselves as gay ranked "equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans" as one of the top three issues in the 2004 elections.
Openly gay, lesbian and bisexual voters comprise at least 5% of the vote in national elections, according to Voter News Service data gathered from 1996 to 2000. The gay vote is even more important in Democratic primaries, where it accounts for an estimated 10% of the vote.