I've been making an argument about Nader for a bit, but I just went and got the numbers for it from http://www.fec.gov .
Anyhow the argument is that in 2000, Nader took 1.4% of the eligible voters. Exit polls show that Nader got more votes from people who would have voted for Bush or who wouldn't have voted than who would have voted for Gore if he hadn't run. Anyhow, he took 1.4% of eligible voters. 48.7% of eligible voters did not vote. The eligible voters who did not vote are, as a group, poorer than people who do vote. In fact, if you add Nader's voters to the people who did not vote, it comes out to 50.1% - about half of the people in the US. Now, out of this half of Americans who did not vote for the Democrat, the Democratic leadership can try to bring the 48.7% into the process by appealing to their needs, and maybe even letting them run the party (aren't the party members supposed to run the party?). Or, they can waste a lot of breath, and a lot of time typing on the keyboard trying to kill of the <3% or so of this group who do go out and vote (but not for their guy) and whine and complain and so on and so forth.
Nothing can show me what's going on in the DLC, DNC rather, mind then this attempt to alienate, or at least ignore, the 48.7% of people who do note vote, and in stead spend a great deal of time and effort trying to quash a progressive candidate who is not a DLC member like Kerry. I just have to look at the San Francisco mayor race which Z magazine had an article on last issue. It looked like a progressive Green might win (he almost did) to a millionaire Democrat who ran on a kick the homeless off the streets campaign and got more votes from Republicans than Democrats (the majority of whom voted for the Green, Gonzalez). For this election every name Democrat in the state and country was flown in to kill off the left-wing insurgency, including Gore and even Bill Clinton (one Gonzalez guy said "who is next, the pope?"). Why are they wasting all that time and effort killing off a left wing challenge, why aren't they spending that time and effort in close races against Republicans? If you look at what is going on and the numbers it is very interesting.
As far as using fear to vote for Kerry: the reality is the scary thing is not Bush may win, but that 48.7% of the population is alienated from the political process. One of the reasons this is so is the Democratic party does not want their input, will not fill their needs, and...well, it's very obvious.
-- Lance