Perhaps--indeed, under a social and political conjuncture in which he did have a serious chance our choices would have vastly more significance and I, for one, would be looking for a very different sort of representation. But, for a left opposition whose effect can at best be extremely marginal, programmatic considerations should be decisive. Sincerely or not, Nader and Camejo are presenting an entirely acceptable programmatic alternative to the duopolists.
>
>But I have a question for you, Shane. What you wrote the other night
>had me mulling it over all day yesterday. Even considering pulling a
>lever for someone else besides Kerry here in FL. I wouldn't be
>caught dead voting for Nader so I might simply abstain or vote for
>Joe's dog. At any rate, you pointed out that you thought Shrubya had
>been abandoned and, thus, it's likely Kerry will win.
>
>I disagree with your assessment. I still think it's Shrubya's to
>lose b/c of the EC. As far as I can see, his support isn't wavering.
Ubu lost in 2000. Lost closely enough to steal it from a candidate determined to lose by hook or by crook, but lost. After 3.5 years of failure upon failure, how can his support be untouched? In fact everything, from the success of F911 to the open dissent from the "intelligence community" (tonight on BBC World I saw a disguised figure described as "a senior serving US intelligence official" describe his Iraq policy as an unmitigated disaster) to the impending criminal charges against some of his senior operatives in the Valerie Plame scandal, to the financial parity given to the Dumbocrats by big contributors, to the unprecedented partisanship of a serious capitalist institution like the NYTimes, to the unprecedented spectacle of the "Vice President" (the de facto president) losing it on the Senate floor--all this tells me that Ubu and Dickhead have been dumped, especially the latter. I expect Powell to take over (de facto) the Republicon ticket--and he might even win enough Black support to make the election close, but the price Ubu would have to pay for any chance at another four-year lease on the West Wing would be acceptance of a figurehead role in a "bipartisan" administration totally unlike Dickhead's.
>
>Be that as it may, what is the point of voting Nader? You seemed to
>suggest it was to send a message to the Demlicans. What message? Why
>will they listen?
I don't especially call for voting for Nader (unless "Nader" is synecdoche for any left-wing alternative candidate). Between the two, I would probably vote for Cobb. The point is that the message is to our future selves--that the electoral strength of the opposition is marginally more than if we would have abstained or cast wasted votes for the Dumbocrats.
Shane Mage
"Thunderbolt steers all things...It consents and does not consent to be called Zeus."
Herakleitos of Ephesos