I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T
Nader visits Kellogg Center to discuss party, views on Iraq, big business, economy
By Kelly House (Last updated: 09/07/08 10:22pm)During a Sunday visit to the Kellogg Center, independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader took shots at corruption in U.S. big business, which he said Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., are “sweeping under the rug.” Nader said the Detroit automakers are to blame for their own woes and the national government should not bail them out.
“They started out at the top of the pile. Toyota was nothing, Honda was nothing,” Nader said. “Because of the most colossal mismanagement at the top of these corporations we have seen the auto companies in our country driven to the ground.”
Nader spoke to a crowd of about 300 people about his plan to cut military spending, completely withdraw from Iraq, reform health care and replace coal and nuclear power with solar and wind energies.
Nader also advocated increases in federal spending for public programs, infrastructure and education. He said the nation’s military budget, which accounts for about half of federal government spending, should be cut to pay for the programs.
“Once we reduce the bloated military budget there will be plenty of money to be put back into our communities,” he said.
After Nader’s unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2000, he was criticized for spoiling the election by garnering votes that would otherwise have gone to Democratic candidate Al Gore. Nader will be on the ballot in 45 states this November, up from 34 in 2004.
International relations senior Chris Silva, who is a regional coordinator for Nader’s Michigan campaign, said the possibility of taking votes away from a major party candidate should not stop voters from supporting a third party candidate.
“This two-party system has kind of gotten us away from the fact that politics is about helping people and not winning a horse race,” he said. “Your responsibility as a voter isn’t to pick the person who’s going to win the election. It’s to pick the person you feel most comfortable running the country.”
Sneha Goud, a supply chain management senior, said she went into the rally not knowing who she would vote for. By the end of the rally, she had decided on Nader.
Goud said she had hesitated to support Nader because she didn’t want to spoil the election.
“I’m not really enthusiastic about Barack Obama, but I figured he was the lesser of two evils,” she said. “But just listening to Nader talk I finally feel like I’ve made a decision.”
Nader urged audience members to put pressure on the Commission on Presidential Debates to open the debates to all candidates. Currently, a candidate must have support of at least 15 percent of the national electorate to participate. Nader has support from about 6 percent, he said.
According to a recent poll by Lansing research firm EPIC-MRA, 10 percent of Michigan voters favor Nader, who is running on the Natural Law Party ticket in Michigan. The party’s only other candidate in the state is party chairman Doug Dern, who is running for U.S. Senate.
“In Wimbledon, the 60th seed gets a chance to center court,” Nader said. “But in our corrupted American politics, run by two corrupted parties we don’t have a chance to debate.”
Originally Published: 09/07/08 9:48pm
David
09/07/08 10:36pmBest political event I have ever been to!
StoppedReading
09/07/08 10:47pmWhen I read that he advocated replacing coal and nuclear with wind and solar, I knew he didn’t have the intellectual fortitude to say anything even slightly meaningful. I’m an engineer with very rigorous scientific training, especially in power systems, and I will tell you that the claims upon the economics of non-nuclear baseload electrical generation are flat-out lies. No engineer who’s good at math and has done his homework can support non-nuclear non-coal generating capacities in good conscience.
David Switzer
09/07/08 10:55pmThat is absolutely false. Do you know if we built a 100by100 mile wide solar field in Nevada, where you can get very cheap government land, it would power the entire US?
And nuclear power is a disaster. What do you do with the waste? What if you have another Chernobyl?
And Coal power? That is the worst way to produce power I can think of.
If the government would fund Solar and Wind and Hydro power as much as they do coal and nuclear, we would be a green country.
SoCal Spartan
09/08/08 1:10amWe need a combination and the only bad things about the nuclear is the 3-mile or Chernobyl incidents along with that HORRIBLE waste. However, I’ve heard we’ve developed microbes which can consume radioactivity, which sounds flat out trippy!
Next with the solar farms we have the issues related to power lost in the process of transmission, for sure!
...View full comment »
Ohhhhh yeah
09/08/08 9:59amYOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?
David
09/08/08 11:11amNo, I am correct. Look it up. Do you know how big 100×100 miles is? It’s big.
Second, I have never heard an argument against clean, alternative energy, so your strange and outlandish theories are new to me.
Second, how is Nader all about himself? He has spent his entire life working for this country. He took all the money he got from the GM lawsuit to start citizen organizations. He hasn’t gotten married because he spends all his time working to make this country better.
So please, before you go hating on Ralph Nader, actually learn something about him.
SoCal Spartan
09/08/08 11:31amDavid, please give me citations so that I can read up on how one solar cropping yard can power ALL of America. I call your BS on that, give me the research studies which provide that information.
Nader is all about himself by running in trying times. He could align himself with a member of the better party (Obama) and try to initiate his actions and help with the betterment in an overall way.
...View full comment »
SoCal Spartan
09/08/08 11:34amI left out the 10,000 square mile or 6,399,999.999 9 acre solar crop field. Please also explain how you’ll link the grids, and if it was where 100% of the power came from…what happens if it’s attacked by terrorists? We have multiple plants for security purposes, OMG!
David
09/08/08 11:42amI read it in a book. They did not have all these tiny details. The point is, we have a huge opportunity with alternative energy, and we need to invest more in than we are with nuclear and coal.
Ralph Nader would never run as a major party candidate, because the two major parties are corrupt beyond repair. They are completely run by corporations, and there is almost no difference between them. The major corporations donate to both parties equally, so they win either way.
You may be happy voting for one of two people out of the entire population, but I am not, and I won’t stop fighting for third parties.
Matt Staples
09/08/08 12:01pmWow, the ignorance here is amazing, if your going to yell at david about sourcing his facts, perhaps you should substantiate your own, instead of making open ended claims about being an engineer and such. Furthermore, this pigeon-holed sort of thought about joining up and being a part of a party is why our country is in the trouble it is. We, as americans, have been choosing between the lesser of two evils for too long.
...View full comment »
Bill Lumberg
09/08/08 1:16pmI am all for third parties, but Nader has done nothing for this country.
SoCal Spartan
09/08/08 1:23pmAll I’ve got to say is we need the price of gas to keep getting higher, and America will put it’s intellect into the research of bettering the system. I know I have no citations to argue the point of solar not doing it all. We need to figure it out far more, and America running in the two party system sucks! I hate that there is not extra parties that are widely supported. But those parties don’t get covered by the whack media, and it’s a sad situation.
...View full comment »
Matt Staples
09/08/08 1:54pmSaying nader has never done anything for this country might be one of the most ignorant statements i’ve ever heard in my entire life. I’ll provide a short list
-Seatbelts
-Government safety standards for cars
-Clean Air Act
-Clean Water Act
-Freedom of Information Act
-Bringing consumer advocacy to the forefront
-Making major parties incorporate environmental issues
-Reviving the 3rd party in america
-organized more than 100 civic organizations
-Food and drug safety
-Worker rights
Mr. Lumberg, I’m curious to what you’ve ever done to help this country on that scale?
...View full comment »
Matt Staples
09/08/08 2:02pmwhile i would agree that the rising price of oil is a valuable catalyst in forming new, renewable energy policy, i would disagree that the rising price of gas is a good thing. While it is truly sad that our economy relies on oil, it is an unarguable fact. The rising price of gasoline is crippling our economy and nation. We need to research ways to become less oil independent and implement them with all due haste, which will help to lower oil prices which are crippling the average person in america.
...View full comment »
Bill Lumberg
09/08/08 2:34pmMatt, I will post a more intelligent and empirical opinion once I finish reading all the substantive information you have linked supporting your claims on Nader’s achievements. Oh wait, you did not post anything other then a list with no backing whate so ever I guess I can do the same. My short list of what I have done to help this country:
- Made it possible for pigs to fly – Helped man walk on water – Invented the internet (Al Gore was lying when he said he did it) – Created chocolate milk cows – Developed the numeric system
Pretty impressive isn’t it!
matt staples
09/08/08 3:03pmI didn’t think I needed to source historical fact but consider reading a history book.
Bill Lumberg
09/08/08 3:23pmThere is nothing “fact” about your post Matt, which is why you can’t source any of your Nader claims.
SoCal Spartan
09/08/08 3:27pmYeah it’s not a fact because you say it’s a fact. So pull up some citations like you would do in a research paper and throw them at us. That is like Al Gore saying he invented the internet, watch your words man.
SoCal Spartan
09/08/08 3:28pmPlus I bet there are no history books dedicated to Nader, come on now.
Additionally, sad to say that people like you are one of the reasons that Bush one in 2000. That is aside from law breaking bulls$$t on their part, which they’ll never accept as the truth!
SoCal Spartan
09/08/08 3:29pmPlus I bet there are no history books dedicated to Nader, come on now.
Additionally, sad to say that people like you are one of the reasons that Bush one in 2000. That is aside from law breaking bulls$$t on their part, which they’ll never accept as the truth!
Attempt Reality
09/08/08 3:30pmINCONVENIENT FACT
A huge solar field for national power assumes a national power grid with 0.0001% power loss.
What country is that power grid in? On the planet Celestia? Or Vulcan?
Try using facts. They don’t hurt (much).
What?
09/08/08 3:38pmSoCal Spartan
Last week you were in a law firm, this week you’re an engineer. Wait – I know! You’re a legal engineer! Which we all can deduce by the pathetic misspellings, wrong tenses, vulgar language and outright fabrications of your posts.
AlGore
09/08/08 3:56pmWhat are you talking about? I DID invent the internet. And “Love Story” was written by Eric Segal to memorialize the love between Tipper & I (can’t quite reconcile the ending though). Remember what Uncle Adie said? The bigger the lie, the more believable it is. As long as there are liberal twits to help us, we can all imagine the Pollyanna vision of colorful windmills twirling away in the sun (why don’t we add solar panels to their rotating blades?) powering the USA with no adverse affects to the Spotted Owl. With the combination of technologies on one whirly-gig, we could probably poer Mexico too, and SoCal Spartan can feel better about his beaner economy.
matt staples
09/08/08 4:05pmthere are people honestly debating whether or not it is fact that ralph nader is the reason for auto safety, has anyone ever heard of the book unsafe at any speed. More importantly, there might not be a history book devoted to ralph nader, but i guarantee there are many references to him in them. But just to placate all of you semantic driven people who argue over language instead of points, i will now fully substantiate all of those claims
Seatbelts ^ Mickey Z.
...View full comment »
Matt Staples
09/08/08 4:09pmhere is a page with substantial details on all his legislative efforts over the years, which is published by PBS, and before there are any claims about bias, There have been 0 stories on public broadcast news about his candidacy in 08, and that is straight from our national campaign office.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/unreasonableman/activist.html
One Word.
09/08/08 4:18pmBurn.
And Bill, I know that you’re an educated Republican. If this is your attempt to make a strong third party candidate (and third party voter) feel bad because of McCain/Palin. Not cool.
David
09/08/08 4:18pmBill. Your posts are laughable. In your opinion, nothing anyone says can ever be stated as fact. Facts are not even facts.
If you are denying that Ralph Nader did any of these things, then you are obviously illiterate.
If you wish me to create a picture-book with the legislation he passed, please shoot me an email.
Minneapolis Alumna
09/08/08 5:51pmRalph Nader will not win the 2008 presidential election. That is the reality. Whether you are an idealist or a cynic, voting for Nader is a selfish act. Perhaps, in that sacred moment when you vote your precious conscience, you will be a hero in your own mind, but boosting your self-esteem thus is a luxury that our nation cannot afford.
I am arguing in favor of reality-based voting. Take a look at the realities that are facing real working people in our nation. Ask someone—perhaps a teacher or a construction worker—if he thinks those bumper stickers that say “I voted Nader in 2000 and I’m sorry” are funny.
Ralph Nader
09/08/08 5:52pmWhat is this? I come to your town and your bush-league school paper puts a horrible pop lyric reference as my headline?! When I lose this election and come back for 2012, I’ll give Spartan Weekly exclusive rights.
Boosie
09/08/08 6:06pmHe cook, He clean, always smell like onion rings.
David
09/08/08 10:47pmVoting for Nader is a selfish act? So I have to force myself to vote for either McCain or Obama? Those are my two choice?
Hmm Pass.
J. Edward Tremlett
09/08/08 10:48pm(applauds matt)
Bill, you have been pwned from on high. Get thee back to American history class, and this time learn something.
That said, Nader’s run for President in 2000 did no one any good at all. He’s going to have to work like mad from here on out to get that bad taste out of America’s mouth.
SoCal Spartan
09/09/08 1:33amFYI for the What? idiot: It is quite presumptive of you to decide what I am or am not. I wish I was omniscient like you, read that I said I had a source for the piece of trash running mate McCain chose. I then managed to speak of self as an engineer, because I am. That being said, it is one of the reasons I’ve got trouble writing perfectly when I’m on the fly between design work in the office.
Just so you know the equation:
Friend=Lawyer who gave me laundry list for the trash bag
SoCal Spartan=Engineer, the one who has attained some good scientific knowledge from the sciences studied in undergrad and graduate education.