Ralph, You Lost Me

Forty-five Americans, including me, hailing from long records in environmental, labor, civil rights, education, healthcare, communications and the arts, have sent a letter to nearly 200 distinguished liberals and progressives inviting them to form a slate of six candidates, registered as Democrats, to participate in some 20 state primaries, starting with Iowa and New Hampshire, and take the debate on the redirection of our country to President Obama.

The very nature of the slate would not be to defeat him. It is to press him to publicly pay attention to the fundamental principles and agendas that represent the modest soul of the Democratic party, before corporate money became so dominant in its campaign treasuries some 30 years ago.
~ from Obama Must Face Meaningful Democratic Primaries by Ralph Nader ~

Ralph and I go back a bit. Since the 1960s, he's been one of my heroes. As State Treasurer of Oregon's Green Party in 2000, I worked tirelessly promoting the Nader/LaDuke ticket for the presidency. When push comes to shove, I usually come down on Nader's side. But not THIS time.

It would be one thing if Nader was trying to recruit a Democratic challenger to go toe-to-toe with Obama for the party's nomination in 2012. That candidate (or candidates) might not have a bona fide chance, but that person (or persons) would be running to win. It's an altogether different scenario if, at the very outset, the candidate isn't trying to win and, in fact, wants the opponent to be the victor.

If the incumbent KNOWS this game plan from the start, there is no reason in the world for Obama to take the "opponent" seriously. He smartly would duck any type of real debate because all a debate would do is make Obama look bad! If this paper opponent took Obama to task for his many broken campaign pledges of '08, it only would make Obama look like any other self-serving politician and certainly wouldn't help his chances in the general election.

Sorry, Ralph, but you've lost me on this one!