Ralph Nader will always have a place in Republicans' hearts for his yeoman work in Florida in 2000. But Democrats and the MSM apparently aren't looking so kindly on the hard-left crusader. Consider this comment from CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider [file photo] on this morning's Late Edition, commenting on Nader's announcement on today's Meet the Press that he was again running for president.
JOHN KING: Is there a niche for Ralph Nader that could actually have an impact on the race?
BILL SCHNEIDER: It's a disappearing niche. In 2000 when he ran, he got about 2.8 million votes. In 2004, he got fewer than half a million votes. I imagine anyone left who's going to vote for Ralph Nader are probably people who wouldn't vote if Ralph Nader weren't running. They're the real die-hard. He really has gone over the past eight years, back in 1996 as a green candidate. He's gone from being a revered, national icon to something of a public nuisance.
Revered by whom? Nuisance to whom?
Aside: Note this intriguing statement by Nader about Obama, made during his MTP appearance: "He was pro-Palestinian when he was in Illinois before he ran for the state Senate. Now he's, he's supporting the Israeli destruction of the tiny section called Gaza."
Makes you wonder what other controversial positions Obama might have taken back in his community-activist days. His Dem primary opponents presumably didn't have much interest in disinterring them, since they would only reinforce Obama's image as a true "progressive." But the general election is a different kettle of fish. It's a fair bet that even as we speak Republicans are hard at work combing through the Obama record.
