Ralph Nader

This morning Ralph Nader kicked off his 3rd Presidential bid on Meet the Press. Here's my confession...the last two presidential elections I voted for Nader. I can hear the eyes roll already...Why, you may ask? Those much older and wiser then me usually laugh when I tell them...they have a longer history with Nader. Some think he is "out there" on some issues...some think he is an egomaniac - self absorbed - thinking more highly of himself then any person should. Fine...that may or may not be true...I don't really know. What I do know is 8 years ago I heard him on Meet the Press and I was blown away. He talked about real issues...he talked substance...he talked about things I really care about and think every Christian should care about. He talked about a living wage, about supporting small businesses in the face of corporate power, about working to ensure that abortion is no longer necessary (not just illegal), he talked about health care. I found myself agreeing with his take on the Republican / Democrat "duopoly". Bush / Gore? Was there really a choice? Bush / Kerry? McCain / Clinton? Choice? The two parties used to represent ideological differences that represented a choice...but now you could take the soundbites from one candidate and put them in the mouths of the others, and no one would notice.

I remember when Bill Clinton was elected president. My mom was worried...told me to pray for our country. But was anything really different? Did policies drastically change? Bush was the savior...and to many he still is. But what changed? I remember driving from Des Moines to Pella recently and seeing sign that said: "Vote Life. Vote Republican." Immediately I thought of the thousands of men and women who have died in Iraq and the tens of thousand Iraqis who have died...and for a moment I wanted to commit righteous vandalism. Pro Life? War? Death Penalty? Give me a break!

What attracts me to Nader are his ideas...ideas that the main candidates refuse to discuss for fear of being labeled. It's a frantic race to the middle - especially in this election. A Nader candidacy means ideas might just have a place in the election. Look - even Nader knows he will not win...but what he talked about this morning is how most social revolutions in this country's history have been instigated by third parties who forced the two major parties to engage the

issues. This is the importance of a Nader presidential bid. As a Christian concerned with issues of justice, and as someone who believes the Christian community should be pro life from

the womb to the tomb, I welcome the news of Nader's

presidential campaign. Maybe this will mean fewer soundbites, less rhetorical gymnastics, and more discussion of real issues. But this will only happen if they let him play...

www.votenader.org