Editing Ralph Nader (section)

==== 2000 ====
{{Main|Ralph Nader 2000 presidential campaign}}

In the 2006 documentary ''[[An Unreasonable Man]]'', Nader described how he was unable to get the views of his public-interest groups heard in Washington, even by the [[Clinton Administration]]. Nader cited this as one of the primary reasons why he decided to actively run in the [[2000 U.S. presidential election|2000]] election as candidate of the [[Green Party of the United States|Green Party]], which had been formed in the wake of his 1996 campaign.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
[[File:DebateCommissionProtest 2000.JPG|thumb|left|Nader's supporters, with [[Christopher Hitchens]] speaking, protest his exclusion from the televised debates in 2000]]

In June 2000, The Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) organized the national nominating convention that took place in Denver, Colorado, at which Green Party delegates nominated Ralph Nader and [[Winona LaDuke]] to be their party's candidates for president and vice president.<ref>{{cite web |work=Common Dreams Progressive Newswire |date=July 11, 2001 |url=http://www.commondreams.org/news2001/0710-02.htm |title=Green Meeting Will Establish Greens as a National Party |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208092841/http://www.commondreams.org/news2001/0710-02.htm |archive-date=December 8, 2013 |access-date=August 28, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Nelson |first=Susan |work=Synthesis/Regeneration |volume=26 |issue=Fall 2001 |url=http://www.greens.org/s-r/26/26-17.html |title=The G/GPUSA Congress and the ASGP Conference: Authentic Grassroots Democracy vs. Packaged Public Relations |access-date=August 28, 2009 }}</ref>

On July 9, the [[Vermont Progressive Party]] nominated Nader, giving him ballot access in the state.<ref>Ballot Access News (August 1, 2000). {{cite web|url=http://ballot-access.org/2000/0801.html |title=Vermont Progressives Nominate Nader |access-date=October 22, 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021022183249/http://ballot-access.org/2000/0801.html |archive-date=October 22, 2002 }}</ref> On August 12, the [[United Citizens Party]] of South Carolina chose Ralph Nader as its presidential nominee, giving him a ballot line in the state.<ref name="United Citizens Party Picks Nader">(2000-08-01) {{cite web|url=http://ballot-access.org/2000/0901.html |title=United Citizens Party Picks Nader |access-date=August 20, 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020820004727/http://ballot-access.org/2000/0901.html |archive-date=August 20, 2002 }}, Ballot Access News.</ref>

In October 2000, at the largest Super Rally of his campaign,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/100200-02.htm |title=Nader 'Super Rally' Draws 12,000 To Boston's FleetCenter |publisher=Commondreams.org |access-date=May 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418060352/http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/100200-02.htm |archive-date=April 18, 2010 }}</ref> held in New York City's [[Madison Square Garden]], 15,000 people paid $20 each<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/14/nader.ap/index.html |work=CNN |title=Loyal Nader fans pack Madison Square Garden |date=October 14, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202133001/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/14/nader.ap/index.html |archive-date=December 2, 2008 }}</ref> to hear Nader speak. Nader's campaign rejected both parties as institutions dominated by corporate interests, stating that [[Al Gore]] and [[George W. Bush]] were "[[Tweedledee and Tweedledum]]". A long list of notable celebrities spoke and performed at the event including [[Susan Sarandon]], [[Ani DiFranco]], [[Ben Harper]], [[Tim Robbins]], [[Michael Moore]], [[Eddie Vedder]] and [[Patti Smith]]. The campaign also had some prominent union help: The [[California Nurses Association]] and the [[United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America|United Electrical Workers]] endorsed his candidacy and campaigned for him.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.socialistworker.org/2008-1/659/659_07_Nader.shtml |title= Nader, the Greens and 2008 |publisher= Socialistworker.org |date= January 25, 2008 |access-date= May 24, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081204175825/http://www.socialistworker.org/2008-1/659/659_07_Nader.shtml |archive-date= December 4, 2008 }}</ref>

Nader and LaDuke received 2,883,105 votes, for 2.74 percent of the popular vote (third place overall),<ref>{{cite web |url= http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=2000 |title= 2000 Presidential General Election Results |author= David Leip |access-date= January 15, 2016}}</ref> missing the 5 percent needed to qualify the Green Party for federally distributed public funding in the next election, yet qualifying the party for ballot status in many states.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

Nader often openly expressed his hope for Bush's victory over Gore, saying it "would mobilize us",<ref name="Calvo-2000">{{cite news|last1=Calvo|first1=Dana|title=Nader Refuses to Cease Fire on Gore, Bush |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-oct-21-me-40021-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 21, 2000 |access-date=September 19, 2016}}</ref> and that environmental and consumer regulatory agencies would fare better under Bush than Gore.<ref name="Meet the Press">{{cite web|title=Transcript: Ralph Nader on 'Meet The Press'|url=http://commondreams.org/headlines/050800-03.htm|website=Common Dreams|date=August 6, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112182912/http://commondreams.org/headlines/050800-03.htm|archive-date=November 12, 2016}}</ref>  When asked which of the two he'd vote for if forced, Nader answered "Bush ... If you want the parties to diverge from one another, have Bush win."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Heinrichs|first1=Jay|title=Will Ralph Nader become Al Gore's worst nightmare? |url=https://www.outsideonline.com/1837851/ralph-nader-2000-campaign-interview|website=Outside Magazine|date=August 1, 2000}}</ref> As to whether he would feel regret if he caused Gore's defeat, Nader replied "I would not—not at all. I'd rather have a provocateur than an anesthetizer in the White House."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Poundstone|first1=William|title=Gaming the Vote: Why Elections Aren't Fair (and What We Can Do About It) |publisher=Macmillan|url=https://archive.org/details/gamingvotewhyele00poun|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/gamingvotewhyele00poun/page/84 84]|date=February 17, 2009|isbn=978-0-8090-4892-2}}</ref>  On another occasion, Nader answered this question with: "No, not at all ... There may be a cold shower for four years that would help the Democratic Party ... It doesn't matter who is in the White House."<ref name="Meet the Press" />

===== Spoiler controversy =====
In the [[United States presidential election in Florida, 2000|2000 presidential election in Florida]], George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by 537 votes. Nader received {{formatnum:97421}} votes, which led to claims that he was responsible for Gore's defeat. Nader disputes that he helped Bush win.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.votenader.org/why_ralph/index.php?cid=14 |title=Dear Conservatives Upset With the Policies of the Bush Administration |work=Nader for President 2004  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040702033113/http://www.votenader.org/why_ralph/index.php?cid=14 |archive-date=July 2, 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121218925042534249 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |title=Interview: Ralph Nader | first=Tunku | last=Varadarajan | date=May 31, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=Grist |title=Nader on the Record |url=http://www.grist.org/feature/2008/03/19/nader/ |date=March 19, 2008}}</ref> A 2003 study found that Nader's candidacy was a critical factor in Bush's victory.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Magee |first1=Christopher S. P. |title=Third-Party Candidates and the 2000 Presidential Election |journal=Social Science Quarterly |date=September 2003 |volume=84 |issue=3 |pages=574–595 |doi=10.1111/1540-6237.8403006 }}</ref> A 2004 study found that Nader voters had the profile of likely voters with a preference for Democratic candidates.<ref name="Southwell-2004">{{cite journal |last1=Southwell |first1=Priscilla L |title=Nader voters in the 2000 Presidential Election: what would they have done without him? |journal=The Social Science Journal |date=September 1, 2004 |volume=41 |issue=3 |pages=423–431 |doi=10.1016/j.soscij.2004.04.009 |s2cid=144552793 }}</ref> They were therefore likely to vote for Gore over Bush in the absence of Nader's candidacy.<ref name="Southwell-2004" />

A study by Harvard Professor B.C. Burden in 2005 showed Nader did "play a pivotal role in determining who would become president following the 2000 election", but that:

{{blockquote|Contrary to Democrats' complaints, Nader was not intentionally trying to throw the election. A spoiler strategy would have caused him to focus disproportionately on the most competitive states and markets with the hopes of being a key player in the outcome. There is no evidence that his appearances responded to closeness. He did, apparently, pursue voter support, however, in a quest to receive 5% of the popular vote.<ref name="Burden 673–699">{{Cite journal|last=Burden |first=B. C. |author-link=Barry Burden |title=Ralph Nader's Campaign Strategy |journal=American Politics Research |pages=673–699 |date=September 2005 |url=https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/bcburden/web/burden2005.pdf  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713031620/https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/bcburden/web/burden2005.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-13 }}</ref>}}

However, [[Jonathan Chait]] of ''[[The American Prospect]]'' and ''[[The New Republic]]'' notes that Nader did indeed focus on swing states disproportionately during the waning days of the campaign, and by doing so jeopardized his own chances of achieving the 5% of the vote he was aiming for.

{{blockquote|Then there was the debate within the Nader campaign over where to travel in the waning days of the campaign. Some Nader advisers urged him to spend his time in uncontested states such as New York and California. These states – where liberals and leftists could entertain the thought of voting Nader without fear of aiding Bush – offered the richest harvest of potential votes. But, Martin writes, Nader – who emerges from this account as the house radical of his own campaign – insisted on spending the final days of the campaign on a whirlwind tour of battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Florida. In other words, he chose to go where the votes were scarcest, jeopardizing his own chances of winning 5 percent of the vote, which he needed to gain federal funds in 2004.<ref name="prospect1">{{cite web |url=http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=books_in_review_110402 |title=Books in Review: &#124; The American Prospect |publisher=Prospect.org |access-date=2011-01-01 |archive-date=December 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222070928/http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=books_in_review_110402  }}</ref>}}

When Nader, in a letter to environmentalists, attacked Gore for "his role as broker of environmental voters for corporate cash," and "the prototype for the bankable, Green corporate politician," and what he called a string of broken promises to the [[environmental movement]], [[Sierra Club]] president [[Carl Pope (environmentalist)|Carl Pope]] sent an open letter to Nader, dated October 27, 2000, defending Al Gore's environmental record and calling Nader's strategy "irresponsible."<ref>{{cite web |work=knowthecandidates.org |url=http://www.knowthecandidates.org/ktc/NaderSierraC.htm#sierraclubnader |title=The Nader Debate with the Sierra Club about Gore and the Environment }}</ref> He wrote:

{{blockquote|You have also broken your word to your followers who signed the petitions that got you on the ballot in many states. You pledged you would not campaign as a spoiler and would avoid the swing states. Your recent campaign rhetoric and campaign schedule make it clear that you have broken this pledge ... Please accept that I, and the overwhelming majority of the environmental movement in this country, genuinely believe that your strategy is flawed, dangerous and reckless.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pope |first=Carl |date=October 27, 2000 |url=http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/102700-03.htm |title=Ralph Nader Attack On Environmentalists Who Are Supporting Vice-President Gore |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112182906/http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/102700-03.htm |archive-date=2016-11-12 |work=CommonDreams.org }}</ref>}}