A mere two days after the election this November, Ralph Nader will be speaking at Burns Back Court. Arrive early, as seats will surely go quickly!

Ralph Nader

Doors open at 7 pm at Burns Back Court. A book signing will follow. Naders books are available at the LMU bookstore.

Vice President Gena Gammie got an opportunity to talk with Ralph Nader. Read on to find out what how many times he’s ran for president, who his favorite philosopher is, and what he thinks of the Green Party…

Gena Gammie: What has been the most interesting or unexpected experience you
have had while campaigning?

Ralph Nader: The extent of political bigotry demonstrated by national, public
TV networks and mainstream media against third party and independent
candidates. As long as the media remains unchallenged by small third
party groups, there will be no great new ideas and very little choice
for voters. Our system will remain anything but a competitive
democracy. All of the great new ideas have come from small,
third-party groups: abolition of slavery, women’s rights to vote,
social security, and healthcare reform. That was probably the most
unpleasant experience that I was surprised by in running for
President.

GG: It surprised you?

RN: Well, I expected some of it. I didn’t expect it to mean two
articles in six months in the New York Times, two articles in six
months in the Wall Street Journal, and one article in the Style page
of the Post. We are the major independent, third party ticket!

GG: Why did you choose to run as an Independent candidate rather than
a member of the Green Party this year?

RN: The Green Party is so unorganized; it cannot even provide matching
funding for Cynthia McKinney. The Party drives out good greens who
cannot stand the bickering and infighting in the party. We wanted to
give voters an independent choice on the ballot—in California, we’re
running under the Peace and Freedom Party.

GG: What do you think you have accomplished in your three runs for President?

RN: We’ve brought a lot of people into clean politics. The mayor of
Richmond, California, Gayle McLaughlin, was a volunteer in 2000. We’re
holding high the progressive agenda that is not on the table for the
corporate candidates, Obama and McCain. You know, the corporate
interests are invested in Obama—he’s their man!

GG: How do you respond to those who say your candidacy in 2000
contributed to Al Gore’s loss and, therefore, the beginning of George
W. Bush’s presidency?

RN: It’s a false reading of history. Gore doesn’t blame the Green
party, he blames the thieves who took it from him before, during and
after Election Day. It started with Jeb Bush in Florida, all the way
up to the Supreme Court justices deciding to give it to Bush. The
Democrats want to scapegoat the Greens… It’s quite clear that there
are many independent ways that the election should have been a
landslide—Gore could have started by winning his home state of
Tennessee! And if the Democrats had learned from 2000 they could have
prevented the loss in Ohio in 2004.

GG: One last question, before we have to go: George W. Bush said his
favorite philosopher is Jesus. Who is yours?

RN: I have too many. Alfred North Whitehead’s a good one. Bertrand
Russell. Thomas Paine. And John Dewey.