Nader campaigns in Central New York
News10now – Time Warner Cable
Bill Carey
October 18th, 2008
http://news10now.com/Default.aspx?ArID=126243
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Ralph Nader came to Syracuse, not expecting to ignite a voter rebellion, but hoping to get more voters to think. Nader is again seeking the presidency as an independent candidate, but still finding himself shut out of major events like the presidential debates.
"The only way to reach tens of millions of people is to get on the presidential debates, which is a private company, controlled by the republican and democratic parties. If I was on those debates, it would be a three way race," said Nader.
Nader's platform is different than those of the two major parties. The biggest difference may be in the approach to the economic crisis. Rather than bailouts, Nader favors a crackdown on the companies involved in the meltdown.
"Corporate crooks, who so enriched themselves and so engaged in conflicts of interests, that they tanked their own banks and brokerage houses, unemployed hundreds of thousands of people, throwing New York City into a recession, while they jumped ship into a golden lifeboat. And now they want the taxpayers, who had nothing to do with this crime spree on Wall Street, to bail them out," Nader said.
The independent candidate argues that American voters, hearing different approaches to such issues from himself or other candidates, like Green Populist congressional hopeful Howie Hawkins, would begin to change the system.
There's little chance that either Ralph Nader or Howie Hawkins will be victorious on Election Day, yet both men say there is good reason to run.
"If we don't win, we're setting agendas and putting down markers and positions and expectations for the people who are elected. And if they don't come through, then we may be the alternative next time," Hawkins said.
"Third party, independent candidates have been tugboat candidacies. They pull the major parties in one direction or another," said Nader. "I think we need to go further. We have to break up the two party duopoly. They haven't delivered for the American people."
Every effort has a beginning. Nader says changing the political system requires slow, steady progress.
Nader is facing far fewer challenges to his efforts to get on the ballot in this year's presidential contest. He will be an option for voters in 45 states in November.
Ralph Nader brings campaign to CNY
New York is far from being considered a swing state in this year's presidential race, so visits by Barack Obama and John McCain have been few and far between, but our Bill Carey says another presidential hopeful is on the campaign trail in New York.
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