Green Party set to nominate Nader for president
DENVER -- Green Party delegates gather in Denver this weekend and are expected to nominate longtime consumer rights activist Ralph Nader for president, hoping to draw support from union members, environmentalists and disaffected Democrats to mount a more vigorous bid for the presidency this time around.
Nader, 66, also ran for president on the Green Party ticket in 1996, but mainly as a protest candidate. This year, he already is drawing enough notice in states such as California, Oregon and Washington that he could spell potential trouble for Vice President Al Gore, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
"You can have a lot more leverage in this country in another way, and that is by determining the margin of victory between Democrats and Republicans," Nader said. "It's not a spoiler role, it's a leverage role."
But the leverage role is all but certain to come at the expense of Democrats, often the target of Nader's harshest criticisms on the campaign trail.
"If they don't shape up, this progressive political movement is going to proceed to ship them out in the next few years," he said at a recent stump appearance.
Nader already is laying plans beyond 2000. His stated goal this year is to get 5 percent of the popular vote, guaranteeing the Green Party federal matching funds in 2004. National polls already put him close to that mark -- and even above in some key presidential states.
A Field Poll of California voters released Tuesday showed Nader drawing 7 percent support. That could benefit Gore's rival, GOP presidential hopeful George W. Bush, in a state considered a must-win for the vice president.
Nader's strong showing has forced Democrats to work harder in the potential battleground state of Oregon, where he drew 7 percent in a recent poll that also showed Bush narrowly ahead of Gore.
Nader courts union support
Nader could also affect Washington state, Colorado -- and perhaps most importantly, the all-important battleground belt from Wisconsin to New Jersey, where relations between organized labor and Gore have soured over differences on trade with China.
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Winston Grizzard of Wilmington, Delaware, held up a handful of bumper stickers for sale for Ralph Nader's candidacy for the U.S. president for the Green Party at the group's national nominating convention in Denver, on Friday.
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Teamsters President James P. Hoffa sent a message to Gore on Thursday with strong words of praise for Nader's candidacy, but he stopped short of offering an endorsement.
"No one in the political arena speaks stronger on the issues important to American working families than Ralph Nader. Ralph Nader understands what globalization means -- money and jobs are going overseas," Hoffa said.
The Teamsters boss called for the inclusion of both Nader and Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan in televised debates this year. Although Buchanan made a splash when he bolted the GOP for the Reform Party last year, Nader has consistently drawn larger crowds on the trail.
Nader's backers hope his name recognition will push forward a progressive platform that calls for protection of labor rights, increased environmental protection laws, universal health insurance, campaign finance reform and gay and lesbian rights.
The California Nurses Association endorsed Nader earlier this month praising him for his commitment to universal health care. The environmental group Friend of the Earth is also considering backing him.
But despite the stronger-than-expected showing early in the season, Nader's candidacy still suffers from poor organization and a smaller campaign war chest than the major parties.
Nader avoids Green Party disputes
Nader is to be formally nominated by a coalition of Green organizations, rather than a single, united party.
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Joan Malerich of St. Paul, Minnesota, was shown here signing up to purchase some of the memorabilia for sale at the Green Party National Nominating Convention 2000 in Denver, Friday.
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John Resenbrink, a former political professor and a founder of the Green Party in the United States, said the party suffered because of an ideological split about 10 years ago that produced the Green Party USA and the Association of State Green Parties.
The rift occurred after some members called for more aggressive, protest-oriented role for the party, similar to the demonstrations that disrupted the World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle last year.
Johann Moore, a member of the Green Party USA, said his members are reluctantly supporting Nader for president, even though Nader rejects violence and isn't a member of either wing of the party.
"We offered to meet with him and he turned us down. It begs the question of why he is running. He feels he's doing us a favor," Moore said.
Nader said he has always been an independent, and does not want to get involved in Green factional disputes. He said the party can draw more attention to environment concerns --such as global warming and acid rain -- through presidential politics rather than violent protests.
"They're going to have to reach out or they're going to lose votes," Nader said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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