Kerry to voters: stay home

To the editor:

It amazes me how often statements like “Democrats [are] worried that Nader’s spot on the ballot could siphon votes away from Kerry” (as in “Purple People Watch,” The American Prospect Staff, 09.17.04) find their way into print unchallenged. The assertion that if Nader were to vanish from the polls, Kerry would gain his votes are based solely on Democratic gripes stemming from the 2000 election fallout. Unfortunately, poll after poll shows that the majority of Nader voters prefer sitting out to voting for the “lesser of two evils.”

Most reporting represents only the Democratic position, not the Naderite response – but many of us are used to this after four years. A fresh frustration are the discussions of “Democrats… challeng[ing] Nader’s candidacy” without mention of the unseemly tactics some Democrats have resorted to including but not limited to intimidation of volunteers, frivolous litigation (designed to overwhelm the comparatively small budget of Nader’s campaign), and spreading false allegations. The Democrats have made it clear this election will not be about ideas or leadership, the things people decide on when voting. It will be about spin and strategy, the things that keep people home on Election Day.