These Politics Make Me Want Ralph

No I didn't forget the "to," at least not this time.

This morning on Meet the Press, Ralph Nader spoke about his running for President in 2008.

I vaguely remember Nader running in the last presidential election but I couldn't have told you anything about him other than that he was an Independent. Unbeknownst to me, he's run in the last three presidential elections.

I listened to him for a few minutes and I was hooked. This is a man, like Obama, who cuts to the chase. But speaks with more substance than Obama. He speaks about issues directly and from a citizens perspective. What's more, he's independent so he doesn't have every asshole with an interest feeding his pockets.

Nader's been around for a long, long time and has been integral in many public interest groups like OSHA and the EPA. This will be the fourth election that Nader will be running in. His votes for the three past elections combine to half of a drop in the bucket. One has to wonder why he would continue to bother. Is this guy nuts?

Apparently, he's not nuts. He is extremely committed to his ideals. Ideals like holding our government accountable. Like exposing the two-party system for it's convolution. He seems to talk about what everyone else is thinking. If ever there was a person who really could implement change, this is the guy.

But can he make a difference? Would voting for him be "throwing a vote away?" Does he really think he can win? And why hasn't he gotten more votes?

I'm not really sure but I admire his persistence. I have to believe that whether a person wins an election or not, simply casting your vote and having it counted makes a difference. When a politician is supported by a vote it lets the rest of politicians know that there is something to be learned about what the American people want.

I believe that it's our civic duty to cast a vote for candidate that each of us feels is best suited for the job, regardless of whether we think he or she will win. Even if you're writing someone in, you are still practicing an ideal which this country was founded one. It's your right.

Vote without fear of a cast in vain. Who knows... if enough people stand for what most of us feel, we might just see the fruits of our democracy - the way it was meant to be.

www.votenader.org