http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/25/nader.obama/index.html WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Ralph Nader's presidential candidacy has received little media attention, but his latest critique of Sen. Barack Obama has come under fire for its seemingly racial overtones. Speaking with Colorado's Rocky Mountain News, Nader accused Obama of attempting to "talk white" and appealing to "white guilt" in his quest to win the White House. "There's only one thing different about Barack Obama when it comes to being a Democratic presidential candidate. He's half African-American," Nader told the paper in comments published Tuesday. "Whether that will make any difference, I don't know. I haven't heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What's keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn't want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We'll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards," Nader added. Obama said Wednesday in Chicago, Illinois, that Nader was simply trying to "get attention." "What's clear is, Ralph Nader hasn't been paying attention to my speeches," he said. "Ralph Nader's trying to get attention. He's become a perennial political candidate. I think it's a shame, because if you look at his legacy ... it's an extraordinary one. ... At this point, he's somebody who's trying to get attention, whose campaign hasn't gotten any traction." Obama's presidential campaign earlier had called Nader's comments disappointing, and his communication's director, Robert Gibbs, said Tuesday that they were "reprehensible and basically delusional." "I don't think he's spent a lot of time looking at the record of Barack Obama," Gibbs said on MSNBC. Nader is a longtime consumer advocate who was blamed by many Democrats for Al Gore's loss in the 2000 presidential election; they said he claimed votes that would otherwise have gone to their candidate. He said Obama's top issue should be poverty in America, given his racial heritage. "I mean, first of all, the number one thing that a black American politician aspiring to the presidency should be is to candidly describe the plight of the poor, especially in the inner cities and the rural areas, and have a very detailed platform about how the poor is going to be defended by the law, is going to be protected by the law and is going to be liberated by the law," he said. "Haven't heard a thing." Nader also said Obama is making a concerted effort not to be "another politically threatening African-American politician." "He wants to appeal to white guilt. You appeal to white guilt not by coming on as black is beautiful, black is powerful. Basically, he's coming on as someone who is not going to threaten the white power structure, whether it's corporate or whether it's simply oligarchic. And they love it. Whites just eat it up." advertisement Nader formally entered the presidential race in the spring, expressing disappointment with both remaining Democratic candidates at that time. "They are both enthralled to the corporate powers," he said of both Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. "They've completely ignored the presidential pattern of illegality and accountability; they've ignored the out of control waste-fraud military expenditures; they hardly ever mention the diversion of hundreds of billions of dollars to corporate subsidies, handouts and giveaways; and they don't talk about a living wage."
My question to Nader would simply by "why?" Why does that have to be the #1 thing a black politician should talk about?
"Hello, I;m Ralph Nader . . I use to be a credible and competent consumer advocate. . . now I am simply a Political w****. . . Please look at me .. . Make me relevent . .. Look at me .. . LOOK AT ME!!!!" - Ralph Nador - attention w**** Rocket River
because being poor is the #1 problem for the majority of black americans? Just a guess, I think if he did talk about it it would be political suicide.
And as an Arab would-be politician, I wonder if the #1 thing Nader should be talking about is the plight of the Palestinians
So a black politician has to make black issues their #1 priority? In other words, race has to come above all else for a black politician?
I don't get Nadar's point. What's he really trying to say? If Obama focused on the ghetto's then he wouldn't get elected? If that's true, then it's it the people rather than the candidate? Sometimes Nadar has to learn that you can do more good by first winning an election and then making a difference with the poor. But Obama's message has to appeal to the self-interests of all Americans, not just one segment. That's why Nadar hasn't accomplished anything in politics. He simply doesn't understand how politics work. He's too much of an idealist - which is why he doesn't belong in politics. Maybe he should try running for congress before the president, if only his ego would let him.
Well, of course Nader is right on this point. It's so obvious to those that are not part of the crazy zombie Obama brigade... I've never seen a group of voters as entranced and blinded to reality than today's Obamabots. The facts don't matter. Experience doesn't matter. Campaign promises don't matter (the ones Obama hasn't broken already). Racist pastors don't matter. Corrupt land deals don't matter. Chicago-style politics don't matter. But marketing campaigns and hella cool celebrity endorsements are rad! When Obama was hit with the toughest punch yet -- the Jeremiah Wright tapes -- what did he turn to? A speech on race. If you don't think he's playing the race card and using white guilt to his advantage, you are dead wrong. The white guilt angle is the 'feel-good tiebreaker' in the minds of a lot of independents. Voting for the 'disadvantaged minority' gives them peace of mind. And you are kidding yourself if you think Obama and his camp don't recognize this, and purposefully position themselves as the victim whenever possible.
"back in Viet..." "when I was in..." "I had a .45 when I was in vietnam, i don't need any guns now" I also heard somewhere that John Edward's father was a millworker.
I have to agree. Nader's comments and his candidacy are more about himself than anything else. Some people who become famous just cannot gracefully handle the slide back into obscurity or irrelevance. Nader is just another example in a very long list.
Yeah - that's what I'd want to find out. I can't imagine that really is his position, so I'd be curious how'd he answer.
I don't think Nader would've entered his name if John Edwards were the Dem's candidate. That was the guy he was backing.
Ralph Nader was totally naive and unconcerned about electoral politics for virtually his whole life and it shows. He believed there was no need to get involved in electoral politics as one could file a sophisticated law suit or do great lobbying of politicians and get change. This worked for him with consumerism and a couple of other issues when there were reasonable liberals or moderates in the courts and Congress. When you had the Gingrich-Delay--Rehnquist--Reagan--Bush crew his strategy for liberal change through lawsuits and or lobbying was reduced to zero. Nader then decided that he need to be concerned about electoral politics since his previous tactics were virtually useless. His approach to electoral politics is like that of a frustrated idealistic teenager.
