Of, By and For the People … Not the Parties.

Posted 29.09.2008 at 01:23 AM PDT on 9News.com
Posted 04.10.2008 at 01:57 PM GMT on DebateTheDebate

The idea of opening the debates to include voices beyond that of the
two major parties seems to have the power to unite people from either
end of the broad spectrum of American viewpoints…

" The Commission on Presidential Debates is a corrupt
stranglehold on our democracy. " --- Phil Donahue

Many people would likely expect to hear such a quote from someone
described as "having gone off the deep end of the left-wing", but
how many would expect a person so often described
as a "right-wing extremist" to agree…

" I'm for more open debates. I think we have nothing to fear by allowing people
to be seen and to argue and to talk with each other and I think the very concept
of an elite commission deciding for the American people
who deserves to be heard is profoundly wrong. " --- Newt Gingrich

And who would expect an actual participant from either camp
to confess such complicity…

" I'm trying to forget the whole damn experience of those debates.
' Cause I think it's too much show business and too much prompting,
too much artificiality, and not really debates.
They're rehearsed appearances. " --- Former President George HW Bush

The following petition is being circulated by Open Debates, a non-profit,
non-partisan organization working to ensure the public's interests:

We, the undersigned, support Open Debates' campaign to reform the presidential debate process. We believe that the presidential debates should serve the American people first, not political parties. We support replacing
the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates with
the nonpartisan Citizens' Debate Commission, so that inspiring formats can be employed, pressing national issues can be addressed, and popular independent and third party candidates can be included.

Please visit this link to add your name and to see the
growing list of your fellow citizens in support of debate reform.
http://opendebates.com/yourrole/petition/index.php

Whether you choose to sign or not, check out http://opendebates.com/
for yourself to find a wealth of reliable resources on the topic,
including this well-documented overview:
The Commission on Presidential Debates is a Tool of the
Major Parties - It's Time for a Citizens' Debate Commission
http://opendebates.com/theissue/

Are You Too Radical?

It would seem the new line of defense against forward thinking

is to suggest that Ralph Nader may be too radical to be president.

Yet he is in agreement with a good majority of the American people

on several issues critical to all our lives for generations to come.

• 73% of Americans say corporations don't pay enough taxes.
• 80% of Americans want to increase the minimum wage.
• 56% are calling for a renegotiation of NAFTA.
• 64% favor a national health care program.

Please see this recent post by Yes! magazine for more numbers and specifics

from the article Our Own Agenda - 10 Policies For a Better America

http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=2836
And download and share the companion reference poster here …
http://www.yesmagazine.org/pdf/47/Agenda_Poster11x17.pdf

For more details about all our mutual concerns please visit the following
issues pages on the Nader/Gonzalez 2008 Campaign website.

On Corporate Crime

http://votenader.org/issues/corporate-crime/

On Workers' Rights

http://votenader.org/issues/labor/workers-rights/

On Single Payer Private Delivery Public Health Insurance

http://votenader.org/issues/single-payer/

Did You See the McCain-Nader-Obama Debate?!

How much confidence can we have in candidates who don't

have the courage or honesty to openly discuss concerns and solutions

so vital to the American people?

How can we choose a leader who shows so little respect for us?

How can we choose a leader who shows so little respect for the truth?

What more can we really learn from an essentially staged production?

Three Way Presidential Debate - Obama, McCain, and Nader

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5WiE6MnmCM

Millions Of Voices, Two Choices!?

The First Debate Is Friday ...
Posted 23.09.2008 at 03:43 PM PDT on 9news.com
Millions of Voices, Two Choices!? That hardly seems possible.
Especially in America, especially when reliable polls show that two-thirds
of Americans want to at least hear another perspective in the presidential
debates, if not vote for one in the election.

Once upon a time, the presidential debates in America encouraged third party
inclusion, in the interest of ensuring the public be as well-informed as possible
before making such a monumental decision with such long-term ramifications.
Then the Commission On Presidential Debates (CPD) was formed 

--because the two major parties felt they deserved more control over the event.
Now it doesn't matter that you are on the ballot in 45 states, and an official
write-in candidate in 4 others, with a suit pending on behalf of those
voters in Oklahoma who would also like to be heard.
Now all the people who fought so hard to make that happen don't matter.

Please read the following, recent and well-documented articles from
The Center For Public Integrity, before you watch the first debate on Friday.
Please be a critical viewer, and a critical thinker; please try to make judgments
based upon proven principles rather than appearances.
You'll have to read between the lines and fill in the blanks yourself,
because there will be no one allowed to participate who will actually speak to
the real interests of all Americans; no one to present an alternative viewpoint;
no one to speak for so many who believe in more for our country;
no one who won't be walking a tightrope to keep us all happy,
while winking to insurance companies and outsourcers,
or only discussing topics preapproved by mutually contracted agreement.
The Center for Public Integrity; 18 September 2008;
Two-Party Debates: A Corporate-Funded, Party-Created Commission
Decides Who Debates — And Who Stays Home
http://publicintegrity.org/2008/09/18/3057/two-party-debates
The Center for Public Integrity; 18 September 2008;
The Buying Of The Presidential Debates
http://publicintegrity.org/2008/09/18/3056/buying-presidential-debates

The following quotes are also germane:
--- Walter Cronkite referred to the CPD debates an " unconscionable fraud."
--- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls them a " mockery."
--- And when the former, long-standing, non-partisan organizers of the debates
    pulled their support upon formation of the CPD they issued this statement:

     " The League of Women Voters is withdrawing its sponsorship of the
       presidential debates … because the demands of the two campaign
       organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter.
       It has become clear to us that the candidates' organizations aim to
       add debates to their list of campaign-trail charades devoid of substance,
       spontaneity and answers to tough questions. The league has no intention
       of becoming an accessory to the hoodwinking of the American public."

If you'd like to share your own thoughts about restoring the debates,
or get a sense of how your fellow citizens are feeling,
please visit the question posed by the US News and World Report.
US News and World Report - Invitation to Share Opinion
http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2008/09/22/ ... debates.html
US News and World Report - Read All Comments
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2008/09/22/ ... comments

Ideas and resources, including scheduled dates for the three debates, contact
information for major parties, and tips on how you can help are also found here.
http://votenader.org/debates/
http://votenader.org/blog/2008/09/22/let-our-voices-be-heard/
_________________________________________________________________________
For more on the background and history of the debates please visit the following:

http://www.lwv.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ ...

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/unreasonableman/debate.html

Full video and transcripts of every debate sponsored by The League
Of Women Voters between 1976 and 1988 can be found here:

http://www.lwv.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Presidential_Debates_Archive

An Alarming Trend ...

Another brilliant, informed, dedicated, experienced,
and seriously concerned citizen,
working tirelessly for the common good?
Another victim of mass media black out.
Seems like an alarming trend.

They Are Destroying The Constitution - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Speaks Out
http://current.com/items/88983584_they_are_destroying_the_constitution ...
Fathers And Sons
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/328.html
Phony Conservatives
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muNmpI-4yOI
The Best Entertained, Least Informed People On The Face Of The Earth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd6P8obJmjo
Is Nader Nuts? Or The Bravest Man In America?
http://rfkin2008.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/is-nader-nuts ...

More Endorsements ...

Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre of 98 Degrees,
Jesse Ventura and Matt Gonzalez support Ralph Nader…
And together they all dispel some common myths about the voting process,
real debates, and how we can take our country back.

The Invisible Man - Clips from Minneapolis Rally
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsAKXeyvxzU
The Invisible Man - Campaign Blog
http://votenader.org/blog/2008/09/05/invisible-man/

... But Names Will Never Hurt Me

 " To live in the presence of great truths,

   to be dealing with eternal laws, to be led by permanent ideals --
   that is what keeps a man patient when the world ignores him,
   and calm and unspoiled when the world praises him."

Francis Greenwood Peabody
Author, Translator, Social Reformer,
Harvard Professor and Lecturer of Ethics and Theology
4 December 1847 - 28 December 1936
http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/UIA%20Online/117peabody.html
http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/Heralds/Francis-Greenwood-Peabody.php
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1508743

Headlines And Hot Heads ...

Here is a headline from Monday ...
Big Banks Go Bust: Time To Reform Wall Street
TruthOut - Big Banks Go Bust: Time To Reform Wall Street
http://www.truthout.org/article/big-banks-go-bust-time-reform-wall-street
Campaign For America's Future - Big Banks Go Bust …
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2008093815/big-banks-go-bust ...

Here is a solution on Tuesday ...
Nader Releases 10-Point Plan
To Recover From Financial Crisis
Nader / Gonzalez 08 - Media And Press
http://votenader.org/media/2008/09/16/meltdown/
Nader News Network - Nader Releases 10-Point Plan ...
http://nadernewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2008/09/nader-releases-10-point-plan ...
The Beachwood Reporter - Nader Predicted Wall Street Meltdown
http://www.beachwoodreporter.com/politics/nader_predicted_wall_street_me.php

Here is how self-involved two pandering potential presidents
continued to behave on Wednesday ...
Constitution In Crisis, Candidates In Denial
Common Dreams News Center - Constitution In Crisis, Candidates In Denial
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2008/09/17-2
The Nation - Constitution In Crisis, Candidates In Denial (As Originally Presented)
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/361506/constitution_in_crisis ...
The Nation - Constitution In Crisis, Candidates In Denial (As Currently Presented)
http://www.thenation.com/blog/constitution-crisis-candidates-denial
Web Journal - Privatize Profits, Socialize Losses
http://katemckinnon.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/privatize-profits-socialize-losses/
Privatizing Profits And Socializing Losses: How The Rich Are Staying Rich
http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message611152/pg1

Here is a headline from more than a month ago ...
with predictions from more than ten years ago.
Privatizing Profits And Socializing Loss
The Washington Spectator - Privatizing Profits And Socializing Loss
http://www.washingtonspectator.com/message.cfm?msg=notsubs2&PageName...
Politico - Nader On Bank Woes: 'I Predicted This'
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13459.html
The Nation - Ralph Was Right (As Originally Presented)
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/jstreet/361063
The Nation - Ralph Was Right (As Currently Presented)
http://www.thenation.com/blog/ralph-was-right

I don't understand why the choice isn't clear.
http://votenader.org/issues/
http://votenader.org/news/
http://votenader.org/media/

How To Judge A Candidate ...

Here are just a few tips from the League of Women Voters on making informed election decisions. Please visit the link at the end for more information,
including pdf files of the full step-by-step guide, and a candidate report card to help you track how all the options match up with your own priority issues.

See Through Distortion Techniques ...
All candidates are trying to sell themselves to voters. Sometimes their language is so skillfully crafted that they distort the truth in ways that are difficult for even the most careful observer to detect. Here are examples of distortion techniques that you should watch for as you review candidates’ campaign materials.

Common Distortion Techniques:
--- Name Calling / Appeals to Prejudice: These are attacks on an opponent based on characteristics that will not affect performance in office. Accusations such as "My opponent is arrogant and full of hot air" do not give any real information about the candidate. Reference to race, ethnicity, or marital status can be subtly used to instill prejudice.
--- Rumor Mongering: These include statements such as "Everyone says my opponent is a crook, but I have no personal knowledge of any wrongdoing"
which imply (but do not state) that the opponent is guilty.
--- Guilt by Associations: These are statements such as "We all know Candidate B is backed by big money interest" that attack candidates because of their supporters, rather than because of their stands on the issues.
--- Catchwords: These are phrases such as "Law and Order" or "Un-American" designed to trigger a knee-jerk emotional reaction, rather than to inform.
--- Passing the Blame: These are instances in which a candidate
denies responsibility for an action, or blames opponents for things
over which they had no control.
--- Promising the Sky: Making statements offering unrealistic promises
that no elected official could fulfill.
--- Evading Real Issues: These include instances in which candidates may avoid answering direct questions, offer only vague solutions, or talk about the benefits of proposed programs, but never get specific about possible problems or costs.

Evaluate Candidates’ Use Of Television ...
Television is a visual medium dependent on good pictures and timely events
to tug at your emotions and keep your interest. Candidates are aware of the potential power of television and try to use it to their advantage. For instance,
in a newscast, the picture you see of a crowd, with banners and balloons, cheering for a candidate, may have been staged by a media advisor whose job
is to make the candidate look good on television. As you watch news coverage
of campaigns, be aware of staged events (also known as photo opportunities)
and try to find out what the candidate is saying about the issues.

The same warning applies to televised political advertisements. When you watch political ads, you need to be aware of how the medium influences your reactions. Ask yourself some questions as you watch: Did you find out anything about issues or qualifications, or was the ad designed only to affect your attitude or feelings about a candidate? How important was the script, setting, and music?

The League Of Women Voters - How To Judge A Candidate 

http://www.lwv.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Voter_Information&CONTENTID=11923&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm

Please Don't Be So Reasonable!

" The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;

  the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

  Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. "

George Bernard Shaw

Irish Playwright, Critic, and Political Activist

26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950

Man and Superman: Maxims for Revolutionists, 1903

http://www.sandroid.org/GutenMark/wasftp.GutenMark/MarkedTexts/mands10.pdf

http://www.bartleby.com/157/

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Man_and_Superman/Maxims_for_Revolutionists

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Ralph Nader!

Excerpt From The Documentary - An Unreasonable Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS1c5Ei0eIg&feature=related

Independent Lens: An Unreasonable Man Companion Web Site

http://pbs.org/independentlens/unreasonableman/

Independent Lens On Ralph Nader

http://pbs.org/independentlens/unreasonableman/nader.html

The Internet Movie Database - An Unreasonable Man

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0492499/

An Unreasonable Man Film Site

http://www.anunreasonableman.com/

A Riddle With No Punchline.

If Germany can take down the Berlin Wall ...

and South Africa can end Apartheid,

why can't the United States of America elect Ralph Nader?

Happy Constitution Day!

" We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
  establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense,
  promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty
  to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution
  for the United States of America. "

That's the Preamble of The United States Constitution.

Constitution Preamble - Schoolhouse Rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30OyU4O80i4

Constitution of the United States

http://www.ushistory.org/documents/constitution.htm

Constitution Day, also called Citizenship Day, commemorates the

signing of The United States Constitution on 17 September 1787.
Test yourself, then share this short quiz, to honor the day this important
document was formally adopted as the foundation of our government.

   1. Which candidate opposed the snoop enabling FISA law and the
       immunity bailout for the telecom companies --- Obama, McCain or Nader?
   2. Which candidate called for the impeachment of George Bush and
       Dick Cheney for all of their crimes from the illegal war in Iraq to illegal
       wiretapping of unsuspecting Americans --- Obama, McCain or Nader?
   3. Which candidate opposed passage of the Patriot Act and
       calls for its repeal --- Obama, McCain or Nader?
   4. Which candidate opposes the death penalty --- Obama, McCain or Nader?
   5. Which candidate would work to repeal corporate personhood
       and shift the power from the corporations
       back into the hands of the people --- Obama, McCain or Nader?

Highlight the next line to reveal the answers...
Answer to all of the above: Nader.                                                                      

In 2005, schools that receive federal funds were mandated, by Congress,
to observe Constitution Day; by learning about civics, and fostering active
citizenship. If only the program had existed when the candidates
and current administration were in school.
Thankfully, there's one candidate who figured it out, anyway.

Constitution Day 2008 At ConstitutionFacts.com
http://www.constitutionday.cc
Constitution Day, Inc. - A Non-Profit, Non-Partisan Organization
http://www.constitutionday.com
Nation Constitution Center - Celebrate The Birth Of Our Government

http://constitutioncenter.org/ConstitutionDay

World Book - Constitution Learning Resources
http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?content_spotlight/constitution/websites
Constitution Day Is Every Day At The Federal Courts
http://www.uscourts.gov/outreach/resources/constitutionday.html

Campaign For Bright People Of Conscience ...

Homage to another fellow who took a stand against media suppression.
It's a shame we can't seem to get as excited about the future of our own
democracy as we do about the words others use on television.

In Memory Of Comedian George Carlin - Seven Things You Can't Say in 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEOveDgARp4
George Carlin On Voting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dqsNrmXgP0

DON'T PANIC!

" Truth is incontrovertible.
   Panic may resent it; ignorance may deride it; malice may distort it;
   but there it is. " 

Winston Churchill
British Prime Minister, Nobel Prize-Winning Author,
Army Officer, Orator, Historian, and Artist
30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965 

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1953/churchill ... 
http://www.winstonchurchill.org/ 
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRchurchill.htm 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/winston_churchill.html

A Moving Video Endorsement ...

Peter Camejo, American civil rights leader, author, and 2004
running-mate of Ralph Nader died at his home early 13 September 2008.
He had given this rousing talk just over a month before.
Ralph Nader reflects on the passing of his friend,
with equal fondness and respect.

Peter Camejo Endorsement Of Ralph Nader

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M7iVFz8FUc
In Honor Of Peter Miguel Camejo Posted By Ralph Nader
http://votenader.org/blog/2008/09/13/in-honor-of-peter-miguel-camejo
Wikipedia The Free Dictionary - Peter Camejo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Camejo

A Tiny Ripple Of Hope ...

" Few will have the greatness to bend history;
  but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events,
  and in the total of all these acts will be written the history of this generation …
  It is from numberless diverse acts of courage such as these
  (that the belief) that human history is thus shaped. 

  Each time a man stands up for an ideal,
  or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice,
  he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope,
  and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring
  those ripples build a current which can sweep down
  the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. " 

Robert F. Kennedy
United States Senator and Attorney General
20 November 1925 - 6 June 1968
Excerpts from Annual Day of Affirmation address, 6 June 1966 

http://www.rfkmemorial.org/lifevision/dayofaffirmation/
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rfkcapetown.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_Affirmation_speech

Fighting For Truth And Justice.

Fighting for Truth and Justice …

Didn't that used to be The American Way?

Ralph Nader Demands A “Real” 9/11 Investigation

http://rfkin2008.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/ralph-nader-demands-a-real ...

Nader On 911

http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2008/09/11/nader-on-9-11/

Nader Criticizes 9/11 Commission, Proposes Independent Investigation

http://votenader.org/media/2008/09/11/investigation/

Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader On 911 investigation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqliW4NjdtM

Presidential Briefing On 911             

http://www.geocities.com/s911surprise1/presidential_briefing_nader911.html

The Road Is Strewn With Many Dangers ...

" First is the danger of futility; the belief there is nothing one man or

  one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills --

  against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence.

  Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action,

  have flowed from the work of a single man.

  The second danger is that of expediency; of those who say that hopes

  and beliefs must bend before immediate necessities ...

  high aspiration and deep convictions are not incompatible with the most

  practical and efficient of programs...Of course to adhere to standards,

  to idealism, to vision in the face of immediate dangers takes great

  courage and takes self-confidence. But we also know that only

  those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.

  A third danger is timidity. Few men are willing to brave the disapproval

  of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society.
  Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence.
  Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change the world
  which yields most painfully to change.

  For the fortunate amongst us, the fourth danger is comfort;

  the temptation to follow the easy and familiar path of personal ambition

  and financial success so grandly spread before those

  who have the privilege of an education. "

Robert F. Kennedy
United States Senator and Attorney General
20 November 1925 - 6 June 1968
Excerpts from Annual Day of Affirmation Address on 6 June 1966

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial
http://www.rfkmemorial.org/lifevision/dayofaffirmation/ 
Online Speech Bank - Day of Affirmation Address
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rfkcapetown.htm 
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia - Day of Affirmation Speech Entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_Affirmation_speech

Another Endorsement Announced!

Thank you, Iggy Pup, for sharing the courage of you convictions.

There's only one candidate…

http://youtube.com/watch?v=L02yu1bq-GI

And please scroll down here for even more spirited, insightful comments...

http://votenader.org/blog/2008/08/05/only-two-days-left/

Fear Of Commitment Is Not One Of Ralph Nader's Issues ...

" Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
  committed citizens can change the world ...
  Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. "

Margaret Mead
American Cultural Anthropologist, Author, Speaker, Teacher, and Explorer
16 December 1901 - 15 November 1978

http://www.interculturalstudies.org/Mead/biography.html
http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/margaretmead.html
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/expeditions/treasure_fossil/Treasures/ ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Mead
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Margaret_Mead/

The Eloquence Of Common Sense ...

I spent nine minutes in rapt attention with this clip, and it went by

too quickly. This is exactly what I'd like to be able to express;

it's like finding that perfect greeting card, poem or quote,

when you've been struggling with the language yourself,

because a thing just meant too much for mere words.

While not a bit abrasive, derisive or offensive,

she makes it all so simple and clear ...

Ashley Sanders - Why I Support Ralph Nader

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gPbJY2rs0QI

http://votenader.org/blog/2008/08/19/sprint-to-the-super-rallies/

We Can Make It A Better Place ...

" WAGE PEACE "

Ralph Nader
Citizen Activist, Presidential Candidate, and Person in Your Neighborhood

27 August 2008 - Denver Rally to Open the Debates

Ralph Nader on Sesame Street 1988
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d82WKtGjJBA&feature=related
Sesame Street - People in Your Neighborhood 1988 Full Segment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd9L_o_WLJY

Denver Super Rally, Ralph Nader, Part 6

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tzaRYae-UqU

Dare To Endorse!

Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, prolific author,
former war correspondent and foreign bureau chief,
thinker, teacher and world traveler,
Chris Hedges is a member of the media who is not afraid to speak his mind.

Chris Hedges: I'm Voting For Nader
http://votenader.org/blog/2008/07/30/hedges-voting-nader/

C-Span's Q&A With Brian Lamb
http://q-and-a.org/Transcript/?ProgramID=1190
More About Chris Hedges
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hedges

The More You Know ...

A lot of people know the name Ralph Nader through association with
one or two of his more famous, or infamous deeds ...

Many either hate him because they feel he destroyed the Corvair,
or bless him for his work with getting seatbelts into automobiles.

There's a lot more to both of those stories,
and a lot more that he's done to improve life as we know it today.

To learn just a little bit more about Ralph Nader's ongoing
contributions to our nation please visit the following ...

Nader - Gonzalez 2008 Official Site

http://votenader.org/about/

Where's Nader? Interactive Everyday Life Improvements Display

http://pbs.org/independentlens/unreasonableman/wheresnader.html
http://pbs.org/independentlens/unreasonableman/activist.html
The Corvair in Automotive History

http://corvaircorsa.com/wright.html

Why Wait Another Four Years ... Change Your Life In 30 Seconds!

Why wait another four years ...
To vote your hopes and not your fears?
Dare to change your life in 30 second blips ... 

Four years later and truer than ever, more relevant than ever;
Four years later and even worse than we might have imagined …
Nader 2004 Shift the Power…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=20YDGtuD0jI
Nader 2004 The Politics of Fear…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=X9rP2r4cT_Y
Nader 2004 Voter Self-Help Guide…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5sZSd3BLkUA
Nader 2004 Solutions…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AQI8qTBen1g

Eight years later and truer than ever, more relevant than ever;
Eight years later and even worse than we might have imagined ...
Nader 2000 When I Grow Up...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=99x-Vr5m9Sc
Nader 2000 Priceless...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=13qy9y77gAE 

This Year, You're Not Alone!
Nader 2008 Calling All Americans...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=c0K8pX4nJP4

An Open Appeal To All Citizens

An Open Appeal To All Citizens:

Posted 15.09.2008 at 01:23 AM PDT on 9News.com

There's not much time left to make a very important decision,
hopefully based upon more than who's sarcastic banter is most witty or cutting.

I had a chance to meet Ralph Nader recently,
it was even better than I'd imagined;
he was even more genuine, even more inclusive, even more inspiring ...
If you ever get a chance to see Ralph Nader up close and personal,
regardless of your politics, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
He is a rare treasure, a remarkable presence.

And with Ralph Nader being the only presidential candidate
committed to visiting all 50 states (rather than just those places
others hope to temporarily woo in exchange for votes),
there's a real chance you could meet him, or at least see him speak,
live and in person, for yourself.
A chance to see first hand that he talks about real issues,
and real people, and about things that matter in the long term;
he doesn't waste a lot of time nitpicking, he doesn't parrot a bunch
of catch phrases you've heard over and over again ...
While his words are certainly not empty,
he proves with his actions what he stands for;
he doesn't seem to feel such a need to tell you, to sell you,
to impress upon you how clever he is, to convince you, to win you over ...
He treats you like an equal, like a person with a brain;
He tells the truth.
And despite all that --- a great smile, a sense of humor,
and a very warm heart shine plainly through.

Whether you get a chance to see Ralph Nader or not,
maybe you'll consider the idea that this whole process ought to be
more like a job interview, and less like a popularity contest;
less like a horserace, less like a beauty pageant.
A job interview that we, the people, are conducting;
a job interview that we, the people, are in charge of and accountable for;
and if we decide to hire the best person for the job,
then the best person will get the job.
 

If we voted for a president based upon proven qualifications,
we might actually get a qualified president.
If we voted for someone with a lifelong record confirming their integrity
and character, we might actually get someone more interested in
(and capable of) doing good work, real work, meaningful work
for all of us, than in advancing their own interests or avoiding scandal.
We can make a better choice, a more informed, empowering choice.

If you want to vote for a real maverick ...
Ralph Nader's clearly your man.
He's spent his entire life bucking the system to protect your safety
and defend your liberties, regardless of your party affiliation,
your religion, your station in life, your class status, your race, your gender,
your age, or how much money you have or have not.
He's fought fearlessly and tirelessly for you,
because it is the right thing to do, and he cares about you;
he cares about America.

If you want to vote for real change ...
Again, Ralph Nader is your man.
He's demonstrated time and again that he can affect positive change
for the welfare of all. He's shown that he knows how to navigate
his way through our bureaucratic structure;
how to stand up to the big guy on behalf of the little guy - and win;
he's shown he knows how to work within a system that often values
power and greed more than justice, without becoming corrupt himself,
without being led astray by personal ambition or ego.
He's been quietly changing all our lives for the better, all along,
he's not asked for anything in return, not even acknowledgement;
and he keeps on working to help us all - and has established repeatedly
that he'll continue to do so, regardless of any outcome.

Well, I know I got a bit long-winded,
I hope that's not kept anyone from reading to the end.
Again, please continue to think about it, to mull it over,
and please think for yourself, and about yourself.
Hey, how about this ...
a vote for Ralph Nader is really a vote for yourself!
and for everyone who matters to you.

So, here's a great place to visit for a candidate comparison chart,
and details about many key issues that affect us all,
but that we're not hearing much about ...
http://votenader.org/issues/

And here's where to find out where Ralph will be in the coming weeks ...
It doesn't cost much to go see him, and I'm so afraid of what it will
cost us all if we don't wake up this year.

http://votenader.org/events/

Finally, if you want to know more about Ralph (including
what he's done for you lately) from less biased sources ...
please check these out!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Nader

http://achievement.org/autodoc/page/nad0pro-1

Thank you again for your consideration,
it means so very much to me, but it's about all of us ...
and it's about time.