CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
Aug. 22, 2008 – 9:43 a.m.
Ralph Nader Interviewed on CNN’s “American Morning”
CQ Transcriptswire
Aug. 21, 2008
CHETRY:
Now to the V.P. guessing game. The polls are tightening dramatically between Barack Obama and John McCain of late, and independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader says that Obama may need Hillary Clinton now more than ever.
Ralph Nader joins us live this morning from Hartford, Connecticut.
Thanks for being with us. Great it see you.
NADER:
Thank you, Kiran.
CHETRY:
So you told politico.com, quote, “I don’t think he’s that dumb,” when commenting on whether Barack Obama would possibly choose either Senator Biden or Bayh or Governor Tim Kaine as his V.P.
You think the smart choice is Hillary Clinton. Why?
NADER:
Well, Hillary Clinton is the only person on the vice presidential horizon who can get him more votes. She’s not going to make him a better presidential candidate, addressing the real concerns that trouble Americans every day -- you know, pay is too low, price is too high, fuel, drugs, credit card gouging; how do they get out of Iraq. They’re not addressing getting out of Iraq.
And they’re not addressing how they’re going to rebuild America with more jobs, using the money in the bloated, wasteful defense budget to upgrade and modernize schools, clinics, mass transit systems and other things that would make people’s lives so much better.
CHETRY:
Now, let’s get back to Hillary for a minute here. Now, she, of course, had many supporters in the primary. She wasn’t able to clinch the Democratic nomination, so why is she going to make a difference in the general election if Obama picks her as a V.P.?
NADER:
Because a quarter of her supporters are not on the Obama bandwagon yet. That’s a lot of voters. A lot of these people are saying they may vote for McCain, they may vote for Nader-Gonzalez, Green Party, whatever. He’s got to get those voters back. And if he’s going to say, “One people, one nation,” he can raise a banner of unity with her as the vice presidential running mate.
CHETRY:
Now, you’re still in it.
NADER:
She can get him more votes.
CHETRY:
You’re still it. You’re still campaigning. In fact you’re doing a push to open up the debate. Why are you giving Barack Obama advice?
NADER:
Well, I always give people advice. I give corporations who rip people off advice. I give government, to be more responsive, advice. I even give the media, Kiran, advice on how to sponsor more debates and respond to the voters in this country who want more voices and choices on the ballot.
That’s why we’re having the super-rally in Denver on August 27th, right in the middle of the Democratic National Convention at the University of Denver, with Sean Penn and Mr. Kilmer and Cindy Sheehan, and others are coming, not to necessarily endorse Nader-Gonzalez, but to put before the American people the need to have a lot more invigorous (ph) debates, not these parallel interviews and this little hunky debate commission that the Democrats and Republicans have cooked up over the years.
CHETRY:
You know -- and it is interesting because the race between Barack Obama and John McCain is narrowing, the latest polling showing that -- well, this is an L.A. Times/Bloomberg poll that shows Barack Obama with 42 percent, McCain with 41 percent, and you with 4 percent. So really those votes that are going to you could make the difference either way.
Is that a dangerous position to be in? Could you end up being a spoiler?
NADER:
It’s always the right thing to do the right -- it’s always the right time to do the right thing, Kiran. And we’ve got a lot of serious problems in this country that the two parties are turning their back on.
They’ve turned the government over to large corporations. CNN and others have reported the corporate crime, fraud and abuse, the corruption in the contracting process in the Iraq war -- Halliburton, all these companies. There’s huge taxpayer subsidies going to these big corporations. The crooks on Wall Street are being bailed out in Washington. That’s just not right, and people know it’s not right.
We don’t have a moral, domestic and foreign policy in this country. And that’s why we’ve got to provide the Nader-Gonzalez choice.
And if people want to see exactly why they should support Nader- Gonzalez, check into our Web site, votenader.org. You’ll see a whole series of proposals that are supported by a majority of the American people.
CHETRY:
Just quickly, though, if you had to throw your support behind one of the two major party candidates, would it be John McCain or Barack Obama ?
NADER:
You think I’m going to answer that question? I think both flunk badly. I think that the American people deserve a choice. Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez are those choices.
CHETRY:
Ralph Nader, always great to see you. Thanks for being with us.
NADER:
Thanks, Kiran.
CQ Transcriptions, Aug. 21, 2008
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List of Speakers
RALPH NADER, INDEPENDENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR
Source: CQ Transcriptions, Aug. 21, 2008
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Comments
Why are reporters so dumb as to ask questions like "You are a prez candidate, who would you endorse if you weren't?" So many of them ask Nader as if they are going to somehow land a Nader endorsement on their show. These reporters need to go back to school and learn how to answer questions that dig up answers instead of questions trying to dig into sores.
I also am glad Ralph did not answer that stupid question, who would he support...the Good morning cheerleaders George S. asked him who he preferred and he spoke but I felt he should NOT have said either of them. He should have said ME, I am the choice, or I would'nt be running. Ralph is the best choice. As far as PROVEN accomplishments, proven ability to work the party lines. It is riiculous that the same people in office that NObama claims to abhor, are the same people behind him, cheering him on. I am sure the Nobamas can't see it as they think god sent him. Odd bunch. I saw a rally from the 2000 elections and they are promising the SAME stuff this year as then, in 2000!! Wake up AMERICA!
It is sad to see the political process of this country become so degradaded. It is absolutely shameful that the media as a whole deceives and flat out lies to the public about their choices in the presidential race. This is exactly why these Republican and Democrat politicians continue to get away with all their acts of corruption in Washington, D.C. I may not agree with everything Ralph Nader says, but he definitely has my vote because he at least addresses the issue of corruption, something that neither McCain, Obama or any of their colleagues ever do.
Though I don't think in terms of this anchor, I still feel a bit embarrassed as a fellow human, considering how main stream this type of thinking is in today's age. An example of this type of thinking would be to say the popular Palomino race horse would have better odds against the popular White race horse if we took out the not so popular Black, Pinto, Bay and so on, race horses. A bit of irony of course. Considering the popularity of either candidate is without doubt popular due to corporation(s) monies being pushed into their campaigns. Regardless of whom is new or, not so popular, all have the right to run that race. All have the right! Shame on you! Is this to be the vote of the American people? Or, a fixed vote?
amen. this whole interview was a microcosm of the problem with the mainstream media in general. No one in the media asks about a candidate's real positions--or lack thereof--even if that person is a demonstrated citizen defender and full of vision for American politics. The whole media enterprise has been reduced to strategic punditry; instead of asking "What do you stand for?" they talk about how the candidate will win--how much money they have raised, who they've shmoozed, who looks better in a suit. It is no wonder that Nader only ever gets the spoiler question. If the media has regressed into a strategic talk show, they can only think of politicians in terms of strategy.That is how they can ask a presidential candidate the ridiculous question of who he would vote for if he "weren't running," and not even think that question to be ridiculous! I want to know the last time they asked Obama if he would vote for McCain if he weren't runnng. Absurd! And check out the transition lines: "But back to Hillary" (after Nader had put substantive ideas on the table). etc etc.
If only we,(The United States) had a real democracy,and not the Dictatorship we now have,(Corperations,of which you belong) You remind me of that Media nut in Iraq during the invasion who said the American's were no where in site as an American tank drove right by the window 2 seconds later.Open the Debates to all "6" candidates, or you will all regret the next "8" years. We all know that both the Republican and Democratic candidates are cowards. Mc Cain is the Mancherian Candidate and Obama can't think of a way to really help us, just his "Corprate Masters" that hold his leash.I've never been prouder then now to say "I SUPPORT RALPH NADER,and I'm proud of it.
In public relations its important to insert your client's name at every opportunity. If these two were PR men you can see that in every question Chetry inserted the name Obama, McCain or Hillary Clinton. In every answer Nader inserts "the American People" and the issues that are important to them. Quite a contrast. CNN continues to be part of the problem we face as a nation.
I agree. Those are some nitwit reporters to ask such an idiotic question. I also wish Nader would use their dumb question to talk about election reform. Anyway, at least with him on the ballot others and myself have a reason to vote.
Why ask him who he would support? Nader obviously supports more choice and is willing to sacrifice his own time to make sure choice is available. Obama's selection of Biden just shows how serious he is about "change." It does not get anymore Washington insider than Joe Biden. I have always voted Democrat, but for me, its Nader in '08. Do not waste your vote of the "lesser of two evils."
Here are some reasons why Biden is a terrible choice: http://politizine.blogspot.com/2008/08/so-its-biden.html
Citizens who were not women in the U.S. were not given the right to vote until 1920. Atleast the League of Women Voters understood democracy enough to allow third party candidates the right to participate in national debates.Sadly, when the duopoly took over the debates in 1989, this is no longer the case. So what are our "democratic" rule-makers so afraid of? In particular, why are they afraid of Ralph Nader?Instead of being told to shun the candidate who would siphon votes from "the lesser of two evils" we'd learn about real choices. Hey, then maybe millions of americans uninformed by the corporate media would learn that there's actually a candidate who cares for them as human beings and workers, deserving of a livable wage, safe work conditions and universal healthcare? Hey, maybe they'd learn that there's candidate who isn't owned by Wall Street, while selling his/her soul to militaristic lobbyists and their war profiteers/ Hey, maybe they'd learn that their children could inherit a planet without dangerous tockpiles of radioactive nuclear waste?
have the courage to find out the truth, to find out what is right and just for your country, your family and you. have the courage to vote for Ralph Nader the most courageous, honest and caring candidate for president in a long time.
THANKS KIRAN FOR INTERVIEWING RALPH NADER. PLEASE RECOMMEND TO OTHER CNN MEDIA DIVISIONS TO INTERVIEW HIM AS WELL. CHECKOUT WWW.VOTENADER.ORG
First there is a BIG EDGE FAVORING NADER TO WIN-A-the merits of a candidate who matches what the people want for a president and a candidate who will uphold the U.S. Constitution which is necessary, utterly for having a democracy and a constitution. Bush cannot do that. He is not able. Nader IS able. B-Statistically the nation is NOT controlled by two parties, only 38% are registered voters in the two parties COMBINED. 62% are registered OUTSIDE the two parties. I have posted the voter registration statistics to prove the lie against the two parties proves how corrupt they both are and that Nader can win, and should, indeed. The media needs to wake up and smell the coffee! http://www.MVToday.blogspot.com
if poloticians take corprate money thy should have patches on their suits like race car drivers that way we know where their loyalty lies
Wow, a list of comments on a site involving any coverage of Ralph Nader, and there is no accusations of him being a spoiler. No, hatred toward him. I'm impressed! I really do believe he is the only candidate that actually has change you can believe in. Obama's in my mind should be "Change you can believe in?" A major question in my mind. I am of the belief that ballot access and the debates should not be so difficult in this country. Why shouldn't anybody fitting the requirements be able to run for president, or any office, if they are inclined? This is the land of the free, right? Now, if only that were true.
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