WELL . . . MAYBE 'OH DEAR GOD HMM'

Yesterday I briefly expressed dismay at the thought of Ralph Nader running in 04, and possibly handing Bush a 2nd term.

But then again, here's Kevin Drum on the subject:

...maybe this is a good thing for the Democrats.

A good thing? Hear me out: can you think of anything more likely to energize the base and turn out Democratic voters than the spectre of Ralph Nader once again handing an election to George Bush? I guess I could, actually, but this would certainly be in the top five.

And given his past remarks it's not like he could credibly endorse a Democratic candidate anyway. So go for it, Ralph. Let your hate consume you and soon you will be a slave to the dark side. We need someone like you to help our fundraising efforts.

Good points. Nevertheless, I still feel like this is asking for trouble. There are enough vain, short-sighted, self-described "progressives" out there who might still be inclined to, you know, fuck it up for the rest of us. Posting flyers in your local co-op house that say "The only practical effect of voting for Nader is..." on them might not be enough for some people.

Yes, Kevin makes important points that the Dems could turn this into a positive. However, on the balance, TFM continues its recommendation of "don't run, you lazy-eyed megalomaniacal egotist".