cramming the 'spoiler' rap onto a bumper sticker
Every newspaper article about Ralph Nader since 2000 mentions the imaginary Spoiler Effect, at least in passing. "Everybody knows" Nader caused the Bush administration. Of course it's a lie, but the argument is hard to make simple. I'm trying to squish it down to bumper sticker size. Here's a comment for the SF Chronic.
In 2000, every time Gore quoted a Nader speech his numbers went up. Every time he triangulated towards the "center," his numbers went down. For all anybody knows, Bush would have won a race against only Gore, by a landslide! Blaming Nader for the Dems' 2000 failures may be emotionally satisfying, and it's helped a lot of incompetent political consultants keep their jobs, but it has no basis in mathematical reality. Just because "everybody says so" doesn't mean it's true. And clinging to that dirty "spoiler" lie prevents the Dems from solving the problems that make them lose to unworthy GOP candidates.
When I posted it, the form came back with an error. "Apologies for the inconvenience but we are unable to submit this comment due to a technical system glitch. We are actively working to correct this issue. Thanks for your patience." Must be those pesky Demogreens again.
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You can't spoil a system that is already rotten.
Or...
Gore didn't lose. Bush stole.
Or...
Bush won in 2000...4 to 3
Or...
Nader ran. Gore won. Bush stole.
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Whenever I hear that phrase I get a facial tic.
How many Americans still "know" that America was discovered by Christopher Columbus? Or that George Washington had wooden teeth? Or something else that just never was true?
Face it. "Everybody knows" squat. We're the people with an opinion on everything and a knowledge of nothing.
Ah, more slogans on buttons and bumper stickers. Except now we want to proclaim to the angry Democrats that we did NOT really have any power in 2000 so please stop being mad at us?
I was so proud of my party when we finally advanced to Gandhi's stage three with Nader's help back in 2000. Why would you write that to the Chronicle? Are you trying to take us back to the "glory days" of being laughed at or simply ignored?
If we must have a bumper sticker on this, my vote is for "Spoil Ralph, Spoil!"