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In reply to the discussion: Ralph Nader: 'Cowering' Democrats face defeat [View all]PDittie
(8,322 posts)Emphasis on 'was'.
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/09/us/2000-elections-palm-beach-ballot-florida-democrats-say-ballot-s-design-hurt-gore.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_LePore
That Nader cost Gore the election is a false premise. An urban legend. It rests upon a foundation of sand: that people who voted for Nader would have voted for Gore had Nader not been on the ballot. You might know a few Greens who will quickly disavow you of the notion that they will vote Democrat with no Green option. They will not.
If you still need someone to blame for 2000's debacle, you may pick from among these three more plausible excuses:
1. The SCOTUS cost Gore the election, but only because he gave up fighting to win it.
2. Gore cost himself the election by failing to win either New Hampshire or his home state of Tennessee.
3. As previously mentioned, Theresa LePore designed a ballot that confused nearly 30,000 of her county's voters to mistakenly cast a ballot for Pat Buchanan. (This probably should be #1, but Florida is moot in light of the the above).
But hey, go ahead and fuck Nader all you like if it makes you feel better.