Reply #12: Tavis Smiley on Real Time [View All]

[DennisReveni]

http://www.safesearching.com/billmaher/print/t_hbo_realtime_030504.htm
SMILEY: There's an old adage - there's an old adage, Bill, that says very simply, it's not what you call me, it's what I answer to. When you flip that, what you realize is that those of us who are left of center in our ideology have allowed the right to define the debate. We've allowed the right to define the terms. It's not that this country has become more conservative. It's that those of us who are left of center are a bunch of wimps, and we let them decide what these definitions are. And John Kerry is going to have to deal with Ralph Nader this time around as he should. With all due respect - with all due respect to Barbara Boxer and Terry McAuliffe, I'm glad Ralph Nader is in this race, because somebody--

MOORE: I gave him two thousand bucks!

SMILEY: Somebody - somebody has got to remind--

MOORE: I'm glad he's in the race.

SMILEY: Somebody has got to remind - you know, Karl Rove is happy, but I'm happy as well, because somebody has got to remind the Democrats what it means to stand up for those folks who are socially, politically, economically disenfranchised on the left, not run from the debate and define the terms.

Go Tavis! I wish more people would point out just how important Nader's position is.