Why you should sign those petitions for Nader and Barr

[existentialist]

My focus is not that of the article cited and quoted below; it's merely peripheral support.



The point of this post is that, because of the way the polls are stacking up this year,

YOU SHOULD SIGN THOSE PETITIONS TO PUT RALPH NADER AND BOB BARR ON THE BALLOT.

Yes, I know that Nader in particular cost Gore the votes to win in 2004, and possibly Kerry as well in 2004, but that's not how it's working this year. Every poll I've read of on the point (OK, this is only 3 now, but it's still 3 out of 3) indicate that the way things are stacking up, the votes that Nader and Barr will take come almost entirely from McCain.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25816799/

NBC/WSJ Poll: Obama keeps lead over McCain

After embarking on his highly publicized trip overseas, Obama enjoys a 47-41 percent advantage over McCain, which is unchanged from last month. The survey was conducted of 1,003 registered voters from Friday to Monday, July 18-21, during Obama's overseas trip. It has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points.


But Obama’s lead over McCain expands to 13 points when third-party candidates Ralph Nader and Bob Barr are added into the mix — with Obama at 48 percent, McCain at 35 percent, Nader at 5 percent and Barr at 2 percent. However, it’s important to note that the pro-Obama vote (48 percent) and anti-Obama vote (adding up to 42 percent) is consistent with the result from the two-way match up.


Does this mean that I recommend that you do something like actively campaign or vote for Nader or Barr? Of course not.

But everything I've found indicates that this year the presence of Nader and Barr on the ballot {either or preferably both of them) takes votes away from McCain, and not from Obama.

So if somebody asks you to sign a petition to put Nader or Barr on the ballot in your state--do it.

[Motown_Johnny]

1. I agree, i also think that if you are polled you should answer that you support Barr, to help get

into the debates

[AtomicKitten]

2. Can't motivate myself to work to put Nader on a ballot, however,

I certainly understand why it could help (new polling shows Obama jettisoning to a 13-pt lead with the addition of so-called "spoilers" on the ballot).

Ironic, isn't it?

[existentialist]

3. Ironic it is.

[scheming daemons]

4. Barr, yes. Nader, no. I wouldn't piss on Nader if he was on fire.

Ralph can go straight to hell.

[creeksneakers2]

5. If Republicans feel Ralph could hurt them

who will pay for the circulation of his nominating petitions?

[lojasmo]

6. I'd sign for barr

Not Nader.

[snowbear]

10. Good point...

Me too... What lojasmo said...

Makes much more sense.

[The Doctor.]

7. Pssst!

(Gore ran in 2000)

Other than that, what are the stats if it's just Barr that runs?

[CreekDog]

8. don't sign...who is Nader going to go after? Obama or McCain?

I think we all know the answer to that one. Don't give him a platform to do it.

[karynnj]

9. Not true - Nader pulls from Obama, Barr from McCain

[Leftist Agitator]

11. I just met a few wonderful people from Cali here in Morgantown, WV with these petitions...

They had petitions for both Nader and Barr, though they were funded by Nader's campaign.

Though I am a Democrat, I still deeply respect the socially liberal platform of the Libertarian Party. Their economics? Not so much.

In any case, I was happy to sign both petitions. More choices are always a good thing in an ostensibly democratic society!

[comtec]

13. LOL there are ZERO liberal beliefs in the libertarian party NONE

they are GOP lite is all.
Any socially beneficial aspect of their FUCKED UP beliefs are purely coincidental!
They are conservatives who hate government even MORE than the rethuglican'ts!
No, no fucking way, name 5 ACTUAL liberal things those wanna-be GOPers believe in.

they do NOT believe in protecting the little guy
they do NOT believe in health care as a HUMAN right
they do NOT believe in a publicly funded Emergency services-- put out your own damned fire or HIRE a fire department!
they do NOT believe in a standing PUBLIC army EXCEPT to protect THEM, fuck you!, Fuck the (RARE) war to PROTECT others! Fuck bosnia!

so what's left?
No to taxes, no to ANY kind of government service, no to the FDA that is supposed to PROTECT OUR FOOD SUPPLY!!!!
NO to the police, NO to the park ranger that keep our forests (when allowed) from BURNING TO THE GROUND from lightning strikes
NO to clean drinking water - PAY for clean water either in bottles or the people who own the pipes to your home
NO to REGULATED INDUSTRY so that X-co does NOT put toxic chemical in the river that YOUR WATER comes from.
in fact FUCK the water system, you should BUY YOUR OWN PIPES FOR WATER!!!

These guys are fucking IDIOTS< AND EVIL!!!


so please... tell me 5 things they believe in that ARE liberal ideas?

[H2O Man]

12. No, thank you.

Barr, yes.

Nader, no way. None.

[PDittie]

14. Careful -- know your state's election law.

In my state your signature is invalidated if you vote in one of the two major party primaries.

Heh. ;)

[Jim Lane]

15. I don't see how Nader could be taking McCain votes

That poll must be an outlier. In a heads-up matchup Obama gets 47%, but when you add Nader and Barr he gets 48%? That makes no sense.

I'm going to go with the obvious. Nader will hurt Obama and Barr will hurt McCain.

Living in solid-blue New York, I'm tempted to vote for Barr, just to push Nader into fourth place. I'll probably resist the temptation, though, on the theory that Nader has little chance of coming in third anyway.