Get Out, Ralph
The Pacific Ocean was having its way with the beaches of the Central Coast. Waves climbing to twelve feet were rolling in, creating a surfers’ heaven. We were between storm fronts, and the sky was sprouting large swatches of blue amidst upper and lower cloud patterns, moving in different directions, failing to deny us our sunshine.
Even with a constant breeze, it was on the warm side of cool where I sat foodless at a picnic table, not twenty yards from waves crashing against the indomitable granite sentries, spewing recklessly, joyfully, to no end at all.
For reasons that could never be explained, even should they be explored, my nature-dominated mind took to thinking about – are you ready? – Ralph Nader. Looking upon this glorious tableau of Earth’s very purpose, suddenly I was thinking about this guy who single-handedly could have prevented the Bush-Cheney presidency. A guy whose ego out-sized the towers of spume before me.
Why was I thinking of the tragedy this one man had wrought? Perhaps because he could do it again; in some of the swing states those too-close-to call, according to the pollsters. In Florida in 2000, a switch of 270 would have given the state to Al Gore. If Nader had done the right thing and dropped out the week before the race, Gore would have won The Sunshine State and New Hampshire as well.
For all his faults and his relative immaturity at the time, Gore couldn’t have done a fraction of the destruction the Bush administration has wrought. And Nader might have had any cabinet position he wanted.
If Nader had a shred of integrity, he’d drop out today. He doesn’t, or perhaps it’s just drowned out by his inept narcissism. If his voters cost Obama the election, Nader will be less popular than Osama bin Laden. Get out, Ralph. And shame the Greens’ Cynthia McKinney out with you.
©2008 SetonnoteS
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