Re: RAT "Swapping my vote"

[TimNGail@aol.com]

I would argue that "swapping votes" is not intended to have you vote in order 
to "appease someone else's fear" - if that is why one would choose to do it, 
I would argue against it.  The reason is to serve BOTH the Nader campaign and 
to send a strong clear message to the Bush Campaign that these dissent votes 
cannot simply be turned into a corporate tool.  Nader, who is simply running 
toward a 5% goal, in order to receive Federal funding, would receive his 
votes, while no one, Gore OR Nader supporter, would have to wake up to the 
threat of a Bush administration.

The websites will not get the candidates or parties in trouble, as they are 
not recognized of sanctioned by the parties... these are simply informal, 
grassroots agreements being reached between individuals. 

I don't agree that you get the leaders you deserve...  unless you refuse to 
work to change the system at all levels.  Those who sit back with contempt 
and inactivity deserve what they get.

Below is the substantiation for the ads that are about to run, taking 
advantage of Nader supporters.  Have a nice day.

tim
funkopolis

In a message dated 10/29/00 2:10:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
fluffysingler@prodigy.net writes:

<< You know, the "Bush-paid Nader ads" sounds suspiciously like the Cheney 
story and every other entertaining and even plausible legends that travels 
the net.  I'd want to know the source of the story before I put any stock in. 
 
  >>

Here's what the AP article on it said, as of October 28, 2000:

<<On Monday, however, Republicans are set to begin airing pro-Nader ads in 
Wisconsin, Washington and Oregon in hopes that Gore voters will choose Nader 
and tip the balance to Bush.

That move drew criticism Saturday from Public Citizen, the umbrella group for 
consumer causes founded by Nader. It said the ads would mark ``a new low'' in 
the presidential campaign and ``is designed to mislead voters.''>>

and the link to the article on the New York Times is:
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/28/politics/28NADE.html

I've posted a portion of that article here, as well.....

October 28, 2000

THE GREEN PARTY
Republican Ads Use Nader In an Effort to Attack Gore
By MICHAEL COOPER with RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
 
IOWA CITY, Oct. 27 — Hoping to siphon votes from Vice President Al Gore, 
Republicans in three closely contested states prepared to broadcast a 
television commercial featuring Ralph Nader, as the candidate himself 
campaigned here tonight and continued to aim his sharpest barbs at the 
Democratic ticket.

Speaking to a capacity crowd at Iowa Memorial Union hall on the University of 
Iowa campus, Mr. Nader painted Mr. Gore as "unbelievably subservient" to 
corporations and described Mr. Gore's running mate, Senator Joseph I. 
Lieberman of Connecticut, as "the quintessential hermaphrodite of American 
politics — a Republicrat." 

And Mr. Nader continued to press his case for a third-party movement, 
describing the two major parties as equally beholden to big business 
interests.

The goal for Mr. Nader is simple: he wants to receive 5 percent of the 
popular vote, so his party, the Green Party, can become a viable third party 
that qualifies for federal financing.

In his quest for that percentage, Mr. Nader could drain enough votes from Mr. 
Gore to hand victory to the Republican nominee, Gov. George W. Bush of Texas, 
and the Republicans are now trying to capitalize on that possibility. 

One group, the Republican Leadership Council, has prepared a television 
commercial in which Mr. Nader attacks Mr. Gore and is ready to broadcast it 
in Oregon, Washington and and Wisconsin, where the Green Party has made 
significant inroads among Democrats. 

The commercial features a clip from a speech Mr. Nader made earlier this 
week. "Al Gore is suffering from election-year delusions if he thinks his 
record on the environment is anything to be proud of," Mr. Nader is quoted as 
saying.

The Gore campaign reacted angrily to that advertisement, noting that Mr. 
Nader also had some choice words for Mr. Bush in the speech (calling him 
"nothing more than a corporation running for president disguised as a 
person") that the Republicans had left out of the commercial.

"They've given up all hope of selling Mr. Bush," said Kym Spell, a Gore 
campaign spokeswoman, "so now they're selling Nader.">>