Letter: A lesson from the 2000 election
Ralph Nader in his office in Washington on Dec. 13, 2011. Nader will be in the Albany area Sept. 14, 2014, to support the liberal Green Party ticket of Howie Hawkins for governor. Credit: AP
Vote for Ralph Nader, they said back in 2000; what’s the worst that could happen? This third-party argument has again begun to rear its ugly head, defining the fear that surrounds the election this fall and the possibility that Donald Trump could become president [“Donald Trump’s GOP is built on sand,” Opinion, July 21].
Can we put this argument to rest, please? Nader wasn’t responsible for Al Gore losing the election of 2000, Gore was. Had he won his home state of Tennessee, the Supreme Court’s so-called selection in that election would never have been necessary. Four lousy electoral votes, and Gore couldn’t deliver.
Those Tennessee electoral votes would have given Gore 271 electoral votes, one more than needed to secure the election. Florida’s results would have been moot. Gore’s biggest mistake was not asking Bill Clinton to endorse him and help him get elected.
Kerry Prep, Huntington
