Newsweek Reports on Unpredictable Nader Effect
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Toby Heaps, 202-441-6795, toby@votenader.org
NEWSWEEK REPORTS ON COUNTERINTUITIVE NADER EFFECT
This week’s Newsweek reported on the Nader Effect, peeling away votes from McCain. As the Washington Post reported earlier this week, Obama is now up by 10 points, but 13 percent of voters are still undecided or may change their minds before Election Day. That scenario forecasts an even bigger Nader Effect, swinging against the Republican ticket this year. Ralph Nader is available for comment on this story and the unpredicted trend. For more information, please contact Toby Heaps at 202-471-5833.
See Newsweek article below:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/163470
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Nader in Florida: Remember Me?
By Richard Wolffe NEWSWEEK
Published Oct 11, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Oct 20, 2008
Eight years ago Democrats had good reason to blame Ralph Nader for peeling off enough votes from Al Gore to cost him Florida and the presidency. But this year Democrats may have good reason to welcome the so-called Nader effect. According to recent CNN/Opinion Research polls, Barack Obama leads John McCain by four points in a two-way choice among likely Florida voters. That gap grows to eight points with Nader in the mix, along with other minor-party candidates such as Libertarian Bob Barr.
Another sign the Nader effect may have reversed course is how the Democrats are dealing with him this time. In 2004, John Kerry met with Nader to try to dissuade him from running, and party lawyers contested his place on the ballot. This time, the Obama campaign has made no similar effort to obstruct Nader.
Who are the voters whom Nader siphons from McCain? Kevin Hill, an associate professor of political science at Florida International University, says Nader’s populist rhetoric appeals to white working-class voters who lean conservative. "It’s probably more of a protest than anything else," he says. McCain aides argue that Nader’s poll ratings are too low to be significant. But at Nader’s HQ, the lack of attention is welcome: instead of fighting ballot challenges, Nader is now contesting 45 states, and his campaign suggests he’ll far exceed his dismal total of about 400,000 votes in 2004.
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