Via TalkRadioNews
ndependent presidential candidate Ralph Nader gave a few choice words on the election, emphasis on “few”.
In an act that was part satire and part protest, Nader gave a press conference in which for the first portion he would only respond to reporters’ questions with one word answers, mocking what his campaign describes as the media’s reliance on sound bites.
When asked for one word to describe Obama, Nader responded “clever”, and described the amount of money the Obama campaign has spent as “disgusting”. When questioned what the major policy difference between Obama and himself Nader answered “corporations”. When asked what promises Obama wouldn’t keep Nader replied “change”, “hope”, and “peace”.
When asked about his impression of McCain, Nader answered with “clone” and “Bushlike”. Prompted to predict which Presidential candidate he would take more votes from, Nader responded “McCain” and when pressed to elaborate said “polls”.
Nader answered that the reason he ran this year was “justice” and that he would “maybe” decide to run in 2012.
In the second portion of the conference, Nader reverted to complete sentences and elaborated on his grievance with the media.
“It’s remarkable, when journalism studies this campaign that Joe the plumber will have received more coverage than a Nader-Gonzales campaign rooted in forty years of accomplishment and determination. This is one of the worst hours of the press.”
Nader also blamed the candidates for the coverage, saying that the repetitive nature of the candidates forced the media to resort to trivia.
“The candidates have wasted almost two years in redundancy and evasion and refusal to elaborate on what’s troubling most Americans on the community level.”
2 responses so far ↓
1 Ross Levin // Nov 4, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I wonder what press was there.
2 paulie cannoli // Nov 4, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Another one:
From MSNBC.com’s Bob Sullivan
Satire.
That’s how Ralph Nader closed his third-party presidential campaign today at a small press conference in Washington D.C.’s National Press Club. He instructed reporters that he would only give one-word answers to all questions posed — in a sarcastic nod to the sound-bite nature of election coverage.
The stilted question-and-answer session felt at times like a bad game of “Jeopardy.” Reporters played along with little protest and reached for questions that led to one-word answers. Many even started asking one-word questions, though that wasn’t in the rules.
But there were some telling moments. Here’s a sampling:
What is your opinion of Obama? “Clever.”
What is your opinion of Palin? “Developing.”
How much money did you raise for your campaign? “Insufficient.”
Why do you keep running for president? “Justice.”
Will you be elected president? “No.”
When do you think you will win? “Sometime.”
What should Bush do on his last day in office? “Surrender.”
Will Obama be able to provide tax cuts to 95 percent of the population? “Impossible.”
What is your opinion of the media? “Servile.”
While he predicted a “landslide,” for Obama, he reserved his harshest words for the Democrat. Nader said in various ways Obama would disappoint supporters and not do much to change the power structure and status quo in Washington. Asked why the Obama years might not mimic the sweeping changes that marked the FDR presidency, Nader said, “Cowardliness.” Asked to elaborate, Nader said, “corporations.†He also called the money raised by Obama to support his campaign, “disgusting.”
Nader, finally, when asked if he would run again, he offered only this reply:
“Maybe.”
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