Comments on: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist: ‘Nader deserves more respect than he gets’

By: Lou Novak

Lou Novak — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:30:27 +0000

I guess there’s nowhere in the comment stream to find an interesting conversation in all the blather.

Perhaps it’s time for our hosts to reconsider their open policy.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:50:03 +0000

Nader is a hero, and among the last people in politics who is truly trustworthy. I will vote for him in 2012 if he runs, although, I hope he would do so on a party’s ticket.

His one big mistake in 2004 was ballot fusion.

Ballot fusion, by the way, is usually more trouble than it’s worth.

Also, no viable political party will “endorse” a candidate. In 2004, the Reform Party NOMINATED Nader, as did the P&F Party in 2008.

By: Darcy G Richardson

Darcy G Richardson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:49:38 +0000

Ross,

I’ll try to post something this weekend.

By: Mik Robertson

Mik Robertson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:48:10 +0000

The writer’s email address is at the end of the column. More letters to him would not hurt.

By: Ross Levin

Ross Levin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:37:29 +0000

Darcy, would you mind writing a post about that race?

By: Darcy G Richardson

Darcy G Richardson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:35:59 +0000

Dave Schwab asks a great question (#16), but I think we may already know the answer.

In Tuesday’s mayoral election, the voters of Pittsburgh will have a choice between Democratic incumbent Luke Ravenstahl, who also captured the Republican nomination by write-in votes, and two of the strongest independent candidates in the city’s history — Franco “Dok” Harris, son of legendary NFL Hall of Famer Franco Harris, and Kevin Acklin, a Squirrel Hill businessman who, according to the latest filings covering the period from June 19 to October 19, has actually raised more money than the Democratic mayor.

Harris and Acklin have both raised substantive issues in their respective campaigns, with the Princeton-educated Harris — a guy who scored 1600 on his SAT’s and later earned a law degree from Pitt and his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business — focusing most of his efforts in the city’s poorer neighborhoods and Acklin, who alleges corruption in the mayor’s office, promising to put 200 more police officers on the streets in the city’s crime-ridden neighborhoods.

Both independent candidates, who are campaigning door-to-door, are also stressing the need for economic development in the city’s badly-neglected neighborhoods — an issue that is beginning to resonate.

Campaigning vigorously, both men are poised to make relatively strong showings in Tuesday’s otherwise sleepy election.

Like other smug columnists who think the race is a laugher, Tony Norman has written nary a word about their respective candidacies.

By: Green Party fan

Green Party fan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:35:02 +0000

Glad to see Mr. Nader and Green Party get some respect.

Other good Green Party stories floating around the web are:

Brazil’s incumbent expanding Green tax credits with possible strong Green Party woman candidate ready to run in 2010.
http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN2935831720091029

Lynne Serpe Green Party candidate for City Council in NYC getting lots of respect and donations!!
http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2009/10/28/news/top_stories/doc4ae891803de4f790105109.txt

Former Canada Green Party Leader, Christopher Bennett, Appointed as Senior Advisor of Greenscape Capital Group
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=134101&cat=8

Asbury Park Press, New Jersey – Bruce Springsteen’s hometown writes and editorial encouraging people to vote Green Party.

http://www.app.com/article/20091029/OPINION04/910300335/1028/OPINION

Washington Post applauds Independent Green Party candidate for House of Delegates Col. Jim Leslie USMC, and only native american on ballot in Virginia.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102303810.html

Praise for Green Party Congressional candidate Cloward in Danville Express
http://www.danvilleweekly.com/square/index.php?i=3&d=&t=1319

By: Ross Levin

Ross Levin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:26:08 +0000

Could you link to that? I looked for it but couldn’t find it.

By: Mik Robertson

Mik Robertson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:21:04 +0000

Sorry, Norman, Tony Norman.

By: Mik Robertson

Mik Robertson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:19:35 +0000

@16 I did send Mr. Nathan a note about Pennsylvania election laws and their role in limiting the political debate.

By: Kimberly Wilder

Kimberly Wilder — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:53:13 +0000

What a lovely day in NY. I went for a stroll in downtown Huntington Village.

By: Robert Milnes

Robert Milnes — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:47:57 +0000

Kimberly, upon further reflection. Come on. You & the others here ARE losers! Can’t you face that? & further, you all being losers makes ME a loser too. & I don’t like being a loser. & the situation in the world makes me depressed. So I’d like to see some changes for the better. That would be good medicine for me, not Prozac. Don’t you think I want to get better? Don’t you think I’ve put some thought into this. If I thought going to Washington & TAKING OVER could be done, I’d do it. But no, Plan B is to have a progressive movement & vote out the reactionaries by plurality. THAT could be done. By me & you & the rest of the Crazy Losers Club. So when I don’t see this happening & instead some complaints about my comments & whining, I’m not a happy camper. OK?

By: Robert Milnes

Robert Milnes — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:25:52 +0000

Dave Schwab, well let’s just do politics as usual & wait & see, shall we? What’s your rush?

By: Dave Schwab

Dave Schwab — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:57:38 +0000

Nice article. More reflective than your usual political columnist. Gives me hope that if we keep running for office as neither Ds nor Rs, people will stop telling us to go away and start wondering why our system doesn’t allow more citizen participation.
Another question is – will this columnist pay more attention to third party and independent candidates in the future, and resist the urge to dismiss them as he admits to doing in the past? Will someone write him a letter about how instant runoff voting and proportional representation could open up our political system and make it much more representative and democratic?

By: Robert Milnes

Robert Milnes — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:46:37 +0000

Specifically that I have excluded all other third parties from the alliance most notably the counterrevolutionary & potentially a big problem CP. If you look at recent comments my name is not on except maybe above. Maybe since I usually comment late at night & I tend to write some, send then think some more & write another & send it may seem like a lot. But there are many who post a lot more comments than me & I invite an actual count. & I don’t think it is fair of you to allude to The PLAS as a false diet. Implying I’m scamming or selling. I don’t think I’ve gotten a single political contribution $ or donation except one from Tom K. I’m definitely not making money here! & nobody has responded to my urgent need for a motorhome. Or solar panels. Except again Tom with a referral to a website. & you wonder why I DEEPLY resent Ron Paul counterrevolutionary getting 35 million? & the request above for stastical verification of the leftist vote is in response to accusations that The Strategy is not supported by facts & figures. Except The Libertarian Vote/Cato Institute. You disappoint me Kimberly. What with your posting Green stuff on IPR which is largely libertarian & criticism of green statists & old left obstinate types(like Greg Gerritt). If you feel like a child being berated by an adult, maybe it reflects on YOU as much as me. Like I said, as soon as the PLAS gets a fair try & fails, THEN everybody can berate me. Not BEFORE & conveniently discrediting it without trying it.