Re: Ralph Nader

[bird <birdwl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Kim Malo <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Well FWIW, while I totally agree that it's pretty much nonsense to say 
> Nader's doing it for the money, it did occur to me that it's not 
> impossible he's combining some genuine outrage with some savvy publicity 
> mongering. Now the fact that I was haunted by a pair of PIRGers 
> everywhere I went yesterday probably enters into my thinking on this, but 
> what this does is provide publicity that broadens his usual target 
> demographics a bit more toward the mainstream. Both for publicity per se 
> and for drumming up more young supporters/volunteers who would normally 
> laugh or sneer at Naderisms
Indeed, he (or his PR advisors) certainly has the knowledge that this may 
be useful to his "image".  It is impossible, probably, for a candidate to 
not be sucked into the vortex of insanity that is our political structure.
  Oh, don't get me wrong, representational democracy is a fine system, but 
that doesn't mean it doesn't have flaws, one of which is the inordinate 
amount of attention we (as a society) place on image, and how something 
seems or appears.  Our politicians and candidates, therefore, do not, as a 
whole, focus on issues, but rather image.  Since Nader's as human as any 
of us (except Al Gore, who has a little tag that says "Intel Inside" on 
his lapel), and a politician to boot, he isn't free from this taint.  I 
have a little faith left in the whole process, but I certainly don't put 
it all in one man, woman, or political faction.


> Derek Lowe's pitching tonight and HE'S a Cs fan, who was at the game 3 
> comeback leading and generating some cheers.
Thank god for the Red Sox.  This year -- I Think This Is The Year (tm).

Bird