Ralph Nader Prepares To Ride Again

File photo shows Nader savoring audience
reaction to one of his speeches

It sounds as independent candidate Ralph Nader is getting ready to enter the 2008 race — and he is even serving notice that he’s going to get ready to battle the Democrats (whose votes he’ll likely drain away):

Consumer advocate Ralph Nader told the Green Party’s national convention that he is considering a 2008 presidential run and accused Democrats of trying to shut smaller parties out of the political process.

“No other country comes close to providing voters with such a small number of choices and making third party candidates hurdle an almost insuperable number of obstacles just to get on the ballot,” Nader, the Green Party’s 2000 presidential nominee, said Saturday.

Later, addressing a few hundred conventioneers who chanted “Run Ralph Run,” Nader exhorted Greens to focus on raising money to boost their competitiveness.

In 2000, Nader got 2.7% of the votes in the general election. Democrats say he siphoned votes from the party’s nominee, Al Gore, in Florida, New Hampshire and elsewhere, giving the election to Republican George W. Bush. In 2004, Nader was much less of a factor.

In 2004 some challenges from Democrats kept him off the ballot in some states. But this time, Nader says, he’s ready:

“We’re going to be ready for them. We will confront them on every level,” Nader told a news conference. “They better have clean hands.”

REMINDER: Just in case you forgot, Nader was the guy who insisted in 2000 and 2004 that there were no real differences between the two major political parties. But we’d bet most conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats don’t feel that way when they look at the contrasts between Bill Clinton and George Bush administrations. Each side will see it differently but: most Americans will agree that there are differences. Just as there will be in 2008. Will Nader run and perhaps tilt the scale again?