WASHINGTON (CNN) - Ralph Nader announced Sunday he is entering the presidential race as an Independent.
In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," the consumer advocate said great changes in U.S. history have come "through little parties that never won any national election."
"Dissent is the mother of ascent," he said. "And in that context I've decided to run for president."
Nader, who turns 74 this week, complained of the "paralysis of the government," which he said is under the control of corporate executives and lobbyists.
It marks his fourth straight White House bid - fifth if his 1992 write-in campaign is included.
Nader's entry into the race did not come as a surprise to political watchers.
On Sunday, Sen. Barack Obama criticized him. "My sense is that Mr. Nader is somebody who, if you don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive," Obama told reporters when asked about Nader's possible candidacy.
– CNN's Josh Levs
From CNN Politics
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This is beginning to look like the race to a nursing home. Velcro diapers anyone?
GO AWAY RALPH
Oh my ........ another loser !!!!!!!!! N E X T !!!!!!!! We can't win for losing!
This nut-job should give up. He does no good for America and no good for his causes by his ego-driven obsession. Ralph should long ago have run for Congress where he might have done a small service for his country (his ideas are all good; his execution is a total failure). Now, at 74, it's too late and he has wasted his life. Someone should have a little talk with him. As it is now, he will go down in history as a "spoiler."
Nader is a fool period.
Go Away Ralph! You do this every election year. Wait til the last minute and then throw yourself in as a spoiler. Either come out swinging, get in the debates, meet the people, take your hits and dish out some challenges in proper forums or sit down, shut up or support a viable iindependent.
It's a choice you have to make. Go get *em
I hope that the American people see all of these recent old campaign tactics that have arised lately as just that...tired, old tactics that don't work any more. Who does this guy think he is, anyway? Perhaps he was probably ahead of his time at one time. Why now? Why does he choose to come out as such a spoiler at this time and not have the balls to run at the beginning? It's just the same old cat and mouse game with these 70-somethings. Enough of these games, schemes, tactics. I'm sticking with Obama. He DOESN'T scare me like the rest.
Its time to put the corporate executives and lobbyists that have taken over the country in prison camps.
Why does Ralph Nader keep running for president within an election system that is designed to punish third parties instead of fight to change that system? When he wanted to fix cars, he didn't just keep crashing them to show they were broken, he went and got the design fixed. But with the election system, he keeps just crashing it instead of fighting to change it.
Nader should be the country's loudest advocate for Instant Runoff Voting, Range Voting, Approval Voting, etc. Oddly he says almost nothing on the issue.
Nader doesn't think his entry into the race could help the Republicans win. So why bother? I suppose raising issues that might/will be skipped by the major party candidates is good in and of itself (as long as no one votes for the eventual loser.)
What a tired old boring man. Go take a long nap Ralph.
There is absolutely no reason for Nader to run other than to boost his already over-inflated ego.
He knows he can't win; he can only take votes away from democrats, as he did in the last two elections.
There IS a difference! If Gore or Kerry had been elected, we wouldn't be mired in Iraq and we wouldn't have a conservative majority on the supreme court. These are HUGE differences.
Get over yourself, Ralph.
Egotist.
Has Mr. Nader considered donating the money he will waste to the Children's Hospital in Boston or Los Angeles? Our democratic system understands the right to spend funds in a campaign, but there should be a law against trashing funds so much needed in these times.
Senility shines. So many other more pressing issues could be addressed. Some individuals just can't seem to get a grip.
Shame on YOU Ralph Nader !
This is a joke. We have enough problems wondering if we can even get a president that cares about the Middle America without him making an a– of himself AGAIN.
Please people, don't let this man spoil the election again. I volunteer him for the next space shot and keep him on the space station permanently. All you people who want these repub thugs out of government please ignore him.
Good for Nader , bad for Obama and McCain.
He's going to be a great option for me in case Hillary is out of the race (we can still turn it around, Tina Fey is right), since Obama would not get my vote before some serious psychoanalysis to tone down his egomania.
ho noooo not again . He must be getting money from GOP to spoil vote again. but he will fail.
2000 = 2.7%
2004=0.3%
2008= 0.00000001%
obama/Michael Jackson 08
Nader says that Obama and McCain are not addressing some issues that Americans are concerned about.. Does Nader mean that Hillary is addressing these issues?
Nader is stepping in because he sees that the democrats are engaged in a bitter fight, and the republicans are nominating a non conservative Candidate who appeals to independents. It's a shrewd move.
I am independent. I voted for Nader in 2000.. I did not vote for anyone in 2004. Nader will not get my vote this time. I will still vote for Obama if he is the Democratic nominee, else I will vote for McCain... I truly believe that the good of our country this time around lies in a president Obama..
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Great. Now he is going to try and steal some votes away from Obama. I'm sure he is going to be very well funded by the republicans.