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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, October 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 19, 2004 Since WE Asked: Ralph Nader and the Oregon ballot As we type, activist and candidate Ralph Nader has been ordered by the courts to have a spot on the Oregon presidential ballot. While legal maneuvers continue, we wondered about the impact of the third candidate and the legitimacy of his candidacy. We asked: Should Ralph Nader be on the Oregon ballot as a candidate for president and, if he is, who benefits the most from this? Your answers follow. Please take a few moments after reading through them to answer our new question — a change-of-pace offering based on the feature story in the Life section of our Sunday, Sept. 19 paper. Advertisement If he can meet the requirements ethically, without assistance from those who simply wants to use him as a spoiler, that's fine. Only Nader benefits. — Darryl E., Eagle Point No! And I wonder to what extent the Bush campaigners are supporting Nader, since clearly it is only the Republicans who will benefit from Nader being on the Oregon ballot. — G. Wright, White City Seeking to bar candidates from participation for political advantage is reprehensible and anti-democratic. It should be easier, rather than harder for anyone to get on a ballot at any level; and the criteria should be the same for all parties and candidates, rather than favoring "The Big Two." As to who benefits, the answer is everyone, as it puts a broader range of ideas, perspectives, and solutions into the arena. The "it steals votes from ‘legitimate’ candidates" argument does not hold water; it is a barometer of peoples' true feelings about issues and answers that 'either/or' choices don't provide. — Clyde & Susan J., Hot Springs, South Dakota No ... and President Bush benefits. Those interested in seeing Bush out of office should NOT vote for Nader. — C. Jones, Central Point Ralph Nader should definitely be kept on the ballot. Whether or not I agree with the reasons for him running shouldn't be at issue. Any person who chooses to run for President and does what is necessary to be on the ballot should be, what with the United States being a capitalistic, democratic Republic. It's more important that people make informed decisions before choosing to make their votes. As for who will benefit most from his candidacy, it's hard to say. While it may seem like the Republican party would gain benefit from those who vote Nader over Kerry, I imagine there are some out there who would vote for Nader instead of Bush, simply because they don't like Bush, and don't want to give extra votes to the Democrat. — Jon A., White City Yes, for five reasons: 1) Nader opposes Bush and Kerry in ways that could win majority support: ax WTO, end tax on incomes under $100,000, troops out and grubby corporate hands off Iraq in six months, hunt down terrorists don't bomb and occupy nations to create new ones with our troops sitting ducks, end Patriot Act's cowardly surrender of civil liberties to terrorism, demand government and corporations serve the People not vice versa, displace social and environmental slash and burn industries with safe and wholesome alternatives, force corporations to institute terrorism-prevention measures like the hardened cockpits the airline execs scoffed at Nader for demanding they install 30 years ago, institute a quality-of-life-and-liberty Presidency. 2) Polls show 80,000 want to vote for him (30 of Oregon's 36 counties and every city but Portland and Eugene have fewer registered voters). 3) 18,000 validly signed to put him on the ballot when only 15,000 are required. 4) Secretary of State Bill Bradbury tried to invalidate already county- validated voter signatures simply for appearing on unnumbered sheets or because he found them illegible, including the confident swirl of one Multnomah County Deputy D.A. 5) Nader on the ballot hurts only the unpatriotic corporate interests who have hijacked both major parties to try to reinstate the same paternalistic aristocratic reign that provoked a revolution in 1776. — Joseph C., Portland Ralph Nader should be on the ballot. The whole nation will benefit, since it may help keep Kerry from being elected.— Jim A., Cyberspace Judge says put Nader on ballot. Bradbury has no authority to invalidate signatures or count early votes. Benefit: Bradbury can't bend/break the rules. Yeah! — Mary S., Medford This Week’s Question I don’t know about you, but we here at the Since WE Asked branch of Since You Asked World Headquarters are tied of politics. So, taking a cue from our story about T-shirts in the Sept. 19 paper, we go in a completely different direction. We ask: If you could wear a T-shirt that would express you view on life, what would be printed on it? Please keep your answers brief and on the issue at hand. Responses received without your name and town can not be considered for publication. All responses will appear on the Web site a week from today. You may submit your answer by using the form here on the Web site, or you may respond directly to [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities