Nader rally runs out of gas before parade starts
Steve Myers, Rocky Mountain News
Published August 25, 2008 at 4:25 p.m.
CIVIC CENTER PARK -- The Ralph Nader for President campaign in Colorado revved up to start its demonstration march this morning at the onset of the Democratic National Convention. All six supporters were ready to go, leaflets in hand, their 15-foot-tall brown beer bottle protest balloon was inflated and tied down on the trailer behind the 18-year-old silver Ford F-150 pickup.
Then disaster struck -- the generator powering the air-pump that kept the balloon afloat died. Out of gas. The giant balloon shriveled and went limp. One of the Naderites sprinted off for the nearest gas station.
"We're trying to draw attention to our rally Wednesday night," said Jenny Przekwas, 42, a professional gardener from Denver who is the Colorado coordinator for Nader's independent campaign for president. Nader will be at the University of Denver's Magness Arena at 6 p.m. "You know who is sponsoring the presidential debates? Anheuser-Busch. Check the facts."
From 1996-2004, the beer company has been one of several corporate sponsors of the nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates, which coordinates the annual fall debates. Nader, a consumer advocate and perennial presidential candidate, has been excluded from presidential debates and blames corporate sponsors for influencing the commission.
Thus, the giant beer-bottle float sporting the slogan: "Open up the debates." Nader wants a chance to debate John McCain and Barack Obama this fall.
"We have a giant contraption, an opener that uncaps the bottle," Przekwas said. "Get it. Open up the debates."
The gas can arrives and the generator starts right up and the balloon is quickly refilled. Nineteen minutes late, the Nader for President parade finally begins, following a police vehicle that looks more like a tricked out golf cart with mag wheels and cop lights on top.
After a block, the tethers holding the balloon to a trailer come loose and the balloon teeters over, and the Nader volunteers shout for Przekwas to stop the pickup towing the contraption.
"This is such a nightmare," she said.
A few blocks later, a gray-haired, bearded man in a tattered denim coat and carrying a picket sign joins the six Naderites.
"Who is that guy?" Przekwas asked, as the man turns and shows his sign. "Oh, he's a 'Vote 4 Jesus' guy.
"That's OK. We're all inclusive."
Honks and waves greet the protest all along the way. But another problem arises at intersection of Stout Street and Speer Boulevard. The overhead electric lines that power Denver's light-rail trains are too low, and the beer bottle has to be untethered and bent so the procession can pass under safely.
Nader's big message is so true, Przekwas said, Corporations have too much power and influence in American politics, he said.
"It's not that corporations are bad," she continued. "But corporations need to be the servants of the people."
Police ended the parade at Lawrence Street and Speer Boulevard. The rest of the protest route to the Pepsi Center and the Democratic National Convention is only open to protesters on foot. Przekwas loaded her Naderites into the back of the pickup and headed back to the campaign office.
"It's too bad we couldn't take our message all the way to Pepsi Center," she said. "The Jesus guy got to go all the way."
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August 25, 2008
4:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
KING writes:
O' poor Ralph Nader can't get into debates....well you should see the blatant disregard for the McCain-Feingold bill that transpired against the Libertarian party a short time ago that kept Barr out of the debates despite his polling 10% in some states
August 25, 2008
5:02 p.m.
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mytwosense writes:
This is sad. Land of the Free, yeah, right. More like Land of the Two Parties That Are Increasingly Indistinguishable.
August 26, 2008
3:20 p.m.
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betterthannader writes:
of course, leave it to the corporate media to report on small problems of the campaign and not say a word about any of its huge successes (and they are incredibly huge considering the totally unfair playing field and almost complete media blackout)--like polling at 6% (again, with virtually no media coverage) and meeting the extremely difficult ballot access requirements of 39 states (so far).
in any event, where you seem to see a candidate and voters to mock, i see great beauty. people making personal sacrifices to stand up for the millions of people who will die needlessly each year regardless of which corporate candidate may be elected. kind of like the anti-slavery party supporters, who were not willing to support the lesser evil between the Demorcrats and Whigs, regardless of how many people told them they would achieve nothing, so they could ultimately successfully push the anti-slavery issue.
to simplemind: i find it interesting that people say Nader's irrelevant but then say he was relevant enough to supposedly have cost Gore the election. i find it interesting that, like Ashley Sanders said, "these days I guess a viable candidate is someone who has impressed enough rich people that they can't help the poor, enough mercenaries that they've forgotten the civilians, and enough people with bad ideas that they've forgotten how to think." and i find it interesting that you believe the voices and beliefs of the 6% of American voters (many millions of people) who support Nader don't even deserve to be heard in the debates.
August 26, 2008
3:27 p.m.
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FranklyLibertarian writes:
The issue is getting voices beyond the two major political parties heard. Our current plurality election voting system subverts democracy (rather than encourage participation we label them spoilers and clones, our system blames them for the homogenization of opinion). I suggest we all read: William Poundstone's book _Gaming the Vote, Why Elections Aren't Fair (and What We Can Do About It)_ and visit RangeVoting.org. At RangeVoting.org there is a discussion of how Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) also perpetuates the two party system. Let's change the rules so democracy will work better. Good luck all.