Monday, July 26, 2004
Most Democratic delegates believe Nader's candidacy won't hurt Kerry.
HARRISBURG (AP) -- Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader needs at least 25,697 signatures to get on Pennsylvania's ballot for the Nov. 2 general election, and his campaign workers say they are on track to get there.
That, to say the least, makes some Democrats nervous, given that many party members believe Nader's candidacy in Florida four years ago diluted Democratic votes for Al Gore, delivering the state and the election to Republican George W. Bush.
And so with Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry running relatively close in four of the eight biggest electoral prizes -- Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan and Ohio -- 3 1/2 months before the election, some say Nader's candidacy could again be a big factor in the outcome.
"Right now, we're expecting a very close election and a couple percentage points here and there could be a very big swing," said Dan Hayward, executive director of Pennsylvania's Republican Party.
Most Pennsylvania Democrats appear to believe that Nader's influence will be muted.
Of the roughly 100 Pennsylvania delegates to the Democratic National Convention who answered an Associated Press survey question on the subject, more than three-to-one said Nader isn't likely to tilt the election away from Kerry.
But the chairman of Pennsylvania's Democratic Party wasn't so sure. "The fact of the matter is that the 2 or 3 or 4 percent that Nader wins could deliver the state to George Bush and that could deliver the election to George Bush," said T.J. Rooney.
If Democrats are worried, then perhaps it's because Kerry has failed to inspire the rank-and-file, Hayward said.
But Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese said he thinks the Republicans may not be totally galvanized in their support of Bush. "We see lots of breaks in Bush's base that we can take advantage of," Zeese said, citing polling data.
Nader campaign
The left-leaning Nader has worked to get his name on ballots in 46 states and Washington, D.C. Thus far, there are 12 states, including Florida and Michigan, where Nader's campaign has submitted signatures on time or where he can get on the ballot by virtue of being the Reform Party nominee. In one of them, Arizona, his petition was disqualified.
Nader, who ran four years ago as the Green Party candidate, supports universal health care, expanding consumers' civil action rights in court, and a dovish foreign policy. If either major party adopts his platform, it can be considered a success, Zeese said.
Anticipating that Nader will hurt Kerry, Republicans in states like Michigan and Nevada have boosted Nader's effort to get on the ballot, while Democrats in Michigan and Arizona have challenged Nader's petitions.