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Let Ralph Nader Run
Solon Simmons, ICAR Professor
Posted: 03/01/08

[Published, Washington Post, March 1, 2008] Harold Meyerson has long been one of the Left's most trenchant and interesting political analysts, but his artful juxtaposition of Ralph Nader and Fidel Castro was unfair ["Winter of the Patriarchs," op-ed, Feb. 27].

I am as exhilarated by Sen. Barack Obama's moment and the strength of the remaining presidential candidates as the next person, but I found no other way to read this essay but as a gratuitous attack on Ralph Nader's eclectic style of activist politics mixed with a touch of ageism.

Mr. Nader may be misguided or even foolhardy in running again, but he is no Fidel Castro, and there is no need to stoop to such comparisons to fend off a few hundred thousand third-party voters. We all strive in the interest of posterity. Give Mr. Nader a break if he does it his own way.

SOLON J. SIMMONS

Arlington

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ICAR News Network Let Ralph Nader Run Solon Simmons, ICAR Professor Posted: 03/01/08 [Published, Washington Post, March 1, 2008] Harold Meyerson has long been one of the Left's most trenchant and interesting political analysts, but his artful juxtaposition of Ralph Nader and Fidel Castro was unfair ["Winter of the Patriarchs," op-ed, Feb. 27]. I am as exhilarated by Sen. Barack Obama's moment and the strength of the remaining presidential candidates as the next person, but I found no other way to read this essay but as a gratuitous attack on Ralph Nader's eclectic style of activist politics mixed with a touch of ageism. Mr. Nader may be misguided or even foolhardy in running again, but he is no Fidel Castro, and there is no need to stoop to such comparisons to fend off a few hundred thousand third-party voters. We all strive in the interest of posterity. Give Mr. Nader a break if he does it his own way. SOLON J. SIMMONS Arlington News Network Homepage / Armenia / 2008 Elections / Afghanistan / Diplomacy/ Egypt / Environment / Global Peace Index / Health / Immigration / Iraq / Iran / Islam / Kosovo / Nuclear Proliferation / Pakistan / Palestine-Israel / Russia / Somalia / South America / Turkey /		About ICAR Student Information Prospective Students Faculty and Staff Alumni Career Services Academic Programs Library ICAR In The News Events Technology Resources ICAR Publications Point Of View Center Center for World Religions, Diplomacy & Conflict Resolution