I'm wondering what my fellow activists are thinking about Ralph Nader's performance on NPR's "All Things Considered" this afternoon. The guy really got his back up about folks he termed "liberals" asking him not to run this time around. Fact of the matter is, a whole lot of folks far more radical than your basic liberal are asking him not to throw his hat in the ring, even his former campaign manager, but apparently Ralph doesn't view such pleading as coming from friends and supporters. He just went off about his fucking right to run, calling such genuine concern "censorship". Wake up, Ralph. We're talking about neo-fascists in the Whitehouse, the biosphere and the Constitution going down the tubes, and you're worried about your bruised ego?

I worked with a street theater group during the 2000 presidential campaign. We had a piece in Massachusetts called "The Marriage of Gush & Bore". Of course, it was a duopoly-bashing bit of theatrics and we were, for the most part, supporting Ralph. One of the thoughts i entertained during that period was that even if Bush did win (which he didn't),the neo-con onslaught would finally galvanize the people and reset the clock at something resembling sanity. That's happening now. We had a million people in the streets on the Eastside last year at this time. You know something's happening, but it seems Ralph does not.

In any case, Nader said during the NPR interview that he'd make up his mind in the next few weeks as to whether he'd run or not. I know the duopoly sucks and the wheels have fallen off the electoral system, but i'd rather be struggling with some poser Dem in 2005 than sitting with all of you in some ratty-ass internment camp, or worse.

Do us all a favor, ok? Send ralph a note here: <info@naderexplore04.org> and ask him to get off his high horse and join us in the streets where he belongs.