It's official: He's a spoiler.
What the hell is wrong with Ralph Nader? This candidacy of his has no legitimacy at all.

Does he think the country will be in such bad shape by the end of Bush's second term people will finally want to vote for him? More likely, it would be Pat Buchanan, anyway. Ralph could be his Veep!

But, pish posh on that. He says its a big democratic plot:

From the Philadelphia Inquirer

Nader still insists that Al Gore lost the 2000 race all by himself, but, in most quarters, Nader's image as a spoiler is well established, particularly because the latest polls in key states (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida) demonstrate that Kerry's prospects for beating President Bush could be greatly reduced by Nader's presence.

Case in point: If the election were held today with Nader off the Pennsylvania ballot, Kerry would win the state by 6 points; with Nader on, Kerry would win by 1. The respected Quinnipiac Poll says Nader's biggest reservoir of support is in the Philadelphia suburbs, particularly among independent women.

"Nader is trying to kill us," says Dan Morabito, who directs the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. "Despite the fact that we have half a million more registered Democrats than Republicans here, we regularly lose big elections. So, in a competitive presidential race, we have to be worried about Nader. He could cost us the state."

But, there's also this:

Portland, Ore., June 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Presidential candidate Ralph Nader is relying on support from right wing Republicans to qualify for the ballot in Oregon, a move demonstrating that his campaign is being used as tool by the GOP to hurt the presumptive Democratic candidate, Sen. John Kerry.

With Nader needing 1,000 people to attend his convention today, conservative groups are calling on their members to show up and support Nader so he can be on the ballot as a spoiler in Oregon. Under the state's laws, if 1,000 people show up at a convention and sign petitions, a candidate can be on the ballot. Nader drew only 741 at a previous attempt.

Russ Walker, of the Citizens for a Sound Economy, told reporters: "We disagree with Ralph Nader's politics, but we'd love to see him make the ballot.''

Salon.com

On June 27, the Oregon chapter of Citizens for a Sound Economy -- led nationally by former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey and financed by the corporate interests that Nader has opposed -- phoned members and said, 'Nader could peel away a lot of Kerry support in Oregon ... Liberals are trying to unite [but] we could divide this base of support' by signing up for Nader."

And Rupert Murdoch is doing his part:

"Nader's new book, which arrived in stores this week and kicks off his presidential campaign, is being published by Rupert Murdoch. Chairman of the expansive conglomerate News Corp., the conservative

Murdoch has been a chief advocate for more than two decades of extensive media deregulation. And his HarperCollins is not only publishing Nader's "The Good Fight: Declare Your Independence and Close the Democracy Gap" but providing the candidate with expensive public relations promotion and media bookings."

See also Eric Boehlert at on the media

Go to Hell...Michigan

The Michigan Republican Party submitted more than 40,000 signatures last week in a bid to get independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader on the state's November ballot

Nader's campaign, assuming that he would run with the Reform Party there, stopped collecting signatures more than a month ago -- and turned in fewer than 6,000 of them by Thursday's deadline. He needed about 30,000 valid signatures to qualify as an independent.

Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese said the campaign still hopes to run with the state's Reform Party. But he said it may have to use the Republican-sponsored signatures: "We have to get on the ballot somehow."

Wow, the first and second world's oldest professions all in one campaign!