Nader says: Rand Paul Leads; Unite Progressives and Libertarians; Impeach Obama

[francisco]

Ralph Nader's America: Impeach Obama, decriminalize drugs, libertarians & progressives unite!

By Jeff Zeleny, Jordyn Phelps, and Alexandra Dukakis

The Fine Print

What if Washington politics were no longer defined by partisan gridlock but instead by a cross-party alliance that forged solutions? The alliance would be unstoppable.

That’s the premise of the new book “Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State” by longtime political activist and five-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who contends that such a left-right alliance is not just the stuff of imagination but is actually emerging.

“On Capitol Hill, I'm seeing more and more in Congress, left and right,” Nader told “The Fine Print.” “It was a vote in the House over a year ago over the NSA snooping, it almost broke through … so we're beginning to see formulations that once they click together, they're unstoppable.”

Nader was referring to a vote in July 2013 over a measure known as the Amash Amendment that would have curtailed the National Security Agency’s ability to collect bulk phone call data. The measure narrowly failed by 12 votes, in part due to a concerted White House lobbying effort on Capitol Hill.

Nader expects there is going to be a growth of left-right alliances in Congress, pointing to the war on drugs and bank regulatory efforts as areas of possibly confluence. On the war on drugs, Nader said that the United States should entirely decriminalize and move to regulate all drugs in the same way alcohol and tobacco are regulated.

“Tobacco leads to the deaths of over 400,000 Americans, hard drugs lead perhaps to 8,000,” Nader said. “People who are addicted should not be viewed as criminals. They should be a health problem, the way it is in alcoholism and tobacco.”

But Nader qualified that the success of his envisioned left-right alliance is dependent on strong leaders. He said Sen. Rand Paul, son of Ron Paul, has the potential to be a leader for the alliance, but added that he thinks the Kentucky Republican has certain shortcomings as a leader.

“He’s a mixed bag, you know, he's evolving. He's broadening his issues that he's talking about and they’re beginning to resonate,” Nader said. “On the other hand … he has problems dealing with people.”

Paul’s “problems” aside, Nader predicted that he will be “the one to beat” in 2016 in a Republican contest that is also likely to also include Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. He also made it clear what he does not want to see in 2016: A Jeb Bush - Hillary Clinton matchup.

“You want a dull campaign? Try Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton in 2016,” Nader said. “It'll only be exciting for people who are interested in dynasties and personalities.” [emphasis added]

Full article is posted at Yahoo and now on Drudge

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/power-players-abc-news/ralph-naders-america-impeach-obama-decriminalize-drugs-libertarians-progressives-unite-110418813.html

[francisco]

Update: This is making heads explode over at DU, LOL

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024886387

[anaconda]

I really like Ralph as a person and for being ostensibly against special interests. The guy is well meaning and absolutely genuine.

[anaconda]

Update: This is making heads explode over at DU, LOL

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024886387

What a scary site. What a bunch of sheep. And, for the love of god, why do people call themselves "anarcho-socialists?" Is that a oxymoron?

[cajuncocoa]

What a scary site. What a bunch of sheep. And, for the love of god, why do people call themselves "anarcho-socialists?" Is that a oxymoron?
I guess it's legitimate if they voluntarily share everything equally

[mz10]

What does "problems dealing with people" mean?

[francisco]

What does "problems dealing with people" mean?

I had the same question. I've never seen evidence of Rand being "difficult". To the contrary, he makes it a point to defuse conflict and try to find common ground--pitching Liberty to each audience in terms of the issues that are important to them. That's not pandering, it is smart and the way to attract support from neglected constituencies. I only wish that he would make the the same explicit observation to every audience that his Dad did /does: (paraphrasing: "Freedom brings us together").

In the remark about "problems dealing with people", I wonder if Nader is confusing Cruz's persona with Rand's. There was an article last week in the WSJ about how isolated Cruz is, even among his fellow Republicans:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB40001424052702303873604579494001552603692?mg=ren o64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB4000 1424052702303873604579494001552603692.html

[Natural Citizen]

I really like Ralph as a person and for being ostensibly against special interests. The guy is well meaning and absolutely genuine.

Yep. I like Ralph too.

[fr33]

What does "problems dealing with people" mean?

He means that we should all "share the wealth" and Rand doesn't want to do that.

[anaconda]

What does "problems dealing with people" mean?

Rand seems to increasingly enjoy interacting with people in general and seems to make a positive impact. So I would disagree completely with the accusation.

The accusation from the left is that Rand gets prickly and in a knee jerk manner when he's attacked with personal issues (Plagiarism & Jack Hunter...nothing else really comes to mind). I think maybe I heard Mark Halperin say it. And Jennifer Rubin, too, if memory serves. I believe the inference is that Rand's buttons can be too easily pushed for him to be a level headed President.

[francisco]

Rand seems to increasingly enjoy interacting with people in general and seems to make a positive impact. So I would disagree completely with the accusation. The accusation from the left is that Rand gets prickly and in a knee jerk manner when he's attacked with personal issues. Plagiarism & Jack Hunter. Nothing else really comes to mind. I think maybe I heard Mark Halperin say it. And Jennifer Rubin, too, if memory serves.

Ah, Miss Congeniality herself

[muh_roads]

Update: This is making heads explode over at DU, LOL

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024886387

It's like a bunch of zombies pounding their keyboards and making fart sounds.

[The Rebel Poet]

Oh, most definitely," Nader said when asked if Congress should bring forward articles of impeachment against Obama. "The reason why Congress doesn't want to do it is because it's abdicated its own responsibility under the Constitution.Is anyone in the mood for some bacon wings? Cause Ralph Nader is officially more conservative than the entire GOP.

(Yes, I'm aware that my statement is hyperbolic.)

[Inkblots]

It's like a bunch of zombies pounding their keyboards and making fart sounds.

The scary thing is, those people are very likely better informed and have a more extensive grasp of the issues than the average voter. Just let that sink in for a moment.

[Shane Harris]

The scary thing is, those people are very likely better informed and have a more extensive grasp of the issues than the average voter. Just let that sink in for a moment.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO8jpo5E48Q

[jtstellar]

The scary thing is, those people are very likely better informed and have a more extensive grasp of the issues than the average voter. Just let that sink in for a moment.

or maybe just disgruntled usps workers

[charrob]

The scary thing is, those people are very likely better informed and have a more extensive grasp of the issues than the average voter. Just let that sink in for a moment.

Not really. Democratic Underground is not a good example. Democrats and Greens are not the same, and many Greens hate the Democrats and Republicans equally. Better sites for Greens would be DemocracyNow, CommonDreams.org, ReaderSupportedNews, OpedNews, etc. And the commenters are of a higher caliber.

I agree with Ralph and would like to see the Libertarians and Greens come together on issues they agree on.

--foreign interventionism
--foreign "aid" both military and to the numerous NGO's (ie. USAID, NED, etc.).
--the drug "war"
--the out-of-control prison system
--police brutality
--the second amendment
--civil liberties as a whole
--trade pacts like the TPP, WTO
--the Fed
--social issues (gay marriage, etc.)
--crony capitalism

All of the above are issues both groups agree on.

[Vanguard101]

When a true progressive tells you to impeach Obama, you know your POTUS is a terrible president.

[anaconda]

Not really. Democratic Underground is not a good example. Democrats and Greens are not the same, and many Greens hate the Democrats and Republicans equally. Better sites for Greens would be DemocracyNow, CommonDreams.org, ReaderSupportedNews, OpedNews, etc. And the commenters are of a higher caliber.

I agree with Ralph and would like to see the Libertarians and Greens come together on issues they agree on.

--foreign interventionism
--foreign "aid" both military and to the numerous NGO's (ie. USAID, NED, etc.).
--the drug "war"
--the out-of-control prison system
--police brutality
--the second amendment
--civil liberties as a whole
--trade pacts like the TPP, WTO
--the Fed
--social issues (gay marriage, etc.)
--crony capitalism

All of the above are issues both groups agree on.

I wouldn't have guessed Greens to be pro 2nd Amendment. Imagine how much better of a President Cynthia McKinney (Green 2008) would have been over Barry.

[CPUd]

What a scary site. What a bunch of sheep. And, for the love of god, why do people call themselves "anarcho-socialists?" Is that a oxymoron?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XYEJIL27oo

[James Madison]

Progressives are no friends of liberty, people. Proceed with extreme caution.

[Vanguard101]

What a scary site. What a bunch of sheep. And, for the love of god, why do people call themselves "anarcho-socialists?" Is that a oxymoron?

It's a legitimate and decent philosophy.

[muh_roads]

Progressives are no friends of liberty, people. Proceed with extreme caution.

People lean more Libertarian than they realize if they can just break free from the boob tube control.

Democrats can be reached. Liberal sites like truthout tend to question "The One" more so than most. Their editors are conflicted. There are others.

I used to be Democrat. When they took back control in 2006 and did nothing, it was obvious to me that Nader was right back in 2000 when I first heard of him.

[MRK]

Progressives are no friends of liberty, people. Proceed with extreme caution.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7VaZE

[KingNothing]

What a scary site. What a bunch of sheep. And, for the love of god, why do people call themselves "anarcho-socialists?" Is that a oxymoron?

Yes, as is the term anarcho-communist. Anarcho-capitalist, anarcho-socialist, and anarcho-communist all boil down to the same thing: Leaving people be, and voluntarily helping those in need. If force is initiated, the "anarcho-" piece of this completely destroyed.

[KingNothing]

Progressives are no friends of liberty, people. Proceed with extreme caution.


Agreed. In nearly every instance, progressives support increasing state power. How they've managed to brand themselves as populist and of-the-people in spite of that is entirely beyond me, and it probably represents a failing of libertarian messaging.

[anaconda]

It's a legitimate and decent philosophy.

Guess I need to read up. My first question going forward is how the property is rationed. And by whom.

[Aratus]

this is the Ralph Nader i remember from decades ago...

[dannno]

Progressives are no friends of liberty, people. Proceed with extreme caution.

Ralph Nader is more of an anti-corporatist.