Why Ralph Nader?

If you aren't yet clear on the whole Monkeyfist near-obsession with Ralph Nader and the Green Party, well, then, we've been doing a bad job of explaining it to you. If you're over 40, you probably already know about Nader, and thus you probably don't wonder 'why Nader?' But since the Monkeyfist audience is heavily tilted toward the under-30 crowd, I think Nader may need an introduction.

Nader is far and away the most qualified candidate for the job. A convincing argument could be made that Nader is better-suited and qualified to lead an American democratic renewal than anyone since FDR. (By the way, if you wonder why America needs democratic renewal, I suspect there's nothing I can say to convince you to see the merits of a Nader presidency.) He's spent his entire life working tirelessly on a staggeringly long list of concrete reforms and innovations, all of which aim at an overarching goal: returning American democracy to American citizens. Nader's life work is the renewal of American civic and political culture as radically democratic. If you can think your way clear of facile ideological labels, you'll find that Nader's reforms aren't liberal or conservative, but, rather, radically democratic.

But I should really just get out of the way and let you ponder Nader's own description of what it will require to remake American democracy. First promulgated in 1992, the Concord Principles are as relevant today as ever. If after reading and thinking carefully about the Concord Principles, you still wonder 'why Nader?', then you may find Monkeyfist a bit boring in the next few months as we try to cover his campaign -- and the Green Party -- in detail.

For those of you who grok 'why Nader?', watch this space carefully for the formal launch of Monkeyfist's Nader Watch site. We'll be supplementing the official Nader campaign site with on-the-ground reports of Nader campaign events, campaign news, etc. Stay tuned.