Remember a few months ago when Nader hosted a rally in Oregon and no one showed up? The purpose of the gathering was to meet the state’s threshold to qualify him for the state presidential ballot. The rally was a debacle and Nader could be heard muttering to himself in the hallway afterward, wondering why the turnout was so bad.
Well, the campaign is giving it another shot this weekend, only this time, Nader’s getting some help from his biggest fans — Bush supporters.
Two conservative groups have been phoning people around Oregon this week, urging them to attend Ralph Nader’s convention Saturday in hopes of putting Nader’s name on Oregon’s presidential ballot.
The groups make no bones about their goal to draw votes away from Democrat John Kerry and help President Bush win this battleground state in November.
“We disagree with Ralph Nader’s politics, but we’d love to see him make the ballot,” said Russ Walker of Citizens for a Sound Economy, a group best known for its opposition to tax increases.
The Oregon Family Council also has been working the phones to boost attendance at Nader’s event with the idea that it could help Bush this fall.
“We aren’t bashful about doing it,” said Mike White, the group’s director. “We are a conservative, pro-family organization, and Bush is our guy on virtually every issue.”
Kos has a picture of one of the conservative mailings, which explains that GOP exploitation of Nader’s lunacy will be key to “stop[ping] John Kerry from winning in Oregon” and that participation in this weekend’s Nader rally could help make “the difference in a razor-thin presidential election.”