It seems Ralph Nader’s campaign is not quite the well-oiled machine it would need to be to help achieve its goal: help Bush win a second term. The campaign is not only struggling to make the ballot in key states, it doesn’t even have the money it needs to mount a credible effort.
Ralph Nader, the independent presidential candidate, is raising far less money this year than he did in 2000, and his campaign is spending more than it is taking in. That could make it difficult for him to remain visible on the homestretch of the race to the White House.
The campaign’s Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings for August show that Nader had raised less than half the money he had amassed in the same period in 2000.
The candidate spent more money in August than was donated to his campaign, leaving the Nader for President 2004 committee with less than $10,000 cash on hand on Aug. 31. His general-election committee had $56,000 cash on hand. At the same point in 2000, Nader had more than $500,000 in reserve.
I knew Nader was struggling to gain traction and his crowds have been dwindling, but I had no idea he was down to $10,000. That’s not only amazing, it’s credible proof that Nader’s base of support simply doesn’t exist in any meaningful form this year.
With such a pittance in his coffers, Nader will find advertising nearly impossible, maintaining campaign offices a serious challenge, and traveling with a campaign staff kind of tricky. His name almost certainly should be left out of any national polls; he’s not really a national candidate.
And I assume he knows better than to turn to his buddies at the Reform “Party” for financial support. Let’s not forget they don’t even have 20 bucks.
The treasurer of the national Reform Party, which is supporting Ralph Nader for president, has told federal election officials that the party has $18.18 in the bank and should be terminated.