The following letter is from Ralph Nader. I am not sure that I agree with Ralph's publicly asking Moore for an apology. Like most Democrats, Moore just went with the "He's not Bush" theory of voting. It didn't work, obviously, and was a horrible waste of hundreds of millions of dollars of effort, but you can't blame people for trying -- there didn't appear to be much of a choice.
Still, I do understand how much frustration Ralph must have felt-- he wanted to offer that choice to people and had a genuine platform which would have stood up well against the Republicans-- and instead he had to spend almost all of his efforts and funds just getting onto the ballot.
For someone like Ralph, there can be nothing more galling than having his very right to be heard being actively opposed by former allies like Moore who had joined with the Democratic Party ...Therefore I find it hard to blame Nader for venting a little of his anger.
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Will the Real Michael Moore Ever Re-emerge?
December 8, 2004
Dear Michael,
Will the real Michael Moore ever re-emerge and shut the door on his theatre of the absurd? It was a wild and crazy run, was it not, Michael? Weeks of standing before large college audiences mixing a potion of book and movie promotions with a message that was more laughable than producing laughter. You told the young men and women that “George W. Bush and John Kerry both suck. Vote for Kerry.” That is supposed to be “cool?” Here you were -- against the Iraq War occupation, pro-justice for the Palestinian people, against the Patriot Act, against the swollen military budget and you were telling the university students to vote for Kerry who is on the complete opposite side of these issues.
Now that you no longer have to pose as a “least-worster”, with no more tactical excuses, what is your post-election confession? So far your website has dodged this question, unless that is you have no reflections on the merit of abandoning both your principles and your authentically progressive friends for candidates – - Kerry and Edwards—who so often performed as crypto-Republicans during the campaign.
They were unable to stand for much of anything – - not standing against the war or for an anti-poverty agenda, for corporate reform, for consumer justice, or for cracking down on the epidemic of corporate crime, fraud and abuse. They could not even stand up for the simple right of wrongfully injured and defrauded Americans to have their full day in court without tort deform handcuffing judges and juries by the Bushistas. Ah, remember your strong stands in 2000 on these and other such matters? Some excerpts are on our website votendader.org for your recollection. You had more moxy before the Academy Awards in 2003 than you had on your campaign trail this year.
Michael, you have to rehabilitate yourself and remove the stains of your political apostasy. Get off your self-demeaning “Bill Maher Show knees” and once again confront the forces of corporate power and domination. Jettison your image as the Court Jester for the Democratic Party and its serial, crude violations of other candidates’ civil liberties to be on the ballot, to express their freedom of speech regarding a just society and world inside the electoral arena without being subjected to dirty tricks, hired corporate law firms, phony lawsuits, harassment and intimidation of signature gatherers.
Redeem yourself or forever be consigned to history’s judgment of political turncoats, renegades and saboteurs.
You can start this redemption by contributing toward the expenses of those disillusioned young people on our campaign, who wondered throughout this year what was happening to their cinematic Captain Courageous, and urging your wondering email list to visit our website and do likewise.
Merry Christmas and a stand-up New Year!
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader
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