Editorial: It’s all about his ego

Friday, July 9, 2004 | 8:47 a.m.

Consumer advocate and left-leaning presidential candidate Ralph Nader cultivates the image of an idealist, but his own actions this year belie that perception: he is very capable of swimming with sharks. Nader, who has had trouble getting his name on state ballots this year, sought and received the nomination of the Reform Party, which in 2000 nominated right-wing candidate Pat Buchanan. To get an idea of how far to the right the Reform Party was last election, its platform advocated that doctors should be executed if they perform abortions.

Nader also doesn't mind getting financial help from Republicans who cynically are trying to get him on as many ballots as possible. They hope he'll drain votes away from Democrat John Kerry, just like he did in 2000 with Al Gore. Although Nader received less than 3 percent of the vote, he still siphoned enough votes from Gore to throw the closest U.S. election in history to George W. Bush. Nader, whose new book has the unintentionally ironic title of "The Good Fight," is willing to cost Democrats control of the White House again in what promises to be another close election.

Bush's policies have hurt the economy, foreign policy and the environment. That's why it's so shameful that Nader, who has devoted so much of his life to standing up for the little guy and exposing corporate wrongdoing, would continue this vanity presidential bid, which could possibly result in Bush getting another four years in the White House.