National PoliticsPosted by sasha at 28 Feb 2008 11:12 am
Matt Gonzalez to run with Nader
Looks like San Francisco’s own Matt Gonzalez will be Ralph Nader’s Vice-Presidential candidate. This isn’t, frankly, much of a surprise to me, or to many of the people who washed their hands of Gonzalez when he walked away from the movement he helped build in his 2003 mayoral run. Or rather the specific shark he chose to jump is, but that he’d choose some sort of quixotic way to seal his fate is not.
UPDATE:
February 28th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Sasha,
Don’t be an ass. I’m going to make a point of happily voting for Nader/Gonzalez in November.
February 28th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
By the way, Sasha, Matt Gonzalez doesn’t owe anybody anything, least of all some sort of “movement he helped build”. He has always done what he thought was right and has done so with the best of intentions — that is good enough for me.
February 28th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
The interesting question to me in all this is whether Nader and Gonzalez will seek the Green Party presidential nomination. As everybody knows, Nader didn’t get the Greens’ nomination in 2004. Will teaming up with Gonzalez help him get it.
I also see this as an opportunity for Gonzalez to revive his political career for the 2011 mayoral election. He’ll be able to claim national stature as a VP candidate — that is if he and Nader get any votes. Nader got 2.7 percent of the national vote as the Green Party candidate in 2000 and just 0.3 percent as an independent in 2004. At that rate, he’ll get 0.03 percent this time.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
They are running as independents, not on the Green ticket.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
I volunteered for Matt’s campaign in 2003..I don’t begrudge him leaving politics in 2004, I don’t begrudge him for not running for Mayor in 2007. This, however, stinks. I won’t be helping Gonzalez ever again for any campaign that he might be running in.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I’m gonna guess that the guy who couldn’t win SF is REALLY gonna help Nader carry his message across the rest of America.
It’s one thing for a has-been to slowly fade into insignificance and even ridicule. But for this privileged kid to hold forth on the progressive credentials of a black community organizer is one hell of a swan song.
It takes this jackass to make Gavin look good by comparison.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
That video is fucking brilliant and says it all. Bravo/a to whoever is responsible.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Good luck to Matt in pursuing his dream. It takes a lot of courage to run on a national ticke, especially with Nader who has lost in the last two races. Good luck to them both.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
And for the record, Gavin Newsom’s father was a judge while he was growing up. His grandfather owned a ski resort. His dad’s best friends were the Gettys. So don’t give that line that Newsom grew up poor in Marin. If you want to know poverty, don’t bother to go to Pumpjack’s.
February 29th, 2008 at 1:14 am
funny local Green electeds are all for Obama…says it all.
February 29th, 2008 at 8:19 am
FIANLLY - someone to vote for!! I was unsure about Nader’s decision to run again this year, but no longer.
I would vote for Gonzalez again (oh yeah) in a heartbeat!!
If the Democrats can’t stand up for me, I will gladly stand up for myself.
Nader / Gonzalez 08!!!
This race just got a whole lot sexier….
March 1st, 2008 at 10:01 am
Hey, I can’t say that all of this hoopla really means very much to me one way or the other…that said, the video was super funny Sasha.
Robert
March 2nd, 2008 at 12:32 am
First off, the video was hilarious. :)
Secondly, I think it’s probably worth it to wait until hearing a little more from Matt before deciding that he’s just on an ego trip and saying he’s now dead to you.
Frankly, I’m a little confused about what the rules are here. Apparently Matt betrayed us by not running for re-election for Supervisor, or by not running for mayor last year, but now that he has emerged from the sidelines, that’s bad too?
According to Matt’s statements to the media, he decided to join Nader’s campaign because he thinks he can do some good to promote issues like electoral reform (if not now, when?), and to offer a critique of Obama’s positions. That sounds pretty good to me.
I don’t see him campaigning against Obama in a nasty way to try to throw the election. I think he’s just doing what a candidate in a normal, healthy democracy should be able to do: run for office if you think you are qualified and can bring something to the debate; use your campaign to promote issues that are important to you and to like-minded people in the country; force your competitor to earn their votes.
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:21 am
Oh…Matt Spencer…that sounds too reasonable. Don’t you know this is the most important election ever? Didn’t you get the memo?
Didn’t we hear about this being the most important elction four years ago…and four years before that?? Isn’t “Change” the campaign theme every election? For an exciting and historic election we sure do hear some familiar and over played / hollow themes.
When dealing with Democrats we can never expect to encounter reason or logic. It IS a sign of a healthy democracy that more than two parties want to run for office. It is vital that we have perspective on the front runners and not be too quick to sign on to affirmations and love making in place of a concrete platform that can be defined and defended.
Earning a vote…what a concept…I hope Nader/Gonzalez get a chance to press their case…it seems that the left and/or progressive side is more interested in handing the election to Obama first and asking questions later.