Nader

So Ralph Nader is running again. Up until now, it had seemed that this representative democracy was fighting to be run by either the product of a very successful marketing campaign or by the policies that are based on politics of fear. Candidates of both parties have been, so far, superb representatives of special interests and lobbyists, crossing so-called bipartisan lines and working together towards the same goal, while stepping all over the constitution.

Unlike what the media after the 2000 election would like to have you believe, Nader is not a “spoiler”. He speaks in the name of the disenfranchised voters, as they are called, who would not have voted had he not been in the race. He caters to a very progressive but tiny base, that has no grand illusions of victory, but a simple request of having its agenda discussed. Whether it’s ending corporate control of Washington and The War On Drugs, repealing NAFTA and The Patriot Act, supporting a more humanitarian foreign policy, reducing America’s addiction to oil or addressing immigration as part of a “worldwide economic justice”… he addresses issues in a way that no other candidate does. Nader represented those who agreed with him when he said that his opponents were “Tweedledee and Tweedledum they look and act the same, so it doesn’t matter which you get“, in reference to Gore and Bush.

Issues that should not even be raised such as abortion, personal faith and a constitutional amendment to gay marriage are often discussed while these topics are ignored. Kucinich and Gravel were deemed a waste of time before their withdrawals and rarely given a platform, and the same goes for Ron Paul right now. Had they been given more time and media attention, issues more essential to the average American might have been raised. Nader will attempt to reframe the issues, and when he made his announcement on Meet the Press, he was quick to justify his right and need to run: “Twenty-four percent of the people are satisfied with the state of the country, according to Gallup. That’s about the lowest ranking ever. Sixty-one percent think both major parties are failing,” he said. “You have to ask yourself as a citizen, Should we elaborate on the issues that the two [parties] are not elaborating [on]?”. Inconvenient or not, I guess this is in defense of any third party candidate. But specially the road trip for Ralph.

Recommendation: Haven’t seen it yet, but this film aims to shed some more light on Nader’s long career.

Obamania

Shepard Fairey

The Date Farmers

Shepard Fairey (famous for his Obey posters plastered everywhere in L.A and the world) and The Date Farmers endorse Obama. They are selling their art online and will be using the proceeds to make more posters for the Obama campaign.Nice, I specially like the Date Farmers’ one, but this is becoming a bit too cultish for my taste.

While I have been Obamatized, excuse me if I’m not an Obamabot, don’t have Obama-rama or an Obasam every time Obamessiah speaks. Granted, I’ll take Obamerica over McCain’s America any day of the week, but can someone ask Obama what kind of change he’s talking about, and how he plans on achieving it?