It appears that Ralph Nader’s Oregon nominating convention did not bring in the 1000 registered voters he needed to gain a place on the November ballot. Only 700 or less Nader supporters showed up. Nader’s forces have been boasting that the process of getting Nader on the ballot would be a cake walk. If the numbers hold Nader will not be on the ballot against Kerry and Bush.
Failure to do so would be a blow for Nader, who has been counting on using his traditional strong showing in Oregon to make it the first state where he would qualify for the ballot.Earlier Monday, former Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean warned that "a vote for Ralph Nader is the same as a vote for George Bush."
Dean urged Oregon's voters to ignore the independent's presidential bid and stick with presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry.
"The only way to send President Bush back to Crawford, Texas, is to vote for John Kerry because, unfortunately, a vote for Ralph Nader is the same as a vote for George Bush," Dean said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
Nader should take the low turn out as a sign that no one will again take him seriously as a political figure after the role he played in helping to elect George W. Bush in 2000.
