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Ralph Nader, whose presidential candidacy infuriated Democrats in the 2000 election, is seriously considering running again next year. He is in the process of "testing the waters", according to his campaign manager.
A Nader campaign would reopen the debate about third-party candidates in the US and the question of what the American left should do in presidential races. He is expected to make a decision within weeks, but the assumption is that he will run.
Mr Nader's 2000 campaign still divides the left. Many Democrats and some independents criticise him for running a last-minute drive in Florida, where he polled many more than the 537 votes dividing the two candidates and, as the Democrats saw it, allowed George Bush to defeat Al Gore.
Mr Nader's supporters have always argued that voters understood the nature of the election and that those who chose Mr Nader would not have voted for the Democratic candidate anyway. They say it was Mr Gore's inept campaign, wooden style and unprogressive politics that led to his defeat.
Theresa Amato, who was Mr Nader's campaign manager in 2000, said yesterday that Mr Nader had set up an exploratory committee "to help him test the waters" - a common feature of electoral politics in the US. She said Mr Nader had been approached by the Green party, whose candidate he had been in 2000, but was also considering running as an independent. "He is exploring all the options," Ms Amato said.
The Greens do not choose their presidential candidate until their convention in Milwaukee in June, but already many members are pressing Mr Nader to stand. The party's secretary, Greg Gerritt, said yesterday Mr Nader had not yet indicated whether he would be available.
"There are many Green party members who would like him to run and at least some members who don't want him to run," said Mr Gerritt. "Is it going to be Nader? The answer is - we don't know."
Recent polls suggest that 23% of voters think Mr Nader should stand. The Greens have 300,000 registered voters in the 20 states where it is possible to register as Green, but believe 500,000 is a truer representation of their strength. There are more than 200 elected Green officials nationally, although most are in minor positions.
Mr Gerritt said Mr Nader had not yet submitted his name in states that have primaries on "super Tuesday" in March. Three candidates have thrown their hats in the ring so far: David Cobb, Kent Mesplay and Lorna Salzman.
At least two others, Carol Miller and Peter Camejo, have indicated that they would come to the convention as "favourite children" of their states, which would give their delegations greater decision-making power.
However, it is likely that if Mr Nader decided to run he would be the party's first choice. Mr Camejo, who ran a much-praised race for the governorship of California in October, yesterday added his voice to those urging Mr Nader to run. He said it would be "an insult" to voters to urge him not to.
"We will not join in this conspiracy against the voters," said Mr Camejo, an adviser on socially responsible investments who marched with Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement.
"The campaign against Nader is a campaign against democracy. They don't want voters to have a choice. I am a very strong supporter of Nader and find the whole campaign against him extremely insulting."
Choice
Mr Camejo said that 99% of voters were well aware that there was no run-off in a presidential election, and knew exactly what effect their votes would have in a tight race.
He said it was important they had a choice on issues such as the Patriot Act, which allows the FBI to conduct extensive secret surveillance of Americans suspected of links to terrorism. The Greens oppose the act, which Mr Camejo described as "illegal" and unconstitutional, but liberal Democrats voted for it.
Leading Democrats are already expressing dismay at the prospect of Mr Nader's candidacy.
"Bush wants Nader to run and I assume Nader will run," Bob Mulholland, a leading Democratic party strategist, said yesterday. He said the Republicans wanted to split the left's votes. Like many Democrats, he is highly critical of Mr Nader. "I hardly hear a word of criticism of the Bush administration from Nader. He spends most of his time attacking Democrats."
On the left the argument is fierce. Tim Robbins, the actor and leading anti-war campaigner, has defended his support for Mr Nader in speeches since the election.
Division
Others have urged him not to run. In an article headlined Ralph, Don't Run, published in the radical weekly the Nation in November last year, Ronnie Dugger, who presented Mr Nader to the last two Green party conventions, wrote: "We cannot afford another division in our ranks that will bring about the election of George W Bush in 2004. If we divide our votes for president again between the Democratic nominee and Ralph Nader, we will very probably help elect Bush."
Citing civil liberties issues, Mr Dugger said the Bush presidency had been "worse than we could plausibly have imagined". He said the 2004 poll was "not just another election, it is a crisis that leaves us no more time or room to manoeuvre". Mr Dugger, who has also personally urged Mr Nader not to run, said exit-poll data published in 2000 suggested Mr Nader's candidacy had cost Mr Gore about 750,000 votes.
Ralph Nader, whose presidential candidacy infuriated Democrats in the 2000 election, is seriously considering running again next year. He is in the process of "testing the waters", according to his campaign manager.
A Nader campaign would reopen the debate about third-party candidates in the US and the question of what the American left should do in presidential races. He is expected to make a decision within weeks, but the assumption is that he will run.
Mr Nader's 2000 campaign still divides the left. Many Democrats and some independents criticise him for running a last-minute drive in Florida, where he polled many more than the 537 votes dividing the two candidates and, as the Democrats saw it, allowed George Bush to defeat Al Gore.
Mr Nader's supporters have always argued that voters understood the nature of the election and that those who chose Mr Nader would not have voted for the Democratic candidate anyway. They say it was Mr Gore's inept campaign, wooden style and unprogressive politics that led to his defeat.
Theresa Amato, who was Mr Nader's campaign manager in 2000, said yesterday that Mr Nader had set up an exploratory committee "to help him test the waters" - a common feature of electoral politics in the US. She said Mr Nader had been approached by the Green party, whose candidate he had been in 2000, but was also considering running as an independent. "He is exploring all the options," Ms Amato said.
The Greens do not choose their presidential candidate until their convention in Milwaukee in June, but already many members are pressing Mr Nader to stand. The party's secretary, Greg Gerritt, said yesterday Mr Nader had not yet indicated whether he would be available.
"There are many Green party members who would like him to run and at least some members who don't want him to run," said Mr Gerritt. "Is it going to be Nader? The answer is - we don't know."
Recent polls suggest that 23% of voters think Mr Nader should stand. The Greens have 300,000 registered voters in the 20 states where it is possible to register as Green, but believe 500,000 is a truer representation of their strength. There are more than 200 elected Green officials nationally, although most are in minor positions.
Mr Gerritt said Mr Nader had not yet submitted his name in states that have primaries on "super Tuesday" in March. Three candidates have thrown their hats in the ring so far: David Cobb, Kent Mesplay and Lorna Salzman.
At least two others, Carol Miller and Peter Camejo, have indicated that they would come to the convention as "favourite children" of their states, which would give their delegations greater decision-making power.
However, it is likely that if Mr Nader decided to run he would be the party's first choice. Mr Camejo, who ran a much-praised race for the governorship of California in October, yesterday added his voice to those urging Mr Nader to run. He said it would be "an insult" to voters to urge him not to.
"We will not join in this conspiracy against the voters," said Mr Camejo, an adviser on socially responsible investments who marched with Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement.
"The campaign against Nader is a campaign against democracy. They don't want voters to have a choice. I am a very strong supporter of Nader and find the whole campaign against him extremely insulting."
Choice
Mr Camejo said that 99% of voters were well aware that there was no run-off in a presidential election, and knew exactly what effect their votes would have in a tight race.
He said it was important they had a choice on issues such as the Patriot Act, which allows the FBI to conduct extensive secret surveillance of Americans suspected of links to terrorism. The Greens oppose the act, which Mr Camejo described as "illegal" and unconstitutional, but liberal Democrats voted for it.
Leading Democrats are already expressing dismay at the prospect of Mr Nader's candidacy.
"Bush wants Nader to run and I assume Nader will run," Bob Mulholland, a leading Democratic party strategist, said yesterday. He said the Republicans wanted to split the left's votes. Like many Democrats, he is highly critical of Mr Nader. "I hardly hear a word of criticism of the Bush administration from Nader. He spends most of his time attacking Democrats."
On the left the argument is fierce. Tim Robbins, the actor and leading anti-war campaigner, has defended his support for Mr Nader in speeches since the election.
Division
Others have urged him not to run. In an article headlined Ralph, Don't Run, published in the radical weekly the Nation in November last year, Ronnie Dugger, who presented Mr Nader to the last two Green party conventions, wrote: "We cannot afford another division in our ranks that will bring about the election of George W Bush in 2004. If we divide our votes for president again between the Democratic nominee and Ralph Nader, we will very probably help elect Bush."
Citing civil liberties issues, Mr Dugger said the Bush presidency had been "worse than we could plausibly have imagined". He said the 2004 poll was "not just another election, it is a crisis that leaves us no more time or room to manoeuvre". Mr Dugger, who has also personally urged Mr Nader not to run, said exit-poll data published in 2000 suggested Mr Nader's candidacy had cost Mr Gore about 750,000 votes.
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