Readers React: Stop blaming Ralph Nader for Al Gore’s loss in 2000
To the editor: It’s unbelievable that 16 years after the 2000 presidential election, political commentators like Jonah Goldberg still make the fatuous claim that Green Party nominee Ralph Nader was responsible for Democrat Al Gore losing Florida and the presidency. (“Could we see a four-way race for president?” Opinion, May 24)
Gore lost because 200,000 Democrats voted against him in Florida, electoral chaos reigned, and he failed to win his home state of Tennessee.
Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of Republican George W. Bush has now been completely nullified in the eyes of history by none other than former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who voted for Bush. Now she says, “It turned out the election authorities in Florida hadn’t done a real good job there and kind of messed it up.”
Imagine if O’Connor had thought that way in December 2000. Gore may have become president, and Nader would have had nothing to do with the results.
Clive Leeman, Ojai
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