Ralph Nader brought his independent campaign for president to a San Francisco rally Friday night and warned nervous Democrats that he's in the race to stay.
"I want to beat Bush, and I don't want to rely on the Democratic Party," he said in an interview Friday with the Chronicle. "The Democrats have become very good at electing very bad Republicans."
Nader promises to shift the nation's tax burden "from work to the wealthy,'' revising the system so that businesses, investors and the rich pay more. He would boost taxes on capital gains and dividends and repeal Bush's tax cuts.
He would increase the federal minimum wage to $8.20 an hour from the current $5.15 and quickly move it to $10. Nader also backs a universal health care plan and vowed to remove all U.S. forces from Iraq in six months, which he calls the most important issue in the 2004 election.
Nader also wants to change the election system, calling for public funding of campaigns, same-day voter registration, free television time for qualified candidates, instant runoff voting and proportional representation in Congress for minor parties.
And this is what I want. The last time I had to declare party affiliation, I chose Green. So why do I feel frustrated with Nader's position/role in the federal process? Have I been seduced by the spoiler hype?
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