Nader's Narcissism

It's finally happened. Ralph Nader has thrown his hat in the ring as a Presidential candidate. Why doesn't someone tell this man to just give it up and go away? By his doing this, he's once again displaying his narcissism and his evident desire to throw the election to McCain so that he'll still have causes to pursue. Imagine, if we had a decent President who actually did good things for the country - people like Nader would be out of a job! So it seems like his desire now is to throw this election back to the Republicans so he can keep kicking at the oligarchs who currently run the White House. I just can't believe, after 2000, that he's doing this again! This man seems like a perpetual Don Quixote tilting at windmills. Now, I know that some of you will say that Dennis Kucinich displays some of the same qualities, but no, Kucinich bowed out when it became apparent that he couldn't muster the support he needed to maintain a viable Presidential candidacy, and he did so quite gracefully. And I admire him for that fact. Nader, on the other hand, appears to want to play the perpetual role of campaign spoiler. I just hope that people have the smarts not to fall for Nader's late entry candidacy and that they remember what happened eight years ago and won't vote to him. Whatever respect I had for Nader disappeared long ago and my contempt for his Presidential candidacies has continued to grow. He ought to keep doing what he's done so well for so long now, and that's to be a crusading consumer advocate. Using that as a stump for a Presidential candidacy is folly and foolish at this stage of the game. So my take on this is: Go Away Ralph! Leave it be. Drop it. You're ruining your own good name by your narcissistic actions. I just hope that most folks who've not yet made up their minds don't throw their votes to Nader. That could be catastrophic in this election, which is probably one of the most important Presidential elections in our nation's history.

PETE SEEGER: AMERICAN LEGEND
Last night on the PBS series "American Masters", they profiled the life and work of legendary singer/songwriter Pete Seeger. I grew up singing Seeger's songs that he performed both solo and with The Weavers. I also grew up hearing the singing of Peter, Paul and Mary and Joan Baez, icons of the folk revival movement of the 1960's. I hadn't realized just how influential Pete Seeger was until I watched this program. He gave us our national folk songs that so many of us still sing today, and he also sang songs by legendary songwriters like Bob Dylan and others. One of the things that I also hadn't realized is how much song played a role in the protest movements of the 1960's like the Civil Rights and VietNam war protests. I still tear up when I sing "We Shall Overcome" and other songs of that era. They make me realize just how much power song has to change the world and change people's feelings. As someone who is myself an aspiring songwriter, it amazes me how powerful songs can be. Seeger brought us songs that gave us the power to move people and to change the world, and there's something to be said for that. I wonder why the power of song has somehow been forgotten in these times we live in now, and I keep waiting for new songs to arise to express the angst that so many of us feel about the state of the world now. But I guess times are different now than they were 40 years ago. Still, there's something to be said for how much power a song can wield to express people's deepest feelings. And given the kind of undercurrent of discontent that is roiling throughout our country at the moment, I'm waiting for a new American bard to step forward and lead us in song through these perilous times we live in right now. Having witnessed the power that Seeger was able to tap on 40 years ago and to use it to foment major change, I know that it can happen again. It just takes one person with a guitar, or a banjo, or just a powerful voice to lead our nation in song to express our deepest desires to make a better world. Seeger did that 40 years ago. And that is why he can truly be called an American Master. I grew up hearing and singing his music. For that, I will always be grateful to him.