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CNN Live Sunday

Nader Announces Candidacy For President

Aired February 22, 2004 - 16:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RALPH NADER, (I) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: After careful thought and my desire to retire our supremely selected president, I've decided to run at independent candidate for president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: That's the bombshell announcement today from consumer advocate, Ralph Nader. It's a decision closely watched by the two major parties. Many Democrats blame Nader for taking votes away from Al Gore back in 2000 during that election when Nader ran on the Green Party ticket.

Well just how will Nader's decision impact the president's race this go-round? Will he be called a spoiler again in this election? Let's ask CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider. And already, Bill, there are some Democrats who are calling him a spoiler.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Oh, you bet. They're saying that he's spoiling the case for Democrats to unseat George Bush in 2004, just as he turned the presidency over to Bush in 2000 by taking all of those votes away from Gore in Florida and in New Hampshire, two states that went for Bush. That probably almost certainly would have gone for Gore if Nder had not been on the ballot.

So, he's courting the same kind of bad relations again, against the wishes of Democrats and a lot of his own supporters telling him, please don't run.

WHITFIELD: And of course, there are other campaigns for the presidency. But let's talk about how big this campaign may be to get Ralph Nader back out of the race. Who would finance it?

SCHNEIDER: To get him out of the race?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SCHNEIDER: The Democrats. Whatever influential Democrats there are. But you know, Ralph Nader is not terribly susceptible to financial influence, of money or anything else. He marches to his own drummer.

My guess is he's in this simply because he believes that the 2000 race demonstrated that he has clout. It gave him clout. Look, if he responsible for making Bush president, then he can say, okay, I'm back in this game and this time you better listen to me, because I can make a difference. I think he's gotten his platform here.

Even if he doesn't get as many votes as 2000, it's unlikely he will, because a lot of people realize now that those votes were spoiler vote, and they helped elect Bush. At least he'll get a hearing and make a claim to try to get into the debates.

WHITFIELD: So, what's the current analysis on his motivation? Is this Ralph Nader just trying to boost his ego, get some attention, as the contenders are now narrowing down to two leading candidates for the Democratic party?

SCHNEIDER: Well, I believe he's utterly sincere in his belief that Washington is a corporate occupied territory that both parties are enthralled to big business interests and big money interests. He's always been against them, ever since the days in the 1970s when he battled General Motors. So he sincerely believes that. And he thinks that his views do have a following and they ought to be listened to.

The problem is, a lot of people agree with him, but that's not the way the game is played in this country. Democrats are going to make the point loud and clear, a vote for Nader is a vote for George Bush, and you know what? It is. If it matters to you, you are voting to re-elect George Bush if you vote for Ralph Nader.

WHITFIELD: All right. Bill Schneider, thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 22, 2004 - 16:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RALPH NADER, (I) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: After careful thought and my desire to retire our supremely selected president, I've decided to run at independent candidate for president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: That's the bombshell announcement today from consumer advocate, Ralph Nader. It's a decision closely watched by the two major parties. Many Democrats blame Nader for taking votes away from Al Gore back in 2000 during that election when Nader ran on the Green Party ticket.

Well just how will Nader's decision impact the president's race this go-round? Will he be called a spoiler again in this election? Let's ask CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider. And already, Bill, there are some Democrats who are calling him a spoiler.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Oh, you bet. They're saying that he's spoiling the case for Democrats to unseat George Bush in 2004, just as he turned the presidency over to Bush in 2000 by taking all of those votes away from Gore in Florida and in New Hampshire, two states that went for Bush. That probably almost certainly would have gone for Gore if Nder had not been on the ballot.

So, he's courting the same kind of bad relations again, against the wishes of Democrats and a lot of his own supporters telling him, please don't run.

WHITFIELD: And of course, there are other campaigns for the presidency. But let's talk about how big this campaign may be to get Ralph Nader back out of the race. Who would finance it?

SCHNEIDER: To get him out of the race?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SCHNEIDER: The Democrats. Whatever influential Democrats there are. But you know, Ralph Nader is not terribly susceptible to financial influence, of money or anything else. He marches to his own drummer.

My guess is he's in this simply because he believes that the 2000 race demonstrated that he has clout. It gave him clout. Look, if he responsible for making Bush president, then he can say, okay, I'm back in this game and this time you better listen to me, because I can make a difference. I think he's gotten his platform here.

Even if he doesn't get as many votes as 2000, it's unlikely he will, because a lot of people realize now that those votes were spoiler vote, and they helped elect Bush. At least he'll get a hearing and make a claim to try to get into the debates.

WHITFIELD: So, what's the current analysis on his motivation? Is this Ralph Nader just trying to boost his ego, get some attention, as the contenders are now narrowing down to two leading candidates for the Democratic party?

SCHNEIDER: Well, I believe he's utterly sincere in his belief that Washington is a corporate occupied territory that both parties are enthralled to big business interests and big money interests. He's always been against them, ever since the days in the 1970s when he battled General Motors. So he sincerely believes that. And he thinks that his views do have a following and they ought to be listened to.

The problem is, a lot of people agree with him, but that's not the way the game is played in this country. Democrats are going to make the point loud and clear, a vote for Nader is a vote for George Bush, and you know what? It is. If it matters to you, you are voting to re-elect George Bush if you vote for Ralph Nader.

WHITFIELD: All right. Bill Schneider, thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com