Backgrounder:
The Story of the Ralph Don’t Run Campaign
John Pearce and Kathy Cramer decided to launch
the “Ralph Don’t Run” campaign
over the breakfast table in December, 2003. They
were deeply concerned that Nader was storming
ahead with an exploratory committee, and that
an 04 candidacy might tip the balance in a close
election to George Bush. Noting that Nader was
asking for citizen input on his decision, they
decided to facilitate as much input as they possibly
could.
By late January, the couple had the www.RalphDontRun.net
website up, featuring a Flash movie making the
case against another Nader candidacy, and asking
progressives to contact Nader’s exploratory
site directly to convey their opposition to another
run. Within several days, Nader’s exploratory
committee website pulled down their home-page
survey – the one that had sought citizen
input.
By early February, John had placed an OpEd on
Nader’s potential candidacy in five major
regional papers, building more momentum and urging
progressive consensus on this crucial issue. Reaching
out to progressive advocacy groups and national
media, word began to spread, viral email messages
carried the word from person to person, and website
traffic continued to build. As Nader was about
to announce, RalphDontRun.net was featured on
all three network newscasts, both reflecting and
helping to galvanize progressive opposition to
Nader’s run. Finally, on NBC’s Meet
the Press, Tim Russert played the RalphDontRun.net
movie in its entirety for Ralph Nader as Nader
made the unfortunate declaration of his 2004 candidacy.
Nader’s response was a dismissive “that’s
the liberal intelligentsia.”
By late February, nearly 300,000 visitors had
come to the website, and the campaign had generated
media coverage reaching 60 million Americans.
RalphDontRun.net had been covered in nearly every
national paper and magazine, along with interviews
on media ranging from CBS Evening News
to CNN’s Inside Politics to the
BBC World Service. Along with the voices
of other progressives nationwide, the campaign
helped position Nader’s candidacy as opposed
by essentially the entire progressive community.
Though failing in its goal of persuading Mr.
Nader not to run, the campaign brought together
a group of dedicated advocates who share the belief
that this is not the year to support a Nader candidacy.
This group, larger and more capable than ever,
is determined to fight on through to the election
to urge anyone who supports Nader on the issues
to vote Democratic in the election. It could hardly
be a more crucial year to appreciate the profound
difference between the alternatives before us.
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