CNN’s Interview with Ralph Nader

By CounterPunch News Service

[The follow is a transcript of Ralph Nader’s appearance on CNN’s Late Edition. Click here to view a podcast of the show.)

Wolf Blitzer: He’s a pioneer for consumer protection. He’s run for president and his name, still a red flag for many Democrats, guaranteed to start an argument about the 2000 presidential campaign.

Joining us here in Washington, Ralph Nader. He’s the author of a new book entitled “The Seventeen Traditions,” about his childhood and his life.

Mr. Nader, welcome back to “Late Edition.” It’s a beautiful book with a lot of emotion for so many of us who will go through this book, and I want to get to it shortly. But let’s get through some politics, some other issues first if that’s OK.

RALPH NADER, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: OK.

BLITZER: Let’s talk first of all about the presidency. Do you have any plans to run for president in 2008?

NADER: It’s really too early to say. I don’t like long campaigns. But I’m committed to trying to give more voices and choices to the American people on the ballot. That means more third parties, independent candidates and to break up this two-party elected dictatorship that is becoming more and more like a dial for the same corporate dollars.

BLITZER: As you know, by leaving the door open as you just did, a lot of Democrats are going to get very, very nervous, given what happened in 2000. But you are potentially open to running for president again?

NADER: As I say, I’ll consider it later in the year. But I think they ought to look at the agenda of some of these third parties like the Green Party, like our independent run in ’04. Maybe if they take some of these issues, as they should have, in ’00 and ’04, they might win in a bigger way over the Republican Party.

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