Piece Description

Ralph Nader was widely derided as an election spoiler for his 2000 presidential campaign, but he remains undeterred from making another run at it. This year, the excitement over the Obama-McCain race seems to have stolen much of his thunder. But he still has substantial support--over 7% in many states--which could be enough to have an effect on the outcome in November. Although he does differ somewhat from the other candidates on policy, his campaign is focused just as much on making a point about the monolithic character of our two-party system. So he joins forces with other third-party candidates, some of whom diverge widely in their platforms, to bash Democrats and Republicans, and to demand a podium at the debates and a line on the ballots.