Nader: I have only one word for you...
Posted: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 3:14 PM by Mark Murray
From MSNBC.com's Bob Sullivan
Satire.
That's how Ralph Nader closed his third-party presidential campaign today at a small press conference in Washington D.C.'s National Press Club. He instructed reporters that he would only give one-word answers to all questions posed -- in a sarcastic nod to the sound-bite nature of election coverage.
The stilted question-and-answer session felt at times like a bad game of "Jeopardy." Reporters played along with little protest and reached for questions that led to one-word answers. Many even started asking one-word questions, though that wasn't in the rules.
But there were some telling moments. Here's a sampling:
What is your opinion of Obama? "Clever."
What is your opinion of Palin? "Developing."
How much money did you raise for your campaign? "Insufficient."
Why do you keep running for president? "Justice."
Will you be elected president? "No."
When do you think you will win? "Sometime."
What should Bush do on his last day in office? "Surrender."
Will Obama be able to provide tax cuts to 95 percent of the population? "Impossible."
What is your opinion of the media? "Servile."
While he predicted a "landslide," for Obama, he reserved his harshest words for the Democrat. Nader said in various ways Obama would disappoint supporters and not do much to change the power structure and status quo in Washington. Asked why the Obama years might not mimic the sweeping changes that marked the FDR presidency, Nader said, "Cowardliness." Asked to elaborate, Nader said, “corporations.” He also called the money raised by Obama to support his campaign, "disgusting."
Nader, finally, when asked if he would run again, he offered only this reply:
"Maybe."
