Depending on whom you talk to, Ralph Nader is a spoiler, a man of the people, a political wrecking ball or the last hope for democracy in America.
Depending on whom you talk to, Ralph Nader is a spoiler, a man of the people, a political wrecking ball or the last hope for democracy in America.
But by and large, his outsider presidential bid had gained the usual low-grade level of media attention afforded the third party candidate. Until now.
The Web site that was launched to help boost the number of his voters and simultaneously prevent the Republicans from taking the White House was a stroke of PR genius, one that has justly earned a PR Play of the Week.
In the Nader tradition, Nadertrader.com is truly a grass-roots endeavor and not a product of his official campaign. Frustrated by the prevailing sentiment that a vote for Nader was a de facto vote for Bush, Nader supporters devised a way for conscience-pricked voters to retain their integrity, but acknowledge reality.
The site encourages Nader fans living in a 'swing state' (one that is still up for grabs by the major parties), to vote for Gore and partner with someone in a secure Gore state who will cast their vote for Nader.
Thus, theoretically, Nader can inch his way toward the five percent of the popular vote needed to get federal matching funds for the 2004 election, without jeopardizing Gore's prospects.
As this page went to print on Wednesday, November 1, Nadertrader.com (and .org) had received 306, 398 hits, with the daily total on Monday October 30 alone standing at 93,592.
We know, we know - Nader won't win the election. But the loyalty he has inspired among supporters has resulted in serious PR dividends like this - dividends that Bush and Gore have never even approached.
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