[Marxism] Nader at 6%?

[Eli Stephens <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

There has developed a mantra here, repeated numerous times, that "Nader is 
polling at 6%."

Exactly ONE poll has shown Nader at 6%. Comrades know very well about issues of 
both precision and accuracy in polling, I won't repeat them here. Suffice to 
say 
that one poll showing Nader at 6% does not translate to "Nader is polling at 
6%."

A more complete picture is here, with other polls showing him at 3% or 4%:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/549/

That being said, I'm not trying to run down Nader, not at all. I'm delighted 
he's running and getting some national attention. There seems to be also some 
kind of idea here that there is a mutual exclusivity between supporting a 
non-socialist progressive like Nader or McKinney and a socialist like La Riva 
or 
others. That isn't the case! As "che" wrote, "when you are running for office, 
people want your opinion on things. I will get more attention as Marc Luzietti 
for Congress than I do as Marc Luzietti, average joe socialist."

Socialist candidates for office get invited to debates, get interviewed, have 
an 
excuse to distribute pamphlets with information about socialism and progressive 
politics in general on it, and so on. That doesn't mean they can't (and don't) 
speak positively about McKinney or Nader, far from it! And sure, they can also 
get invited to debates as a "representative of the McKinney or Nader campaign" 
too. In fact, if two socialists get into a debate, one as a representative of 
the Nader campaign and another a "real" socialist or a representative of the 
campaign of a real socialist, so much the better!

Why does everyone think these are mutually exclusive? They aren't.




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