MINNEAPOLIS -- Ralph Nader, the man who became famous by killing off a sporty but unstable little car called the Corvair some 35 years ago, is at it again, running for president on the Green Party line.
But unlike his previous presidential effort in 1996, when he spent less than $5,000 and attracted barely 1 percent of the vote, this time he is serious, Nader insists. And that could spell trouble for Vice President Al Gore, from whose Democratic column Nader is likely to draw most of his votes, political analysts say.Nader is cranking up his campaign just in time to step onto the world stage this weekend, when tens of thousands of protesters descend on Washington to demonstrate against the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Green Party affiliates from around the world are playing a major role in the protests, and Nader himself will address demonstrators near the White House on Sunday.
The goal is not to win, of course, but to get more than 5 percent of the vote, the number that would qualify Nader for millions in federal campaign matching funds that he says he would use to build the Green Party.
"If the Green Party breaks 5 percent, the Democratic Party won't be the same again," said Nader, 66, reflecting on the prospect of undercutting the influence of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.
Aides to Gore, the apparent Democratic nominee, say they are not losing sleep over a Nader challenge. Nader is not the most skillful of campaigners, and even many liberal allies question his ability to move voters. Further, the Green Party is better known for its internal squabbling than its ability to run campaigns or raise money.
But Gore's yielding even a few percentage points to Nader could be damaging to the vice president if the election is tight.
Indeed, a recent poll by the Zogby Group showed Nader receiving more support than Pat Buchanan, the likely Reform Party candidate, 5 percent to 3 percent. The poll indicated that the vast majority of Nader's support came from Democrats and that he was doing particularly well in California, considered a vital state for Gore.
But to get anywhere near 5 percent, Nader will have to overcome some big obstacles, not the least of which is the Green Party itself. The party is notoriously disorganized and fractious, with some groups opposing any involvement in electoral politics and others supporting another candidate, Jello Biafra, the former lead singer for the rock group the Dead Kennedys.
And then there is Nader. Gawky, shy and prone to long speeches, he is the first to acknowledge that he is not the world's best campaigner. He is, for one thing, painfully uncomfortable with asking people for their votes.
"Campaigning takes a level of political ego I just don't have yet," he said.