Ralph Nader, presidential candidate for the Green Party, has won a place on the Utah ballot in the November general election due to efforts of Utah activists.
The Green Party of Utah held a rally at the state Capitol Wednesday to celebrate Nader moving forward in the presidential race and asked supporters to spread the word about Nader on a grass-roots level, neighbor to neighbor.
Nader was not present, but he and his running mate, Winona LaDuke, will visit Utah in early September.
Dave Rowland, co-chair of the Green Party of Utah (GPU), said the inclusion of Nader on the ballot is a "monumental victory for every Utahn who is tired of our elected officials pandering to big business instead of representing the interests of ordinary American people."
Getting Nader to the presidential debates in October is at the top of the GPU's agenda. Dru Tidwell, chair of the fund-raising committee for the GPU, said the media, especially in Utah, has not given Nader the coverage he needs to get his views to the public.
The GPU wants an "open and democratic free debate" among all presidential candidates, including Nader and Pat Buchanan, who are vying for the Reform Party's nomination.
The Commission on Presidential Debates does not allow candidates in the nationally televised debates unless they can show at least 15 percent support in national polls, and in the most recent poll, Nader received only 5 percent support.
Nader's first commercial, which began airing this week in large cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, also includes a plea from Nader to be included in the presidential debates.
The ad, a first of many, will not run in Utah, Rowland said, but the GPU will work to get later ads into the Utah market.
The ad is similar to Mastercard's "priceless" commercials, and makes fun of Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore for accepting millions of dollars in special-interest donations.
Rowland played the commercial for about 45 people gathered at the Utah rally so people could get to know Nader and his views.
The rally was different from the two major parties' rallies and conferences. The group was small and the banners were few, but its excitement wasn't dampened by their numbers.
Party members stood behind Rowland, waving signs, holding sunflowers and cheering as Rowland proclaimed, "The Green Party is here to stay."
The supporters wore T-shirts and jeans. White shirts and ties were not required, and probably wouldn't have fit in. The Green Party prides itself in its belief that government should be in the hands of ordinary people, rather than major companies.
Nader, known for his consumer-advocate role since the 1960s, is pushing for a reform of corporate America. He wants to take the U.S. government back from the large corporations that have bought and sold major party politicians for decades, Rowland said.
Nader also supports workers' unions, an increase in minimum wage and accessible medical care.
Although Nader has received criticism for not being a viable candidate and pulling votes away from Gore, Rowland said, "We are not here as a spoiler for anybody. We are here to put Ralph Nader in the White House."
Forty-five states will carry Nader on their ballots in November, and the Green Party continues to work on the five remaining states.
E-mail: jcheney@desnews.com