WI: Ralph Nader runs for Congress instead?

Zioneer

Banned
So what if, before or instead of running for president, Nader had in his younger years ran for Congress (either Senate or House of Reps) on the Green Party ticket? Wikipedia says he was born in Connecticut, so would he run there? How much success would he have? If he wins, what could his career look like? How would it change party politics in the US?
 
So what if, before or instead of running for president, Nader had in his younger years ran for Congress (either Senate or House of Reps) on the Green Party ticket? Wikipedia says he was born in Connecticut, so would he run there? How much success would he have? If he wins, what could his career look like? How would it change party politics in the US?

If he runs in 1998, he spoils the vote enough that we get Republican Senator Gary Franks, something I'd be happy with.
 
So what if, before or instead of running for president, Nader had in his younger years ran for Congress (either Senate or House of Reps) on the Green Party ticket? Wikipedia says he was born in Connecticut, so would he run there? How much success would he have? If he wins, what could his career look like? How would it change party politics in the US?

How young are we talking here? What's the earliest?
 
Well the Green Party did not form until the early 90's, I believe, so if Nader wants to run before that, his options are somewhat limited, unless we assume he forms a third party himself. He could always run as an independent, something he's been fond of in recent years.

I think the best chance to have Nader elected outside the Democrats is for him to be Mcgovern's running mate in 1972. They still lose in a landslide, but it gives Nader some stature in the party. In the years after that, he gets disgusted with the Democrats move to the right,and runs as an independent for some office in Connecticut. Likely he'd only end up spliting the left wing vote, but maybe he'd become like Sanders and get endorsed by the Democrats even though he's not actually a member of them.

I don't see him being that effective in office. He'd probably end up running for president a few times, losing any unofficial support the Democrats were giving him. Greens are probably a little stronger if they still form, since Nader will have been an office holder, But they still prove unable to break through the two party system.
 

Zioneer

Banned
Well the Green Party did not form until the early 90's, I believe, so if Nader wants to run before that, his options are somewhat limited, unless we assume he forms a third party himself. He could always run as an independent, something he's been fond of in recent years.

I think the best chance to have Nader elected outside the Democrats is for him to be Mcgovern's running mate in 1972. They still lose in a landslide, but it gives Nader some stature in the party. In the years after that, he gets disgusted with the Democrats move to the right,and runs as an independent for some office in Connecticut. Likely he'd only end up spliting the left wing vote, but maybe he'd become like Sanders and get endorsed by the Democrats even though he's not actually a member of them.

I don't see him being that effective in office. He'd probably end up running for president a few times, losing any unofficial support the Democrats were giving him. Greens are probably a little stronger if they still form, since Nader will have been an office holder, But they still prove unable to break through the two party system.

What if he forms the Green party and runs for Congress during Carter's administration? Could events be timed right so that Nader could espouse the virtues of "green" technology during the OPEC crisis? Could he bring up the idea of biofuels, for example, during that? Maybe he could win with that sort of circumstance.
 
What if he forms the Green party and runs for Congress during Carter's administration? Could events be timed right so that Nader could espouse the virtues of "green" technology during the OPEC crisis? Could he bring up the idea of biofuels, for example, during that? Maybe he could win with that sort of circumstance.

Ralph Nader has no more chance of winning than I do. He is far too far to the left to win in the US.
 
Nader's best chance is during his heyday as a consumer protection activist in the early 1970s. There were several competitive Connecticut Congressional races at this time, so he could compete either in the Democratic primaries or as an independent.
 
Nader's best chance is during his heyday as a consumer protection activist in the early 1970s. There were several competitive Connecticut Congressional races at this time, so he could compete either in the Democratic primaries or as an independent.

I agree, say he gets picked to replace Eagleton instead of Shriver in 1972. Following the loss he uses the press from being VP to gain the Democratic nomination and win a Congressional seat in 1974. Or he could try to get into the Senate in Connecticut...

I think the best way for him to influence politics is to begin as a part of the Democratic party, slowly developing a sphere of influence and a political following (towards his various environmental ideals) before splitting off and running as a member of an earlier Green Party in America.
 
I agree, say he gets picked to replace Eagleton instead of Shriver in 1972. Following the loss he uses the press from being VP to gain the Democratic nomination and win a Congressional seat in 1974. Or he could try to get into the Senate in Connecticut...

I think the best way for him to influence politics is to begin as a part of the Democratic party, slowly developing a sphere of influence and a political following (towards his various environmental ideals) before splitting off and running as a member of an earlier Green Party in America.

It wouldn't take too much time either. If he buddies up with Mike Gravel and the other New Left Democrats in the Senate, then he could really create a sphere of influence.
 
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