Ralph Nader will be appearing on Meet the Press this week (2/24), and rumor is he will announce his candidacy.
As much as I respect the guy, and will admit to the world that I voted for him in 2000*, it's time that Nader admitted to himself and his followers that his impact can be at it's greatest if he uses his considerable clout to build the Green Party's local organizations throughout the country. This year in Illinois, I could have actually filled out a Green Party ballot for the primary. In a state where the Democratic Machine has all but suffocated any other party organizations, this is no small feat.
* I do not believe that Nader lost the election for Al Gore. Nader had and has every right to run, and we have and had every right to vote for him. Al Gore lost the election by a) running a shitty campaign, b) moving to the Right to garner votes, c) bowing to the media pressure and basically giving up on the "intent of the voter" standard in Bush v. Gore before the Supreme Court thus stopping the Florida recount and handing the election to Bush.
