The following letter was sent by MoveOn.Org, the PAC which was created to stop the impeachment of President Clinton by the Republican Party.

Date sent: 27 Oct 2000 18:37:15 –0000
From: "Wes Boyd, MoveOn.Org"
Subject: Nader ushers in Bush presidency

Dear Friend of MoveOn, 

It now looks like Nader will cost Gore the presidency. In key swing states -- Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Maine, New Mexico -- Nader has garnered enough support to throw the electoral votes to Bush. And those votes could very likely make the difference. Even in key battleground states where Nader support is thin, like Florida, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania, he could take enough votes from Gore to swing the electoral votes to Bush. Latest polls even show Gore at risk of losing California with Nader pulling away 6% of the vote. With the election tightening in every state of the union, no state is safe. 

We've been flooded by emails asking what we can do. The Nader camp is deeply divided over whether they should endorse Gore -- at least in swing states. Many say they never got into the race to play the spoiler. What was positioned as a safe protest vote has now become a kind of kamikaze vote. The specter of a Bush presidency looms large. 

Let Ralph Nader hear your feelings. His contact information: 

campaign@votenader.org
fax: 202-265-0183
phone: 202-265-4000 

Nader has a lot of power in this situation? What should he do? 

Please carbon copy us on your email to Ralph Nader at naderletters@moveon.org. We want to know what you think. 

As a sample, we've attached below an open letter that has been floating around the net. However, a personalized message is always better. 

Sincerely, 

- Wes Boyd MoveOn.org 

P.S. Here's are some of the latest state level poll results, so you can see how close it is in these key races: 

 

State	Gore	Bush	Nader	Undecided	Source
Washington	45%	43%	5%	7%	10/16 American Research Group
Oregon	40%	44%	7%	9%	10/12 KPAM-Radio
Minnesota	41%	44%	8%	6%	10/18 Minneapolis Star Tribune
New Mexico	42%	42%	5%	10%	9/28  NM State Univ.
Michigan	43%	43%	4%	9%	10/19 EPIC/MRA Poll
Florida	43%	44%	3%	9%	10/18 John McLaughlin and Assoc
Nevada	44%	43%	3%	9%	9/21  Public Opinion Strategies
Pennsylvania	43%	45%	3%	9%	10/19 Public Opinion Strategies

AN OPEN LETTER TO RALPH NADER 

[Please sign this email with your own name and send it to Ralph Nader at campaign@votenader.org.] 

Dear Mr. Nader: 

Over the years you have done a great deal for the American people. Now you are about to do great harm. Your candidacy in this election has been important. You have raised serious issues that need to be addressed. But now your message is out and it’s time to set aside ideology and step aside. If you don’t you will ensure that George W. Bush is our next president. And if he is elected with a Republican majority in Congress, the American people stand to lose most of the social, economic and environmental progress we have made in the last thirty years. If there is any question in your mind of this, consider the following: 

THE SUPREME COURT 

Bush will appoint activist conservative judges who will actively seek to take away a woman’s right to choose. 

They will also support the corporate interests you have been so gallantly fighting against by promoting "tort reform" which, as you know, is another way to disempower the average citizen and take away his or her right to sue corporations who damage them or cause death. 

And the Bush Supreme Court will be anti-environment and side with the exploiters and polluters who so willingly sacrifice the public health and safety on the alter of short term profit. 

THE DEFICIT AND THE MIDDLE CLASS 

While Gore intends to use the surplus to pay down the deficit, Bush plans to refund a large part of it to the wealthy. He says it’s their money and they should get it back. Well, it’s their deficit as well and they should help pay it off. 

At this time the nation is almost five trillion six hundred billion dollars in the red. That’s $5,600,000,000,000. Over the past ten years we have paid over three trillion dollars in interest. This year we will pay an estimated three hundred and sixty-two billion dollars in interest. That’s $362,000,000,000, Mr. Nader. About $1,400 for every man woman and child in this country. Do you have any idea what that amount of money could do for the environment and health care and education if it was not being wasted on interest? 

Next year we will pay even more. And the years after that still more. And instead of paying down the deficit it will grow larger. Why? So Bill Gates and Paul Allen and all the other multimillionaires can have their much needed tax brakes. And if Bush is elected and then inheritance tax is eliminated, the middle class will be asked to make up the hundreds of billions of dollars in those lost revenues as well. 

THE ENVIRONMENT 

As governor of Texas Bush has put the polluters in charge of the state's environmental program with the result that Texas is now an environmental disaster. Although he doesn’t dare articulate it during the campaign, the Republican agenda includes doing away with the Environmental Protection Agency. If it’s not eliminated completely it will be emasculated to the point where it exists in name only. 

And in service of his major contributors, the Oil and Coal conglomerates, Bush and the Republicans will encourage oil exploration in environmentally sensitive areas and the burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity etc. If you think global warming is bad now, just give a Bush administration a few years to pay of its debt to these special interests. 

And whether you want to admit it or not, Mr. Nader, Al Gore has been one of the strongest advocates for environmental protection. He recognized the danger of global warming before most people had heard the term. And he almost single handedly, and against the advice of all his political advisors, saved the Kyoto Accords. But a rabid Republican Congress has blocked their implementation along with almost every other environmental effort put forth by the Clinton Administration. You’re correct. Clinton/Gore haven’t got a lot done. But if you’d been president these past eight years, neither would you. 

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM 

You warn us of the growing power and influence of the corporations on our lives and our democracy yet you threaten to help defeat the only candidate with any chance of doing the one thing that will help solve this problem. You know Bush and the Republicans will not support Campaign Finance Reform. But Gore has promised that he will work with John McCain in his mission to bring about the reform we need. Why on earth would you actively work to keep this from happening? 

SOCIAL SECURITY 

You know Bush plans to divert hundreds of billions of dollars to Wall Street. It seems like a great scheme while the market is going up as it has been for the past several years. But what goes up also comes down. While this risky scheme may put a few billion in the pockets of the brokers and underwriters, it will turn Social Security into Social Insecurity and endanger the retirement of many people who unfortunately don’t have as much money as you do. 

Mr. Nader, you have stated publicly that you would rather see Bush win than Gore. You seem to believe that Bush will make things so bad that the country will rise up. This reminds me of the days when doctors bled patients in order to cure them. The problem was the patients often died from the treatment rather than the disease. 

As someone who agrees with you on so many things and would love to see you continue your campaign to educate and enlighten us about the things for which you care so much, I ask you to do the right thing. The election is too close and now is the time for you to throw your support behind Gore. If you help Bush win you will have single handedly done more damage than any well meaning person could possible conceive of. Please don’t let this happen. 

Sincerely, 

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG PAC Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee