BSO

BSO

Friday, October 24, 2008

Nader Tours the Valley

He's the only candidate who loves us.

 



Barack Obama didn't come here. John McCain didn't come here. Sarah Palin didn't come here. And why should they? McCain and Palin know that they'll never carry Massachusetts and Obama figures he's already got this heavily Democratic state in the bag. 

Although the Democrats take our votes for granted, they adore our money, so Joe Biden alighted briefly in Holyoke last month to pick up $300,000 at a Log Cabin fundraiser where tickets cost $2,300. That's a lot of scratch to be bored by Biden. In this unintentionally funny picture taken by Christopher Evans of the Springfield Republican, Biden is shown with a sign in the background that makes it look like he got shot with an arrow. 





But the barely acknowledged third party candidate Ralph Nader has rallies planned all over our Valley. A few weeks ago, he spoke at UMass, and tomorrow he is going to attempt to break the Guiness Book of World Records total for most campaign speeches given in one state on one day. Here's the press release and the campaign schedule.

The Nader/Gonzalez Massachusetts Marathon is THIS Saturday, October 25th.

Ralph Nader Needs Your Help to Break The Guinness Book of World Records for Most Campaign Speeches in One State in One Day.

In 2000, Ralph got his third highest vote total in Massachusetts and it's critical that we help make one last push to reach voters before November 4th.  Come be part of history and meet Ralph in your town or one near you.

Onward to Massachusetts

The Nader Team

Ralph Nader's Massachusetts Marathon -- The Route:

Stop 1: 8:10-8:30: Dunkin Donuts -- 93 Main St, Westfield.

Stop 2: 9:00-9:15: Public Library -- 449 Front Street, Chicopee.

Stop 3: 10:45-11:05: Federal Reserve -- 600 Atlantic Ave, Boston.

Stop 4: 11:15-11:45: The Middle East ($50 min donation) -- 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge.

Stop 5: 11:55-12:20: Tufts University, Student Center, Bottom Floor -- Somerville.

Stop 6: 12:25-12:45: Danish Pastry Shop -- 330 Boston Ave, Medford

Stop 7: 1:00-1:20: Energy Awareness Fair -- 251 Waltham St, Lexington.

Stop 8: 1:35-2:00: Old North Bridge -- 174 Liberty St, Concord.

Stop 9: 2:25-2:45: Waltham Farmer's Market -- Main and Moody St, Waltham.

Stop 10: 3:00-3:20: Watertown Public Library -- 123 Main Street, Watertown.

Stop 11: 3:35-4:00: Lasell College, Yamawaki Auditorium -- 1844 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton.

Stop 12: 4:20-4:40: Ben's Deli -- 5 Turnpike Rd, Southborough.

Stop 13: 5:10 to 5:30: Clark University, Lurie Conf. Room, Higgins U.-- 950 Main St, Worcester.

Stop 14: 5:40-6:00: The Coffee Mug -- 286 SouthBridge St, Auburn.

Stop 15: 6:55-7:15: Press Conference, Location TBA -- West Springfield.

Stop 16: 7:30-8:00: Nadim Cafe Lebanon -- 1390 Main St, Springfield.

Stop 17: 8:15-8:30: The Waterfront Tavern -- 920 Main St, Holyoke.

Stop 18: 8:40-9:00: House Party -- 47 Lamb St, South Hadley.

Stop 19: 9:20-9:35: The Raven Used Bookstore -- 4 Old South St #1, Northampton.

Stop 20: 10:30-10:50: The Lions Den -- 30 Main St, Stockbridge.

Stop 21: 11:10-11:30: Campaign Party -- 615 Boardman St, Sheffield.


 


Nader is the kind of uncompromising idealist I most admire. Unfortunately, I also disagree with him on nearly every issue except the travesty of the Wall Street Bailout. Only he really expressed the proper outrage on that issue, while Obama and McCain sold out completely. Here is Nader speaking about the bailout.





 

There was a big t-shirt sale today at UMass. I laughed to see that there is a category called "Weed and Expanded Consciousness."





Also at UMass today some "psychics" were giving "readings" or whatever they're called. 





This cat and sign are outside Swartz Farm in Amherst.
Psst....a week from today is Halloween!





Critics considered the Jefferson Starship's We Built This City the low point of the band's transformation from 60's counterculture icons into one of the biggest pop bands of the 80's. The listening public however apparently disagreed, making the song the best selling #1 hit of the Airplane/Starship's four decade career. 

My main memory of the song when it was new was that it was the tune that played during the fireworks at the 350th birthday celebration of Springfield in 1986. Intended to be a love song from Grace Slick to San Francisco, today it is one of the most popular songs for people on YouTube to make home made videos to. Here's a funny one. 



4 comments:

Bill said...

Tom,

Google "maslive". I suspect what you see will have as much influence on you as Ralph will have on the voters of WMass.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a Nader guy, but I actually served as his bodyguard for one day back in Septmber of 2000. By the way, he used cheap, casual labor rather than hiring his own security staff and paying them a "living wage" with health benefits.

I will say this about Ralph Nader--he has the independence that I admire in nearly all third party/independent candidates. As a matter of fact, I have already sent in my ballot, and I voted neither Democrat nor Republican. Mine was a write-in vote for an independent candidate.

The problem with politics is that candidates will say whatever they need to say to win. Consequently, they end up talking out of both sides of their mouths, making statements that are contradictory. Candidates who don't belong to the two big parties however, can never be accused of only saying what they say in order to win--because they already know that they won't win!

Consequently, they tend to say what they mean and mean what they say. That's the way I like to live my life, and I wish politicians would do that as well. When politicians tell you what they really believe, we can get a clear image of who they are, what they stand for, and where they want to lead us. With the Democrats and Republicans we get so much double-talk that we can't really figure out what they think.

I don't like Nader's positions on the issues, but at least I know what they are. I can't say the same for Obama, and McCain sometimes confuses me as well.

BEN DUFFY

Anonymous said...

Ben

I wonder what Nader would have thought of an arch-conservative protecting him?

Anonymous said...

I always liked that Starship song. I could never understand why it shows up on so many most hated song lists.