Say what?

On the night of the 2000 election Ralph Nader made the headlines. He was seen as a key element that switched the course of the U.S presidential election and became the ‘spoiler’ of Al Gore’s road to presidency. Since then Nader is perhaps one of the most recognizable figures of ‘third party’ politics.
America cherishes equality of opportunity and adequate representation. The idea that any citizen should be able to run for office along with the right that every voter has in choosing the candidate that will truly represent his or her views are the basis that credit legitimacy to third parties.
On the night of Barack Obama’s victory, Ralph Nader, was also featured in the media (perhaps not the headlines). But this time, the news sang a different tune. Ralph Nader made an infamous statement that many have considered the end of his career. During an interview in a radio station in Houston, Nader questioned “whether he [Obama] is going to be Uncle Sam for the people of this country, or Uncle Tom for the giant corporations”. This statement was qualified as racist and it has been controversial to say the least. However, and without any intentions to justify his words, this is probably the only way the media would have paid any interest to what Nader had to say.
In an interview with Fox News, Nader did not attempt to excuse his statement. The former candidate accused the media of promoting ‘celebrities’ in politics and disregarding the essence of the presidential run. In his campaign’s website a post titled "Nader Wins!" argues that if this election had been centered in issues rather than parties or individuals, Ralph Nader would have won. The same website featured for the past couple of months an initiative to allow third party candidates to take part of the presidential debates. If the ballots include the names of alternative party candidates, shouldn’t the media as well? Are we letting the media disqualify third party candidates before we do?
These are all important questions to be raised. It is a shame that Ralph Nader ended up joining the media spectacle instead of challenging it.