The (Non)Education of Ralph Nader

Politics, at the highest level, is of course deeply invested in personality and personal ego--none of the candidates in this race lacks for ego, nor should they. But while this is part and parcel to the desire to rule the most powerful nation in the world, Ralph Nader seems to take the cake because he enters the race without consideration of his role in the 2000 debacle (which was substantive, no matter who you believe) or with any kind of real platform as to what he would do, but merely running on a platform of dissent. Not agreeing is simply not enough, and the promise of not being the thing we're all sick of while offering no viable solution seems unremarkable, and egotistical--he's not in it to win, he's in it to harry the proceedings.

An excellent essay on this topic from DailyKos.