General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Yes, Nader cost Al Gore the presidency in 2000. [View all]DanTex
(20,709 posts)Without instant runoff voting, third party candidates generally can only affect elections by siphoning of voters from the major party that is closest to them ideologically -- this is what happened in 2000. I would like to see IRV, but we currently don't have it.
Nader knew he had no chance of winning the presidency. He couldn't even win, or come close to winning, the Democratic primary. The only thing he could do is throw the election to Bush, and that's what happens.
If Bernie Sanders runs as a third party, and the GOP wins by a small enough margin that the voters Sanders took away from the Dem candidate would have changed the outcome, then, yes, he will be partly responsible for the loss. I fully support Sanders running in the Democratic primary. I don't support throwing the general election to make a statement.