Ralph Nader: Killjoy

Once upon a time Ralph Nader mattered, especially when he focused his energy on advocating and struggling for consumer rights. If it weren't for him, most cars in the United States would still be unsafe at any speed. But then his ego began to swell and he kept on running for president over and over again despite the fact that with each subsequent election, the number of people who actually voted for him has shrunk. In the meantime, I rarely hear about anything he has done for consumer rights lately. Heck, I don't even know if he is still involved in consumer rights anymore.

Okay, if he wants to waste his money running in elections that he has little chance of winning, that's his business. But you should see how he responded to the results of this historic election of the first African-American president during a Fox News interview when he actually wondered if Barack Obama will be an Uncle Sam or an Uncle Tom. He actually said this on November 4 after Barack Obama was declared the President-Elect. And, yes, he actually used the term "Uncle Tom".

Man, what a killjoy! Don't get me wrong. I think it's legitimate to question what kind of president Barack Obama will become. It's even legitimate to speculate whether he will ultimately kowtow to corporate interests at the expense of his lofty ideals to help middle class families. But to do that using the term "Uncle Tom" is completely out of line, especially if you look at the history and meaning of that term.

Besides, if Barack Obama had been a white man, would Ralph Nader ever use the term "Uncle Tom" at all? Personally, I suspect that the answer would be "no".

Okay, Ralph, you've made your point that you're not impressed with Barack Obama in a very twisted way. Now please go away before you make an even bigger ass of yourself while you fritter away what's left of your past good reputation by making outrageous statements.