Great. Just great. My neighbor is running for President again.

[astrid]

:rolleyes: Yeah. That's right. Ralph Nader lives down the street from me. This is his hometown and still his primary residence. He votes here, and lives here about 80% of the time. And he's crazy as a loon. He stops and talks to us about our dogs frequently, because he's always WALKING by, never driving. He doesn't drive, he feels that for him to own a car would be endorsing a product of the auto industry. That's just one example......there are so many others!

 

The family is not well-liked here, for a long laundry list of reasons going back many years. Last time he ran, here in his hometown of 6,000 registered voters he recieved exactly eleven votes. Yes, I know the reasoning behind his tossing his hat in the ring. But again?

[kalanamak]

One of the cars he blasted in unsafe at any speed. We had one in the 60s and the accelerator pedal kept sticking and you had to think fast and kill the engine and then drive without power. Happily, someone totalled it while it was at a stop light.

[Snickerdoodle]

Always walking and talking to the neighbors??? The nerve!

 

:rolleyes:

[Ria]

LOL! You've had your share of wacky neighbors, haven't you? You have my sympathy!

 

Ria

[nancypants]

One of my online friends from years ago lives right next door to Barak Obama! :eek:

[Tracey in TX]

Two words :"Attack, Fido"!

Oy vey, so sorry. He is a nut case. We all have weirdos in our lives, but a Presidential candidate shouldn't be one of them ;)

[astrid]

LOL! You've had your share of wacky neighbors, haven't you? You have my sympathy!

 

Ria

 

1. The scary whack-job who was involved in that horrible home invasion in Cheshire, CT in July, and

 

2. Ralph Nader, but his family has lived down the block for two generations. They're huge slumlords in town. I'd love it if he's spend the $$$ he's going to blow on a futile presidential bid on some of the broken down old buildings he owns in town, including one GORGEOUS Victorian carriage house which is so neglected it's falling down, raining bricks on the sidewalk that leads to an elementary school.

 

I swear this is a little, piddling, NOWHERE town, population 10,000!

 

Crazy.

[hana]

Ah, and I had been jealous of your beautiful house. I can get over it now.:p

[dangermom]

Here's a silly little (utterly pointless) Nader story for you: in college I took a course from his sister, Laura Nader--a big one with probably 300 students. Most of us were too young to remember Ralph from the 70's "Unsafe" thing, and didn't know what he looked like--just that he was a famous person. One day late in the semester she showed a film that had a still shot of Ralph in it, and an enormous gasp went up from the crowd as we realized that Laura was the spitting image of her brother.

 

I don't know what he wants to accomplish by running for Pres for the nth time; if he wants a platform for his views, there are cheaper and less disruptive ways to go about it. It's a joke now.

[astrid]

Ah, and I had been jealous of your beautiful house. I can get over it now.:p

 

 

Ralphie strolls by, nose buried in a book, long black trenchcoat hanging on his tall, gaunt frame. Seriously....that's the picture. We all like it when he's in Washington. His family owned a restaurant called the "Highland Arms" in town for years and were famous for being real tightwads. There's a famous story in town from the 1950's of a woman who had a heart attack while driving down the main street. She drove her car up on the sidewalk and through the plate glass window in the front of the Highland Arms. Everyone jumped out of the way, and to the woman's aid. One lunch patron was injured, and he and the driver were taken to our small-town hospital. After the ambulance left, a lunch patron got into her car and backed it out onto the street, while some of the other men who were in the restaurant started cleaning up the glass. They got it all cleaned up and then left to go back to work, having forgotten all about their half-eaten lunch in the excitement. Ralph's father chased them down with their lunch checks, and demanded that they pay up right then and there on the street. Nevermind that those men had cleaned up his whole restaurant, he insisted that they pay up. Later that afternoon, he sent Ralph and his older brother, Shafeek, (now deceased) up to the hospital with the injured man's lunch check so he'd be sure and pay for the lunch that he ordered.

 

That's just one story. They're not well-liked in town at all.

[astrid]

:eek:

 

Laura is an anthropologist at Berkley (I think it's Berkley, right?) and she's the only Nader who left our town. My friend (and dd's drama teacher) is an anthropologist who was a friend of Laura's and was hired by her to teach democracy through drama and literature in our local school system. She told me this story about Laura Nader: Back when she was hired at Berkley, it was still a real "men's club" and the rest of the men in the Anthropology department were incensed that a woman was hired on the faculty. They used to hold department meetings in places like the men's room and other places and not tell her about the meetings in advance. She tells one story of climbing in the window at a faculty's home so she could join the meeting that was going on in the drawing room!

 

Claire is a sociologist and used to teach classes at Columbia Univeristy, and Shafeek, the oldest brother and the only Nader who was well-liked in town, died in the early '80's of leukemia. He wasn't bad looking. The rest, well...:eek:

[Jodi-FL]

who is the spitting image of Ralph Nader. I'm sorry. but for a woman, well. that's just too bad.

[astrid]

Or anyone else, for that matter. We all have a right to our opinions.

Personally, I find discussions such as the "quiverful" threads to be distressing, since I"m the parent of an only child and often feel, when I read those threads, that parents who choose to limit their family size are somehow inferior. So I don't respond, and I don't let it get to me. I know I've made the right decision for me.

 

To each his (or her) own.

[Mrs Mungo]

He's running *again*? I wonder if he's seen this "Message to Ralph Nader" video:

 

(some bad language).

[Colleen]

...how does conversing with the neighbors, walking rather than driving, and reading while walking play a role in being crazy as a loon?

[Colleen]

If you find "quiverful" discussions distressing, why do you read them? I didn't read the thread. Were insults actually applied to those who choose to limit their family size?

[Tutor]

...how does conversing with the neighbors, walking rather than driving, and reading while walking play a role in being crazy as a loon?

 

I was wondering this myself because by those standards, I'm a total fruitcake.

[astrid]

I said he and his family have a long history of behavior that is, for lack of a better term, less-than-community-minded.

 

Some of you see him as a man on a mission. I see him as a neighbor who owns so many run-down properties in this town which could be put to good use in this run-down, depressed, defunct mill town. Teen center, arts center, library addition, etc. Yet they're not. He applies for federal grants to "fix up his buildings" (when he could darn well afford to do it himself!) and instead of putting the money into fixing their facades so they bricks don't rain down on the sidewalks, he has energy-efficient windows installed in his long abandoned factory buildings so that he doesn't have to set the heat so high to keep the pipes from freezing. Some of the windows were stolen (to be resold, no doubt) and rather than replacing them, he just had a blue tarp nailed up. These buildings are prominent on our main street, which also happens to be a main US Route. It sends a terrible message to folks entering our town, or just driving through. The building department has sent them notice after notice to clean up their act, yet they refuse.

 

He and his family could do so much good for this community, and yet they refuse. They have paid for a "community lawyer" to work here in the community, but instead of working for people who can't afford an attorney, as the position was designed, she works solely with the local Taxpayer's Association and works six ways to Sunday to wring every cent from the school budget. She will not take a case from anyone who is the victim of, say, unfair housing practices, or is a single parent needing to recoup money from a crooked contractor, but if you want to sue the town or sue the school board, she's your gal. For free. Paid for by Ralph. The damage she's done to our little town, on behalf of the Nader family, is unbelievable.

 

There are so many local instances of the Naders meddling in affairs of the town, and blocking needed change. They abhor change, (regardless of what Ralph says on the campaign trail!) and their stubborness has had very far-reaching affects on our tiny local hospital which is bleeding to death, our public schools, our infrastructure, our local landscape, and our political climate. One school is abandoned and badly in need of demolition because kids are partying in there, etc. It's a public eyesore. It's a menace to the community. Yet Ralph has repeatedly blocked the demolition, and used their "community lawyer" to do it, because "It's the elementary school that Ralph attended." It's been vacant for years. It's dangerous. But they bought it and they won't even think of tearing it down for the good of the community.

 

One final point: I used to teach 7th grade English in town. In 2000, when Ralph ran, I was teaching my students about public speaking, and the Social Studies teacher was incorporating the election into his curriculum. Ralph was scheduled to speak at our local Community College (started with funds from the Shafeek Nader Trust) which is within walking distance of the middle school. I got permission slips signed, prepped the kids on what to expect, had them think of questions to ask him, contacted the college and arranged for my students to have seats and to be able to ask Ralph questions after his speech. We went, the kids were all excited, and when the time came to ask him questions, he stopped us and said that he only speaks to adults, and does not "waste his time with kids, who don't understand the political ramifications of this election." HE SAID THIS IN FRONT OF THE KIDS!!! They were crushed, and so was I, but I wasn't surprised.

 

I could go on and on and on. So yeah, I have a bit more background which colors my opinions. It is NOT just that he walks, reads and talks to neighbors. NEVER did I say it was.

 

And FTR, I read the first few quiverful posts and haven't read any more. Nor do I care to, because frankly, I find it offensive that scripture is being used to encourage women to just keep having babies, regardless of their state of mental, physical, emotional or financial health. But that's my personal opinion.

[Tutor]

Sorry molly's mom. I hadn't read through the entire thread. Only your first three posts and they were very short and one of them mentioned the walking with his nose in a book and coat flapping. That was one of the more detailed posts, so I figured this was one of your main gripes with him. I see that farther down the thread you posted more specifics. I can see how these more specific things (like the slumlord issue) would cause you to label him as creepy and unfit for president, but I couldn't see how walking instead of driving and asking about your dogs on their own would point to him being anything other than 1) living consistent with his views and 2) a bit quirky (which I supposed might play into whether or not he portrays a presidential image). I think I understand better now why you are irritated at his running.

[astrid]

I"ll give you one, Tutor! :-)

[astrid]

I could always seem them, just didn't know how to leave them! Figured it out, though. Go check! ;-)

[Mrs Mungo]

I threw some positive rep to the both of you. :)

[nancypants]

I admit I was confused with the first post (not that I ever liked the guy, mind you... he's always come across as a one stringed guitar to me... that being a very off tune string itself! LOL) But this explanation helps me understand your feelings a lot more!

[Colleen]

You described Nader (in whom I have zero vested interest, btw) as "crazy as a loon", followed immediately by the comment, "He stops and talks to us about our dogs frequently, because he's always WALKING by, never driving. He doesn't drive, he feels that for him to own a car would be endorsing a product of the auto industry. That's just one example..." So you did refer to those perfectly acceptable behaviors as "one example" of his craziness ~ which makes no sense to me.

 

Certainly, though, others of his behaviors which you've described here are unsettling, to say the least. I have no doubt I'd take issue with those things, too. As for the negative rep, 'twasn't from me ~ I don't participate in the negative rep game. I do think it would have helped, in this thread, to present your opinions in a manner that wouldn't have been so off-putting. It's good to hear from people who have firsthand knowledge of those running for political office!

[astrid]

...how does conversing with the neighbors, walking rather than driving, and reading while walking play a role in being crazy as a loon?

 

Forgive me if I didn't have the time to post the lengthy explanation that I sat down and wrote earlier this evening. My comment about him walking and reading was meant to paint a picture of the man, tall and gaunt (and he is.....that's a fact!!!!) that we see regularly. He IS a striking figure in his always-present black trenchcoat and book. His "idiosyncrasies" have had such a negative impact on my life, the life of my family and 9,990 other people in my small, poor community that it's a bit difficult for me to be objective.

 

Believe me, what I wrote was the tip of the iceberg. Never mind. Don't believe me. Vote for him if you wish. because if history is any indication, we'll have four more years of what we've had for the last eight. Since the guy can't manage his own crappy properties in this sad little forgotten mill town, I'd seriously doubt his ability to run the country.

 

Didn't accuse you of the negative feedback or reputation point or whatever the heck it is. Simply noticed it and posted about it.

[Colleen]

1) I didn't say you accused me of giving you negative feedback ~ just wanted to assure you I'd not done so.

 

2) I have no intention whatsoever of voting for Nader ~ as implied in my last post, in which I said I have no vested interest in him.

 

3) I never said I don't believe your reports ~ I said I would no doubt take issue with those things, too.

 

I am still unsure why walking rather than driving would be so remarkable to you, but to each her own.:)

[ChristyB in TN]

I like him. I don't think he runs because he thinks he can win. He runs to shake things up. I saw a thing on him on the Biography channel and I will never forget a quote. He said when he and his sister would come home from school his father would ask them, "Did you learn to think today or did you learn to believe?"