Personally, the long-term benefits of introducing some viable third party alternatives to our body politic would far outweigh any damage done in the short run. I voted for Ralph Nader in 1996, and intend to do so again. Ralph is not terribly photogenic and refuses to cram his rhetoric into anything approaching a sound bite. In fact, his speech against the corporate derailment of the democratic machine began sometime in the 1970's and shows no sign of ending. Starting as a consumer advocate for seat belts and taking the highly inflammable Pinto off the roads, Nader has set up a variety of public interest groups around the country working on everything from wiping out ATM fees to hardcore campaign finance reform that will do more than shuffle the money from one pot to another.
Government has no role, let women decide.
Lawyers and victims need unlimited contingency fees. Product liability suits are a pillar of democracy. In closing, I leave you to ponder a quote from the patron saint of the public interest himself. Significant, enduring change will require an institutionalized shift of power from corporations and government to ordinary Americans. The American Jurist.