Nader forces some to reconsider their views about two-party politics and upcoming presidential election

Many of the students who attended Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader '55's speech last night went to the event to see a man whom many have come to view as a curiosity — an almost sure loser in next month's election.

But a substantial number of the students who listened to the presidential hopeful's passionate speech said late last night that their experience was something of an education.

Brett Chevalier '02, an independent voter from Massachusetts, said Nader's words were far more moving than she had expected.

"I thought what he said was very powerful. It definitely caused me to want to take a step back and think about why I do the things I do," Chevalier said.

Nader's manner of speaking made his message even more compelling, Chevalier added.

"It was all very down-to-earth. You could tell that he definitely cared about the things he was saying," Chevalier said. "It didn't seem scripted at all."

David Tannenbaum '01, who helped organize Nader's appearance, said he believes many Princetonians left the speech with a better understanding of the candidate's platform.

"A lot of people came into the event tonight not knowing who Ralph Nader was," he said. "People found out tonight exactly what he is fighting for."

The media does not cover Nader adequately, leaving citizens uninformed, Tannenbaum added.

"The Nader rally in Madison Square Garden Friday was the biggest rally of his campaign," Tannenbaum explained. "But it made it only to page 26 of The New York Times."

Wilson School professor Richard Falk, who was one of the people who introduced Nader, said last night that he too was particularly impressed with Nader's presentation style.

"I thought it was an extremely effective speech. He spoke with a great depth of knowledge on a range of different issues in a way I don't think the candidates from the main two political parties would have been able to," Falk said.

Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Nevertheless, the differences between Nader's speech and the oratory styles of Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore were fairly striking, Falk said.

"[Nader] I think really had a connection with the audience," he said.

Many of Nader's most vehement supporters are from younger age groups. Indeed, he commands a substantial following among members of the University community.

"Younger people have a sense of disillusionment with things of the mainstream," Falk said. "But it's possible to identify with [Nader] because he presents a very caring image, and people, especially younger people, respond to that."

Nader made a special effort to connect with Princetonians, USG president PJ Kim '01 said.

"He knew his audience," Kim said. "I appreciated how he tried to pack his speech with student concerns, connecting academic work applicable to areas of outside issues."

And some of the interest Nader sparked on campus may convert into votes come Nov. 7. Chevalier, for one, said she plans to vote for Nader, explaining that the long odds her candidate faces are not a deterrent.

"Realistically, it's true, there's really no way he can win. But it's important to think long-term," she said. "If he does get, say, eight percent of the popular vote, that's going to really cause some heads to turn. And it's going to make him and the party stronger."