Virginia's Secretary of the Board of Elections announced this week that Ralph Nader fell short of the required 10,000 signatures needed to appear on the state's presidential ballot. This is just one of several setbacks that have befallen Nader on his path to Election Day.
After having such a significant impact on the 2000 presidential election, Nader has had trouble adding his name to ballots this year without the backing of the Green Party. Third-party candidates run with the realistic intention not of winning the election but of calling attention to themselves to try and enact change. From that standpoint, not appearing on ballots can only be considered a loss for Nader.
The Eagle is torn on the issue of Nader's candidacy. On one hand, elections should be all about options, and Nader is by far the biggest name among candidates outside of the duopoly of American politics. However, the fact that Nader couldn't gather the required number of signatures shows the lack of support he has in Virginia and other states. It's not the signature rule that's changed, but the amount of support Nader commands.
Nader has been a divisive figure in national politics for years, but his struggles this year indicate that this may be his last hurrah. His problems getting on ballots set an ugly precedent for future third-party candidates, and the Democratic Party's efforts to fight Nader discourage those outside of the Big Two from trying to have their voices heard.
