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Political affiliation:
Independent |
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Born: Feb. 27, 1934
Winsted, CT. |
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Personal:
Single. Congregationalist. |
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Occupation:
Attorney. Founder of numerous
consumer groups. |
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Education:
Graduated from Princeton in
1955 and Harvard Law School in 1958. |
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Major political experience:
Has run for president twice. |
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Ralph Nader
SNAPSHOT
Ralph Nader joined the presidential campaign on
February 22, 2004. H acknowledges that it will be difficult to get his name
on the ballot in all 50 states in his independent bid for the presidency. Nader,
whom Democrats blame for costing Democrat Al Gore the election in 2000, lacks
major party support or resources for his candidacy that has riled the Democratic
Party. Unlikely to get the Green Party nomination, he faces an uphill battle
to get on the ballot, which requires money and signatures. Nader rejects the
spoiler label as a "contemptuous" term used
by those who want to deny voters a choice. Declaring Washington a "corporate-occupied territory," he accuses both Democrats and
Republicans of being dominated by corporate lobbyists who care little about
the needs of ordinary Americans.
Minnesota delegates bring convention enthusiasm back home
Minnesota Democrats are returning home after wrapping up the four-day Democratic National Convention in Boston. The convention ended Thursday evening, after Sen. John Kerry accepted the party's nomination for president. Minnesota delegates uniformly cheered Kerry's remarks -- but the event is only the first step in what's sure to be a tough three months.
(07/30/2004)
Kerry defines himself as a soldier, father and man of values
Soldier, father and man of values - John Kerry
sought to define himself Thursday night to an American public still
unfamiliar with the Democrat determined to replace President Bush.
Kerry accepted his party's nomination in the embrace of an
adoring hometown crowd, an affectionate introduction by his two
daughters and a loyal lineup of fellow Vietnam veterans.
(07/29/2004)
Pro-choice Catholics in Democratic delegation feel the heat
Sen. John Kerry is just the third Catholic ever nominated to be president of the United States. In 1928, Al Smith, and again in 1960, Sen. John F. Kennedy -- both Democrats -- had to answer questions from voters about the role of their religion in governing. Now, some politicians are answering the same question, but this time it's coming from their church.
(07/29/2004)
Convention speeches from John Edwards and others
We feature the best speeches from the third night of the Democratic National Convention, including the remarks of vice presidential hopeful John Edwards.
( 07/29/2004)
MPR coverage of the 2004 Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention met was held in Boston July 26-29, 2004. The convention nominated John Kerry to run for president. In this special section, MPR News explored several facets of the Democratic politics, you can also hear all the major speeches, and read the Editor's Notebook, a convention blog.
(07/29/2004)
Kerry nominated; Edwards revives theme of two Americas
Sen. John Kerry collected the Democratic
presidential nomination late Wednesday, as delegates to the party convention cast their votes for him. Kerry, a four-term Massachusetts senator, was in his Boston hotel
when convention delegates formally bestowed the prize
he won in a series of primaries and caucuses last winter and
spring. He will deliver his acceptance speech Thursday evening. His running mate, Sen. John Edwards, spoke Wednesday night, reviving his primary campaign theme of two Americas -- one for the rich, and one for everyone else.
(07/28/2004)
Kucinich delegates: What to do?
As the hour grew near to nominate John Kerry as
the Democratic presidential candidate, about 60 delegates,
including nine Minnesotans, struggled to find a way to show party unity and still express their support for Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Kucinich has urged supporters to back Kerry, but some delegates are leaning toward simply calling themselves "present" during the vote Wednesday night.
(07/28/2004)
House Democrats on the back shelf at convention
In Washington, they're big dogs. But at the
Democratic National Convention the party's House members can barely
get a bone, relegated to early speaking slots with little
television exposure and scant attention because of the
single-minded focus on beating President Bush.
(07/28/2004)
Minnesota DFLers united despite differences
Democrats in Boston have approved a new platform that more than doubles the space given to defense and foreign policy issues. It also touches on the controversial issues of abortion rights and gay and lesbian unions. But despite the tangle of thorny issues, Minnesota delegates say they are unified behind Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards in a way that they haven't been in recent years.
(07/28/2004)
Delegates from elsewhere have advice for Minnesota Democrats
In 2000, the Minnesota delegation was seated in the risers as Democrats nominated Vice President Al Gore for the presidency in Los Angeles' Staples Center. This year, Minnesota Democrats have a front-row seat at Boston's Fleet Center. Many factors affect a delegation's seating, but one of them is likely the state's status as a newly-minted battleground state.
(07/27/2004)
Heinz Kerry touts husband's character; Obama wows the delegates
Democrats assailed President Bush's handling of
the Iraq war Tuesday night and painted a vivid portrait of John
Kerry as a decorated war hero. "He earned his medals the
old-fashioned way, by putting his life on the line," Teresa Heinz
Kerry told the party's national convention.
(07/27/2004)
Courting the veterans vote
Delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Boston are hearing an emphasis on Sen. John Kerry's war record. Convention organizers are hoping to portray Kerry as someone strong on defense. But it may be a tough sell among at least one group of voters -- veterans.
(07/27/2004)
Democrats sell themselves as the party of strength
Democrats have wrestled their message down to one
word: strength. A strong economy. Strong community. All under the vision of a strong leader. They can't use the word or its variations enough at their national convention.
They used it 106 times in the text of the platform they were
adopting in Boston on Tuesday, a document called "Strong at Home: Respected in the World."
(07/27/2004)
Clinton assails Bush, issues call to send Kerry to White House
Bill Clinton stirred the opening night of the
Democratic National Convention Monday with a summons to send John
Kerry to the White House, accusing President Bush of botching both
the economy and the war on terror.
"Strength and wisdom are not opposing values," the former
president said sarcastically of the man who followed him into
office. He said Republicans "need a divided America, but we
don't."
(07/26/2004)
Kerry officials push positive spin on tight Midwest races
As the Democratic National Convention officially opened in Boston on Monday, strategists for Sen. John Kerry's campaign in the Midwest attempted to minimize the strong showing in Minnesota polls by President George Bush in a state that historically has been a Democratic stronghold.
(07/26/2004)