George,

The news that Nader will be on the ballot just flashed across my screen. It contains an egregious error that all Democrats need to combat. Its premise is that you can vote for Nader without throwing your vote away since Gore cannot carry the state anyway. That kind of fatalism will heighten the chances of a Bush presidency. That's a pretty high price for any responsible person on the left to ask us to pay. From my left of center vantage point I urge all Democrats to do what they can to persuade their Green Party friends to rally behind the Gore candidacy. He does have a chance. Writing him off not only undermines those chances in Virginia; it also undermines them in states like Michigan where the outcome is likely to be determined.

Paul Gaston (electronic mail, September 11, 2000).