Independent Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader is on the ballot in 45 States, do you know who he is? Ralph Nader, running for the third time, gives his take on the current U.S. economic situation and criticizes Senators McCain and Obama for targeting the middle class, but ignoring the poor in America. Nader talks about his plan to reestablish regulation in the banking and financial system and return more power to people who own shares in companies. On foreign policy, Nader criticizes the Republican and Democratic candidates for their willingness to continue fighting in Afghanistan. He also calls for a six-month withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Quotes "[The poor] do the dirty work for us, and they're never mentioned in the campaign. It's like the poor is a no-no. And yet the poor Americans are shrinking the middle class because a lot of middle classes are going into poverty." -Ralph Nader, presidential candidate "There's got to be justice. People are crying out against this gross unfairness, where these bosses on Wall Street tank their own companies, un-employ hundreds of thousands of workers, and jump ship into a golden lifeboat." -Ralph Nader, presidential candidate "Nobody conquers Afghanistan. The British didn't do it. The Soviet Union didn't do it. We're not going to do it. It's a scar on the conscience of Obama and McCain that they are ready to get us into a massive quagmire." -Ralph Nader, presidential candidate Warm Up Questions 1. How many main political parties are there in the United States? How does that compare to other countries? 2. What does it mean if someone is an independent voter, instead of a Republican or Democrat? Discussion Questions 1. Did you know of Ralph Nader before watching this video? Why or why not? 2. What are some of the pros and cons of having a primarily two-party system? 3. Why do you think people run as third-party candidates even if they have little chance of winning? 4. Imagine you are a third party candidate, what would be your platform? What would be your party's name? Additional Resources Transcript of this report Ralph Nader Profile In-depth Coverage: Vote 2008