Can Nader Matter?

I’m back from a couple of days in Milwaukee, during which I had no internet access and wasn’t able to post, so I’m trying to catch up. That the future may not be like the past–“that was then, this is now”–is, for me, the beginning of much wisdom. Consistent with that theory, I have been very skeptical that Ralph Nader will have much impact this year. The left, as we all know, is motivated like never before to unite behind a candidate–any candidate–to retake the executive branch.
So I was surprised to see a poll result tonight (on Fox News) that showed President Bush at 46%, John Kerry at 45%, and Nader at 6%. Felt like deja vu all over again. But I still suspect it’s too good to be true, and that most Nader supporters will be long gone, converted to loyal Democrats, by November.