While presidential incumbent George W. Bush and Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry campaign predominantly in the swing states, Ralph Nader can say that his effort stretches across all 50, including a stop in Syracuse.

Nader, the Independent party presidential candidate, will be making an appearance at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the South Presbyterian Church in Syracuse to deliver a campaign speech and rally supporters for his spot on the ballot in this year’s election.

‘(Nader) is campaigning in all 50 states,’ said Howie Hawkins, an organizer of the event. ‘(Bush and Kerry) are only concentrating on the ‘battleground,’ or swing, states.’

Nader is currently on the ballot in only 31 states.

‘The Democrats are insecure,’ said Kevin Zeese, Nader’s campaign manager. ‘They’ve tried to keep him off the ballot in several states.’

According to Zeese, the Nader campaign has been through several court cases in order to get his name on the ballot in every state.

‘This is a campaign for democracy,’ Zeese said.

Many Democrats and Republicans alike argue that Nader’s third-party candidacy in the 2000 election caused its unprecedented results.

‘He’s been blamed a lot for being the spoiler of the last election,’ said Colleen Hendricks, a senior music industry major and campus coordinator for Students for Nader at Syracuse University.

Although Nader’s speech in Syracuse will focus mainly on his campaign, Hawkins said he will also respond to people’s questions and problems.

‘He’s here for people who want to hear what he has to say,’ Hawkins said.

Zeese said Nader intends to focus on various issues in his campaign speech, which are geared toward the benefit of the people.

Nader supports a rapid withdrawal from Iraq and has a three-step plan to do so, Zeese said.

‘He also supports health care for all, and I mean all,’ Zeese said. ‘There are so many people in America today who do not have health coverage. (Nader) wants to give them this care.’

Other issues Zeese highlighted included a living wage for everyone and the end of corporate control in America.

A signing for Nader’s new book, ‘Crashing the Party,’ will be held after his address.

Hendricks will be one of the first in line to see Nader at the campaign speech on Thursday.

‘He’s the only candidate I like and would vote for,’ she said. ‘I also really believe in what he stands for.’

Hendricks, who will be seeing Nader in person for the first time on Thursday, hopes that he will concentrate his speech on foreign policy and environmental issues.

‘He’s the only candidate talking about poverty, human rights, higher education and the environment in a way that I agree with,’ Hendricks said. ‘I don’t want to vote out of fear, like many liberals are going to, and I won’t be choosing a lesser of two evils.’

Nader made an appearance at the South Presbyterian Church in April of 2000, where he toured Syracuse before the official announcement that he would be running for president on the Green Party ticket. This tour included a visit to Syracuse University, which Hawkins referred to as a ‘listening visit.’

‘He mainly listened to the people’s problems and responded to them accordingly,’ Hawkins said.

He also said that attention on Nader’s last visit was mainly generated through word-of-mouth, where approximately 100 people attended the event.

Hawkins, along with others involved in Nader’s campaign tour of New York, is hoping to attract as many people as possible.

‘(We’re hoping to have) as many people as we can get,’ he said.

Published on October 28, 2004 at 12:00 pm