The Nadernaut Rolls On!

Ralph Nader's received a fraction of the attention he craved from this, his fifth presidential bid. The most coverage he's gotten since announcing came at the Ron Paul third party presser. But he's hitting swing states like New Hampshire with a stirring message worthy of Eugene V. Debs:

Nader noted that fewer than 10 of the approximately 40 audience members appeared to be Dartmouth students. He criticized the "sterile political debate at Dartmouth," adding that the College is known as the most conservative school in the Ivy League.

Who's paying for this? Well, you are. In July Nader hauled $411,187.85 in matching funds, paid for by voluntary donations to the public financing fund, distributed by the FEC. That's roughly a quarter of Nader's overall fundraising. No matter what damage Barack Obama wreaks, if he actually succeeds in blowing up the public finance system, he'll have done us all a favor.

Five years ago Radley Balko had some more examples of Nader living off of political welfare.