A Nader vote can hurt

Conservation-minded voters who forfeit their opportunity to influence the outcome of November’s election by voting for gadfly Ralph Nader instead of Al Gore will thereby lose any credibility in criticizing the possible resulting Bush administration. They can’t complain about a Bush administration if it follows through with its anti-conservation agenda, including opening the Alaska nature preserve for oil drilling.

In making a conscious and informed choice that risks election of George W. Bush by denying their vote to Gore, they will hardly be able to fault policies of an administration that they de facto put into place. They cannot be surprised when their protests of loyalty to conservation principles are met with “yeah, right!” from their more sophisticated conservation soulmates.

Everett