Nader! Don't Do It!

My poor Bush-Wins prediction is in jeopardy.In November, Americans won't be casting their ballots directly for George
Bush, John Kerry or Ralph Nader. From a constitutional point of view, they
will be voting for competing slates of electors nominated in each state
by the contenders. Legally speaking, the decisions made by these 538
membersof the Electoral College determine the next president. In the
case of Mr. Bush and Mr. Kerry, electors will be named by each state's
political parties.
But Ralph Nader is running as an independent. When he petitions
to get on the ballot in each state, he must name his own slate of
electors. While he is free to nominate a distinctive slate of names,
he can also propose the very same names that appear on the Kerry
slate. If he does, he will provide voters with a new degree of freedom.
On Election Day, they will see a line on the ballot designating Ralph
Nader's electors. But if voters choose the Nader line, they won't
be wasting theirballot on a candidate with little chance of winning.
Since Mr. Nader'sslate would be the same as Mr. Kerry's, his voters
would be providing additional support for the electors selected by
the Democrats. If the Nader-Kerry total is a majority in any state,
the victorious electors would be free to vote for Mr. Kerry.