When Ego And Irrelevance Collide

How do you define someone whose moment has passed? Try this definition on for size:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ralph Nader could be poised for another third party presidential campaign.

The consumer advocate will appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday to announce whether he will launch another White House bid. Nader kicked off his 2004 presidential run on the show.

A spokesman for Nader did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Kevin Zeese, who was Nader's spokesman during the 2004 presidential race, but is no longer working for him, said Friday that Nader has been actively talking to "lots of people on all sorts of levels" about the possibility of making another run.

Zeese said he could only guess what Nader might do, but added: "Obviously, I don't think ("Meet the Press" host) Tim Russert would have him on for no reason."

Tell me the truth: When was the last time you even thought about Ralph Nader?

Heck, I walked by a Corvair a couple months ago and that didn't even trigger a memory. I did think of him momentarily when considering the impact of a Ron Paul third-party candidacy a few months back, but the thought was so irrelevant to 2008, it had less traction than a Corvair with bald tires in an oil spill.

So in this era of global Islamist threat, economic uncertainty ... sheesh, even global warming! ... what's ol' Ralphie been thinking about?

Last month, Nader began an exploratory presidential campaign and launched a Web site that promises to fight "corporate greed, corporate power, corporate control."

Oooh. That'll pack 'em into the polls!

It would be nice if a Nader run would steal votes from the Demobama candidate and seal the deal for the GOP, but just put the sour, dour, fatalistic Nader up against the Man With Hope and you can see that a Nader campaign will be utterly without consequence.