Oct 25, 2008 1:32 pm US/Eastern
Nader Aims For Campaign Speech World Record In MA
By Jay Lindsay, AP Writer
BOSTON (AP) ―
In a presidential election full of firsts, longshot candidate Ralph Nader is hoping to make his own mark -- with his mouth.
Nader planned to deliver 315 minutes of speeches in 21 communities Saturday, which would set a Guinness World Record for most campaign speeches in a day.
Nader spokesman Ryan Mehta said the so-called "Massachusetts Marathon" aims to raise awareness because two-thirds of the nation doesn't know Nader is running as an independent. The campaign speech record would be a bonus.
"We kind of just thought of it afterward," Mehta said.
Guinness officials said Nader needs to give 15 speeches Saturday to set the record, which has never been attempted. The speeches must be at least 10 minutes long and at least 10 people must be at each stop who didn't come with Nader.
As he did in Boston, Nader planned at every turn to call for drastic cuts in military spending and hammer away at corruption in Washington and the recent Wall Street bailout bill, which he likened to the policies that started the American Revolution.
"Given that monstrous bailout bill, it's still the same message: taxation without representation," Nader told about 40 supporters at a morning speech in front of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
Even with all the chances to speak, Mehta said a key challenge was making sure Nader didn't talk too much and blow the schedule.
"He does like to talk over his allotted time," Mehta said. "It's very hard to stop him."
The tour, including traveling musicians, was to visit various settings, including a deli, farmer's market, and library, with Nader's stops scheduled at 15 minutes to a half hour long.
Nader began at 8:15 a.m. at a doughnut shop in the western Massachusetts city of Westfield and headed east shortly afterward to speak in Boston. He planned to stop in several Boston suburbs before hitting the central part of the state, including Clark University in Worcester and a coffee shop in Auburn.
The tour ends in western Massachusetts with an 11:30 p.m. campaign party in Sheffield.
Nader said he hopes the tour convinces thousands of Massachusetts voters to support him and help build a powerful "third political force," since Democrat Barack Obama is certain to easily win the state even if significant votes are diverted to Nader.
He also said he wants to highlight a campaigning style that focuses on local communities, rather than large rallies with carefully screened crowds. The 74-year-old Nader, who is on the ballot in 45 states, added he had plenty of energy Saturday for his campaign blitz.
"When you're seeking justice, as I have for so many years, it's invigorating, not fatiguing," he said.
Betsy Frederick, owner of Raven Used Book Shop in Northampton said it sounded like fun so she agreed to host Nader at her basement store, even though she's an Obama supporter.
She was skeptical Nader could keep to the tight schedule and wondered whether his appearance would help or hurt business. Either way, the effect shouldn't be too dramatic.
"He can't be here for more than 20 minutes," Frederick said. "He'll miss the next stop."
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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