An Unreasonable Man

As part of their "VOTE DEMOCRACY!" campaign, an attempt to get young people involved in voting and the democratic process, PBS will air An Unreasonable Man, a documentary on the legacy of Raplh Nader, on December 18th. The documentary film, which was released earlier this year, largely aims to dispell the myth that Nader's presidential bid in 2000 led to the election of George W. Bush, rather than Al Gore. The film begins with Nader's rise into the public spotlight back in the 1960's, when an attempt by General Motors to discredit his book, Unsafe at Any Speed, blew up into scandal which landed Nader at the head of the Consumer Movement. It covers the span of Nader's career, including his work that led to mandatory seatbelts, airbags, and product labels, but by the end of the film, Nader is estranged from the groups that he founded and hated by Democrats because of the belief that he caused Gore's loss in 2000. The airing of the documentary may, for better or for worse, return credibility to Ralph Nader should he decide to run as an independent in next year's election.