Ralph Nader, possibly America’s most famous consumer advocate, announced today on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he is jumping into the 2008 presidential campaign as a third-party candidate.

Nader has done this four times before, in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004, and drew infinitesimal portions of the vote each time. What does he expect to accomplish this time beyond spending a lot of money and gaining a little publicity? Maybe that’s enough for the 73-year-old — another two minutes of fame before fading into the sunset. He has every right to run, of course, just as Mike Huckabee has every right to keep running in the face of impossible numbers. But, as with Huckabee, you have to wonder why he’s doing it. What’s the point?

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