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Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an American attorney, author, lecturer, political activist, and candidate for President of the United States in five elections. Areas of particular concern to Nader are consumer rights, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government. He was the first Arab American presidential candidate in US history.[1]

Nader has run for President of the United States five times (in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008). In 1992 he ran as a write-in in both the New Hampshire Republican and Democratic primaries, and other primaries. In 1996 and 2000, he was the nominee of the Green Party; in 2004, he ran as an independent, but was also endorsed by the Reform Party.[2] His campaigns have been controversial, with his role in the 2000 election in particular being subject to much debate. Many Democrats accuse Nader of siphoning Democratic votes in key states that may have cost Al Gore the presidency.[3] Nader himself recently stated in a live interview that he believes Al Gore won the presidency but that it was "stolen from him ... by the [Florida] Secretary of State and Jeb Bush" and the US Supreme Court.[4] It is generally stated in the media that he blames the Democrats for George W. Bush's victory that year.[5][6] On February 24, 2008, he announced on NBC's Meet The Press that he is campaigning for the presidency in 2008.[7] Nader is currently the only 2008 presidential candidate calling for the impeachment of president George W. Bush and vice-president Dick Cheney and has made the topic one of his campaign's "Twelve Issues that Matter for 2008." [8] [9]

Nader was born in Winsted, Connecticut. His parents, Nathra and Rose Nader, were Maronite Catholic immigrants from Lebanon. Rose and Nathra Nader's native language is Arabic,[10] and Ralph has spoken it along with English since childhood.[11][12]