CNN Poll: Nader Garners 6 Percent of Vote

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader received 6 percent of the vote in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Wednesday, bringing him closer to his goal of participating in the upcoming presidential debates.

The CNN/ORC poll of registered voters shows Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in a statistical dead heat at 46 percent and 43 percent respectively, while Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr received 3 percent of the vote.

Nader’s camp, who complains he isn’t given the same chance to promote his candidacy’s objectives as the other two major party’s presidential nominees, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., says he needs to poll nationally at about 10 percent to gain entry into the upcoming town hall debates, as well as the Google-sponsored internet debate set for Sept. 18 in New Orleans.

Staffers working on behalf of Nader’s fifth run at the White House are convinced the perennial candidate could poll as high as 20 percent if allowed to take part in the debates.

The Nader-Matt Gonzalez independent ticket plans to finish petitioning in at least 45 of the 50 states prior to the Sept. 18 debate.

Campaign operatives working for the candidate and his running mate, Matt Gonzales — a politician, lawyer, and activist prominent in San Francisco politics — feel anything can happen once a three-way race between Obama, McCain and their candidate is established.

At a news conference and campaign rally to be held Thursday in Hawaii, Nader will outline his party platform, which includes: