Grand Illusion: The Myth of Voter Choice in a Two-Party Tyranny

The monumental difficulty of running for president of the United States as a third party or independent candidate is the subject of this informative but sometimes tedious chronicle by Ralph Nader’s former campaign manager, who frames her crusade to get Nader onto the ballots in the 2000 and 2004 elections as a stand to give voters “more voices and more choices.” An NYU law school graduate, Amato brings a lawyer’s sensibility to the book and details the endless technicalities, lawsuits and court rulings that Nader’s team faced. This diligent chronicling could be essential reading for anyone planning to mount or advise an independent or third party run for president, but it is hard to imagine that the general reader will be captivated by the rented office space scandal of June 2004 and other such complications. Despite the book’s flaws, Amato displays an encyclopedic knowledge of election law, and her recommendations for election reform, including a comprehensive plan for “Federal Administration and Financing of Elections,” are crucial contributions to the debate over election law. (June)