Would Ralph Nader Buy a Rolex? June 14, 2000January 28, 2017 Mike Wallin: “Ralph Nader is an idiot but I hope you are right that he could cause a GOP victory and 3-4 more Clarence Thomases on the Supreme Court.” Aaron: “I have always found it irksome and sad when someone tells me I’m ‘wasting my vote’ when I vote for the candidate I would like to see win the election. The two party system is so limiting. I believe that having more (viable) parties would promote a healthier government in which minority viewpoints would get more consideration. But how do you get more parties off the ground if people are told not to waste their votes? The problem here really is with the voting system. When you go to vote, you should be able to stipulate a list of preferences. For example my vote would be 1) Ralph Nader 2) Al Gore. If Ralph didn’t get enough votes to win, then my vote would switch to Gore. This would allow people to vote their conscience/heart, but allow for the pragmatic fallback as well. Greg Barnes: “This will probably be an e-mail worth ignoring. But perchance you could help. I have a decent cushion of savings, but I’m not rich. One of my best friends the other day showed me a $7,000 Rolex he recently got. My jaw dropped. He said, though, he didn’t pay $7,000 for it. He paid $1,000 for it. (It’s not stolen merchandise, either, believe it or not. And it’s not second-hand). “He has a cousin, retired wealthy in his 40’s, who made his wealth dealing in Asian trade, including with one fellow who has the biggest Rolex dealership in Asia. This dealer likes to stay in this cousin’s good graces. So he gives him good deals on Rolexes (the cousin has a Presidential Rolex, retailing for $30,000). My friend said this dealer himself may actually have taken a loss with this $7,000/$1,000 watch, but likes to please his cousin. “My friend said he could probably get ME a $7000 Rolex for $1,000! “A $1,000 on a watch is a bit much. But on one that retails for $7,000, not necessarily. And I love a bargain! But it IS an indulgence. Oh, God, I’m feeling dizzy! “Assuming all this is legitimate, and the Rolex isn’t fake (I know it wouldn’t be, since I know the people very well) — would YOU go for this $7,000 watch for $1,000?” Sure. And sell it on eBay.