Politics | Ralph Nader Obama 'Wants to Talk White': Nader Third-party maverick says Dem avoids poverty, favors 'appeal to white guilt' By Jonas Oransky Posted Jun 25, 2008 4:02 PM CDT Copied Supporter of Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader holds up a banner during a news conference outside of the Nuclear Energy Institute in Washington, Thursday, May 29, 2008. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Ralph Nader says Barack Obama "wants to talk white" and "appeal to white guilt" while ignoring poverty, the third-party presidential candidate told the Rocky Mountain News yesterday. The consumer advocate said the only thing that separated Obama from past Democrats is that he’s “half African-American," charging Obama was betraying his background by not prioritizing the defense of the poor. "He wants to show that he is not … another politically threatening African-American politician," Nader said. "Basically he's coming on as someone who is not going to threaten the white power structure, whether it's corporate or whether it's simply oligarchic. And they love it. Whites just eat it up." An Obama rep dismissed the comments as "reprehensible" and "downright delusional." Read These Next A space capsule carrying ashes of 160 people crashed in the ocean. A lesson in minding your own business ... at 30,000 feet. The death toll in the Texas floods has risen to 27, including 9 kids. Desperate search for missing campers continues in Texas. Report an error