Throwing one's vote away?

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

Sorry if this is a GD, but I did a search and didn't find anything about this.

Do you guys think that by voting for a 3rd party candidate you're throwing your vote away or proudly performing your civic duty? Is it better to choose the lesser of two evils or actually vote for the candidate you think would do the best job, even if they have literally no chance of winning?

Or is there a gray area, where 9 times out of 10, you'd vote for the best candidate, regardless of their chances, but if one of the two major party candidates was so incredibly abhorrent, you'd vote against them by casting your lot with whoever has the best chance of beating them?

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

A vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil.

That is such a great way to put it. I am going to steal that the next time someone pulls the whole "throwing your vote away" shit with me.

[Dr_Phibes]

Do you guys think that by voting for a 3rd party candidate you're throwing your vote away

If you follow that scenario through - everyone whose ever voted for a losing candidate, wasted their vote. That sort of thinking just leads to stagnation.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

Do you guys think that by voting for a 3rd party candidate you're throwing your vote away

If you follow that scenario through - everyone whose ever voted for a losing candidate, wasted their vote. That sort of thinking just leads to stagnation.

I don't necessarily agree with that. There's a distinct difference between voting for someone who has a legitimate chance to win (e.g McCain or Obama) but ultimately loses and voting for someone you know with 100% certainty will absolutely not win the election (Nader or Barr). It's not as if the whole "throwing your vote away" argument is entirely baseless. There's a certain cold, resigned logic behind the notion of just accepting that it will be one or the other and trying to figure out which one you disagree with the least.

And for the record, I don't think McCain or Obama are truly "evil." I guess I just figure that for as much as people bitch about the two-party system and the lack of real choices it results in, they don't care enough to actually vote for 3rd party candidates. How do people expect it to change if they keep playing along?

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

There's a certain cold, resigned logic behind the notion of just accepting that it will be one or the other and trying to figure out which one you disagree with the least.

Could you italicize that next time and throw some quotes around it, so that you may better convey a sense of irony?

Oh wait...you weren't being ironic? uhhhh...ughhh....

[battery chucka' one]

A vote cast is never one wasted (write-ins aside).

That said, much must be said for mobilization. Is there organization in the campaign? Case in point, I've seen very little actual campaigning for Mr. Barr. Those in the know, are aware of who he is (and somewhat about his platform). However, with the casual observer, they have no idea who he is. They know McCain. They know Obama.

With Ross Perot in '92 and '96, there was that organization. Same with the Reform Party in general at that time. Hence, Jesse Ventura gets elected governor. However, surely you'll agree that tossing a vote to a third party and hoping for the best is on a par with tossing a glass of fresh water into the ocean and counting on it being desalinated. It's also important to keep in mind that Abe Lincoln WAS a third party candidate and he won the presidency.

Hope that helps. That said, Happy Birthday, ya' old codger.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

There's a certain cold, resigned logic behind the notion of just accepting that it will be one or the other and trying to figure out which one you disagree with the least.

Could you italicize that next time and throw some quotes around it, so that you may better convey a sense of irony?

Oh wait...you weren't being ironic? uhhhh...ughhh....

I'm not sure I follow what you're getting at. I wasn't being ironic, I was playing devil's advocate. Look it up...

[Cuda]

unless you vote for the winner, your vote is wasted

[Diogenes]

unless you vote for the winner, your vote is wasted

And voting for a third party candidate is the same as not voting.
Which means you are responsible for whover wins.

[SunCoastSooner]

unless you vote for the winner, your vote is wasted

And voting for a third party candidate is the same as not voting.
Which means you are responsible for whover wins.

Bullshit!!! Voting for who you believe is the best candidate is never a wasted vote. Fucking sheep is all you and the rest are...

[Mister Bushice]

"You may select 1 option"

No shit? I can't vote yes AND no? :doh:


IF there WAS a better option, enough people might vote for him/her.

Certainly voting is better than not, but this is a locked in two party system, so if you feel both of those candidates suck and you cannot vote for either one of them, you are wasting a vote on the available options.

Sin,

Ralph Nader,
.38% of the vote in '04

[Diogenes]

unless you vote for the winner, your vote is wasted

And voting for a third party candidate is the same as not voting.
Which means you are responsible for whover wins.

Bullshit!!! Voting for who you believe is the best candidate is never a wasted vote.

So go ahead and write in Washington or Lincoln. Their ghosts will have as much chance as whatever the fuck third party clown you prefer.

And your vote will mean exactly as much.

Better yet, vote for TR.

The most sucessfull 3rd part candidate ever, and all he managed to do was eliminate an incumbent who was tedious and put a jerkoff in office who got us into a World War and insured the inevitability of another.

[SunCoastSooner]

And voting for a third party candidate is the same as not voting.
Which means you are responsible for whover wins.

Bullshit!!! Voting for who you believe is the best candidate is never a wasted vote.

So go ahead and write in Washington or Lincoln. Their ghosts will have as much chance as whatever the fuck third party clown you prefer.

And your vote will mean exactly as much.

Better yet, vote for TR.

The most sucessfull 3rd part candidate ever, and all he managed to do was eliminate an incumbent who was tedious and put a jerkoff in office who got us into a World War and insured the inevitability of another.

I consider it my civic duty to vote for the candidate I see as best for the country not trying to ensure that the lesser of two shitty leaders gets into office and does the same old shit. If no one ever does anything nothing will ever change. You're theory only makes sure nothing ever will.

[Diogenes]

So go ahead and write in Washington or Lincoln. Their ghosts will have as much chance as whatever the fuck third party clown you prefer.

And your vote will mean exactly as much.

Better yet, vote for TR.

The most sucessfull 3rd part candidate ever, and all he managed to do was eliminate an incumbent who was tedious and put a jerkoff in office who got us into a World War and insured the inevitability of another.

I consider it my civic duty to vote for the candidate I see as best for the country not trying to ensure that the lesser of two shitty leaders gets into office and does the same old shit. If no one ever does anything nothing will ever change. You're theory only makes sure nothing ever will.

Sin,

Perot 1992
Roosevelt 1912


Both of those worked out so well.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

I swear on the life of Sarah Palin's retarded grandchild, this forum gets worse every day.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

I swear on the life of Sarah Palin's retarded grandchild, this forum gets worse every day.

Thank god there's still a handful of informed posters with rock-solid takes (such as yourself) to keep this forum from totally imploding.*












*Do I need to italicize that and/or put it in quotes or did the sarcasm come through OK?

[Shoalzie]

If you're going to vote third party...actually do it and not just vote for major party candidate you can at least tolerate to be the president. The hang up for most people with third party votes is that they know darn well that their person won't win. In all honesty, I would like to vote third party in this election because neither candidate has won my vote but it's not like there is a third party candidate that has won my vote either. I voted libertarian in the most recent Michigan governor election...that was the first time I've gone third party.

A third party is really never going to gain recognition in this country until there is a strong enough movement to start going away from either of the major parties. I think the worst part of politics is the two-party system. The second worst part is when the candidates faith influences their views for what's best for the country. If we just had an election of the 4 or 5 most qualified candidates with no D or R or I next to their name...I wonder if we'd finally get the right people in office and not just the ones who have the backing of a major party.

[Diogenes]

You know you want to.

Losers.