How do you handle the third-party-voter dilemma?

Question

If you are in any third party in the USA (Independent, Green, etc.), it's almost a truism that a vote for your candidate is "a vote for the Republican." Do you agree? If so, how do you follow your conscience in voting, knowing that your candidate has no chance to become President, VP, etc. on election day?

Answer 1

You lobby to fix the electoral college, and have votes allocated to candidates based on a pro-rata percentage, rather than all-or-nothing by state.

That doesn't require a constitutional change, but it would require a change in an electoral majority of states before you see any benefits.

Don't ya just love how the two dominant parties have managed to gerrymander the system to squeeze out any possible competition.....

Answer 2

First, I note that the Democrats have lost several elections to Republicans who received less than a majority of the vote since Nixon won his first term in '68. Then I note that The Greens and others have been calling for run-off elections that could prevent that for a long time. Then I note that the Democrats haven't done much to bring about run-off elections, even when they had control of both houses of Congress plus The White House.

Next I consider the checks and balances of our system of government. Even if sacrificing my right to vote for what I really support were to elect "the lesser evil" the checks and balances could permit the Democrat to do the things I oppose and prevent her/him from doing what I support. Then there is the chance that the Democrat will lose anyway, and I will have given up the right to say what I want for nothing. It's not worth the risks.

So, I'd rather vote for someone like Joe Schriner, http://www.voteforjoe.com , whose positions are a lot closer to mine, than allow Democratic Party scare ads to convince me that the Republican candidate is so evil that the check and balances of the system can't contain the evil.

America will survive regardless of which party wins, but we could do a lot better with ideas neither party seems very interested in (in my humble opinion of course).

http://www.yaktivist.com -- A place to discuss developing nonlethal weapons and nonlethal pregnancy termination technology.

Answer 3

yes