Discussion Are you voting 3rd party for president in 2020

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local

Golden Member
Jun 28, 2011
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That is absolutely FALSE. It is our responsibility to vote who we think is the best candidate, not one who necessarily has the best chance of winning.

For the last 12 years I would agree with you completely, I'm pretty sure you can find me making that same argument in a post about 4 years ago, but this time I am going to be voting against someone instead of for someone. It makes me feel a little sick that I am going to be doing that but I cannot stand by and not do everything within my power to oppose someone that violates so many principles I consider important.

This is not the time to hope that we are having an impact by voting 3rd party.
 
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blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
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For the last 12 years I would agree with you completely, I'm pretty sure you can find me making that same argument in a post about 4 years ago, but this time I am going to be voting against someone instead of for someone. It makes me feel a little sick that I am going to be doing that but I cannot stand by and not do everything within my power to oppose someone that violates so many principles I consider important.

This is not the time to hope that we are having an impact by voting 3rd party.

We all have our reasons for whom we vote for. I respect your reasoning, but, at least this year or any year before this, I dont feel good about voting against someone.
 

local

Golden Member
Jun 28, 2011
1,850
511
136
We all have our reasons for whom we vote for. I respect your reasoning, but, at least this year or any year before this, I dont feel good about voting against someone.

I know that feeling, like I said I feel sick doing it as I have stood very firmly behind my belief to vote for the person that best fits what you want. It feels wrong and I definitely don't want to do it but for just this once I can take the pain of compromising my principles in order to help my country in a meaningful way. As such I can state that I am voting for something I want even if it is not the person I want and that is how I rationalize it.
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,914
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Can you explain the logic as to why voting for someone who can’t win does this?

I already have. IMHO its my responsibility to vote for the candidate who shares as many of the same beliefs as I do. As it happens, for the last 16 years or so, it hasnt been a Republican oir a Democrat. Im always accused of bothsides (I dont really care) but I feel both parties are corrupt and wouldnt feel positive for voting for either party (at least for POTUS). I vote both sides of the ticket locally.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,717
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I know that feeling, like I said I feel sick doing it as I have stood very firmly behind my belief to vote for the person that best fits what you want. It feels wrong and I definitely don't want to do it but for just this once I can take the pain of compromising my principles in order to help my country in a meaningful way. As such I can state that I am voting for something I want even if it is not the person I want and that is how I rationalize it.
I learned my lesson in 2000 when I voted for Nader. Gore won my state (PA) anyway but imagine how different the world would have been had Gore won. How many tens or hundreds of thousands would be alive, we might have made real progress on climate change, etc.

Didn’t seem like that consequential an election at the time but in retrospect...man. What a catastrophe for the US and the world.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,717
47,406
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I already have. IMHO its my responsibility to vote for the candidate who shares as many of the same beliefs as I do. As it happens, for the last 16 years or so, it hasnt been a Republican oir a Democrat. Im always accused of bothsides (I dont really care) but I feel both parties are corrupt and wouldnt feel positive for voting for either party.
No that doesn’t answer my question. How is voting for a third party what’s best for the country?

I am very confident you have a preference between Trump and Biden and as those are the only two that can win the presidency you are choosing not to act on that preference.
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,914
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No that doesn’t answer my question. How is voting for a third party what’s best for the country?

I am very confident you have a preference between Trump and Biden and as those are the only two that can win the presidency you are choosing not to act on that preference.

Because, in this election, Jo would be best for the country.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,717
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Yeah because if Trump had only worn a mask there would be half as many deaths amirite?
I was referring to the 2000 election.

Regardless, Trump’s incompetent and at times actively harmful response has almost surely gotten a large number of Americans killed too, yes. Despite our wealth and relative isolation our COVID death rate is among the worst in the developed world. This was preventable.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,717
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Because, in this election, Jo would be best for the country.
But as there is no chance of victory this is irrelevant. In a practical sense someone can only be the best person to lead the country if they have a chance to lead the country.
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,914
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But as there is no chance of victory this is irrelevant. In a practical sense someone can only be the best person to lead the country if they have a chance to lead the country.

Sorry but I could not vote for Biden or Trump and keep a clear head. I couldve just not voted for anyone, but I couldnt live with that either. Maybe if the GOP or the Dems actually got someone worthy to run I might change my mind. Both are shit candidates.

#bothsides
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,717
47,406
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Sorry but I could not vote for Biden or Trump and keep a clear head. I couldve just not voted for anyone, but I couldnt live with that either. Maybe if the GOP or the Dems actually got someone worthy to run I might change my mind. Both are shit candidates.

#bothsides
So to be clear you see exactly ZERO difference between the two candidates?
 

SMOGZINN

Lifer
Jun 17, 2005
14,202
4,401
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It's the only way that I can speak out against the uncontrollable spending that both parties currently support.

Well, first off you are wrong. There is many ways you can speak out about things that bother you. A (physical) letter to your representative is way more effective than voting for a third party (or honestly just about anything else you can do short of showing up in person or writing a really large check), which brings me to my next point.
They simply don't care that you vote 3rd party. By doing so you have effectively removed yourself from their constituency, they can safely ignore what you want because you will not be helping or hurting their reelection. It literally makes their job easier, because they have one less person to have to please. As far as political capital goes your vote has no value.
But, on the other hand, if you declare a party, if you vote in the primaries, If then you change affiliations if they don't do right, then they have to pay attention to you. Now you are one of the magical swing vote unicorns that every politician is hunting.
 
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SteveGrabowski

Diamond Member
Oct 20, 2014
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Not much of a Biden fan but I would have crawled over broken glass to choose him versus Trump. Though voting Biden and Democrats down the entire ballot proved much easier yesterday. Not expecting Biden to win Texas but our huge early turnout in Texas will hopefully convince Trump to keep having to blow money in this supremely expensive race he has no business losing here so he doesn't have money for the true battlegrounds like Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc.
 

JD50

Lifer
Sep 4, 2005
11,630
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Correct. Because I believe Jo is better than both of them.

Do you believe someone is better than Jo or is she the best possible person for the job? Shouldn't you write in the person who you think would do the best job then?