Why is it that we have to vote for the "lesser of two evils"?

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May 16, 2000
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Originally posted by: Fern
Why is it that we have to vote for the "lesser of two evils"?

At what point will the American public say enough with the only two parties in this country that have a shot at the presidency, and either have a 3rd party come into the picture or a "restructuring" of the two current parties?

Vote for whomever you want, there's a space on a ballot to write in any person you want.

I think it quite likely if we had a multi party system that there would still only be 2 (of the many parties) in the lead for the POTUS spot. Also if we had a multi-party system, it's almost certain tha the winner would gain office with far less than 50% of the people supporting them.

We'd have to ditch our system and adopt one like Canada's to make 3rd parties a real possibility IMO.

Fern

Since only about 50% of the people even vote the winners already have less than 50% of the people supporting them. When someone is elected president you can assume that only about 20-30% of the entire voting eligible population supports them.
 
May 16, 2000
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Originally posted by: Craig234
Originally posted by: Svnla
As an independent, I wish we have a "America First" party.

A party with common senses and LONG TERM solutions...ie..how to fix SS/Medicare/economy/etc. without the band-aid quick fixes/scare tactics/half truths from BOTH sides as they stand right now.

Too much lobbyist/greed/$$/self serving in polictics <on both sides>.

I mean this criticism constructively.

The 'independants' are a lot more of the problem than they realize.

- They're the ones who can't make a clear choice between the two parties, when nowadays, one of those parties is clearly far more for the general public than the other.

- They're the ones who dismiss any policy strongly pushed by one party only, as 'partisan' and therefore wrong, not asking if it's a good policy

- They frequently oversimplify issues - every issue has some 'one right answer' good for the nation supposedly, but actually a lot of policies are choosing between which part of the nation to serve, and there are a lot more tradeoffs than they acknowledge. They also seem to fall for the propaganda too much (e.g., 'trickle-down economics').

- They're the swing voters who gave us Nixon over Humphrey, Reagan over Carter (say what you will, he didn't make terrorist armies in Central America, skyrocket the deficit, and trade missiles for hostages illegally to fund said terrorist armies, and he ad energy policy as a top priority), and Bush over Gore. But for Ross Perot, they'd probably have given us Bush 41's second term over Clinton, too (though I'm guilty on that count too, having voted for Perot in 1992, for his deficit reduction position).

- They're often quite smug in condemning anyone who has decided that one of the parties is mostly correct, instead of saying they both have to be partly right.

Everyone agrees, for example, that Medicare and SS need tweaking. You don't say how you want to tweak them.

The right wants to tweak them by privatizing them so that they lose the political effect of the public giving them credit for them, and to turn them into huge generators of tax dollars going to the profits of the ownership class. If the average American sees a big decrease in the benefits, oh well.

The left wants to tweak them to keep them sustainable and providing needed benefits with the least impacting tradeoffs, e.g., raise retirement age or adjust COL increases.

There are plenty of other options too, including the controversial issue of the tradeoffs in putting money into the stock market or other investments for higher risk/return.

Those issues aren't settled just with 'put America First', there are more substantive tradeoffs needed.

I rarely see the 'independants' pay much attention to things like who are the real backers of each party. They seem pre-occupied with the 'people qualities' in candidates.

Your own post is one good example of the problem, the way it closes, by equally blaming "both sides", without much real commentary or suggestion.

Power doesn't work that way - you don't just say "please, powerful class, sit out an election or two while the public gets its needs met."

Do you shop at companies with better policies for the nation, who have better labor policies? Do you support independant media to counter corporate media? Etc.

The middle and poorer classes in American are squandering their political power by not being more organized, letting themselves be split into each half countering the other's vote by being divided on "wedge" essues like welfare and gay marriage and such, robbing them of a unified vote on the real issues of wealth in the nation. The "independants" are right in the middle of the problem - there are clear sides, and no good excuse not to be taking a side IMO.

Taking a 3rd side is taking a side. Nothing you said changes the fact that neither party can represent some people, or that both parties have SERIOUS flaws.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
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DV: This guy speaks the truth. Both parties are talking about minor issues when the effin housing market is/has gone to hell, the economy sucks, gas is expensive and risen $2/gal+, and people are worrying about how they can pay their bills. Instead they fight about if we should teach crap like "faith based science, evolution, or anything related" as brxndxn says. They talk about how they will "pull out" of Iraq, well that's going to take 4+ years if we started today to pull troops/equipment out. They won't be home tomorrow, but it's being talked about as if they were.

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What does your precious truth have to do with anything. Before anybody can do anything they have to get elected. The one who gets elected will be the one who most successfully navigated all the meaningless shit politicians raise up as issues. Those issues that people will actually vote on aren't issues at all but paranoid delusions they have been given.

People are chimpanzees who vote for the joker who breaks off the biggest tree limb and prances around the best with it, he who promises them the biggest banana, and looks like he's good at taunting leopards from a tree.

You want real issues but politicians are a lot more aware of how people really vote than you probably will ever be. What you get is smug satisfaction and what they get is elected.

Ask yourself who you are, who you really are, rich, poor, upper, lower middle class? Then vote for the asshole who may in fact and constitution have something in common with your interests, somebody whose party pretends to represent your class. You may then put that person in office and get a bone.
 

NoStateofMind

Diamond Member
Oct 14, 2005
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Originally posted by: Lothar

Oh, and you can forget me voting for that moron Bob Barr that you guys nominated.
I'd take Obama over him any day of the week.

Just to make it clear, he isn't my pick, so "you guys" doesn't apply to me.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
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PodW: Taking a 3rd side is taking a side. Nothing you said changes the fact that neither party can represent some people, or that both parties have SERIOUS flaws.
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Nor can anything change the fact that that third party will also have flaws and is a wasted vote that won't be cast for the less seriously flawed party that could win.
 

NoStateofMind

Diamond Member
Oct 14, 2005
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Originally posted by: Moonbeam
PC: That can be done but we must start by getting together and voting what we believe is the closest to the America we envision. Once we get the people in congress/Senate/presidency, the change that needs to happen will come much easier.
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Right. You want me to vote for the lesser of three evils, but the one of the three that will not win.

No way. A vote for the lesser of three evils is still a vote for evil.

I will only vote for the party that matched my vision of America perfectly. Then I will stand by and sneer at people like you who vote for evil Libertarians.

Keep twisting moonie, you know the truth in your heart.
 

imported_Lothar

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2006
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Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: Lothar

Oh, and you can forget me voting for that moron Bob Barr that you guys nominated.
I'd take Obama over him any day of the week.

Just to make it clear, he isn't my pick, so "you guys" doesn't apply to me.

So does that mean that you won't be voting for him in this election or that you'll be taking the "lesser of three evils" approach?
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
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Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Ask yourself who you are, who you really are, rich, poor, upper, lower middle class? Then vote for the asshole who may in fact and constitution have something in common with your interests, somebody whose party pretends to represent your class. You may then put that person in office and get a bone.

I am not content with being thrown a bone.

In your philosophy it is better to be a live jackal than a dead lion. Perhaps. But it is better still to be a live lion.

ZV
 

NoStateofMind

Diamond Member
Oct 14, 2005
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Originally posted by: Lothar
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: Lothar

Oh, and you can forget me voting for that moron Bob Barr that you guys nominated.
I'd take Obama over him any day of the week.

Just to make it clear, he isn't my pick, so "you guys" doesn't apply to me.

So does that mean that you won't be voting for him in this election or that you'll be taking the "lesser of three evils" approach?

I don't vote for evil.
 
Dec 26, 2007
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Originally posted by: Moonbeam
DV: This guy speaks the truth. Both parties are talking about minor issues when the effin housing market is/has gone to hell, the economy sucks, gas is expensive and risen $2/gal+, and people are worrying about how they can pay their bills. Instead they fight about if we should teach crap like "faith based science, evolution, or anything related" as brxndxn says. They talk about how they will "pull out" of Iraq, well that's going to take 4+ years if we started today to pull troops/equipment out. They won't be home tomorrow, but it's being talked about as if they were.

----------

What does your precious truth have to do with anything. Before anybody can do anything they have to get elected. The one who gets elected will be the one who most successfully navigated all the meaningless shit politicians raise up as issues. Those issues that people will actually vote on aren't issues at all but paranoid delusions they have been given.

People are chimpanzees who vote for the joker who breaks off the biggest tree limb and prances around the best with it, he who promises them the biggest banana, and looks like he's good at taunting leopards from a tree.

You want real issues but politicians are a lot more aware of how people really vote than you probably will ever be. What you get is smug satisfaction and what they get is elected.

Ask yourself who you are, who you really are, rich, poor, upper, lower middle class? Then vote for the asshole who may in fact and constitution have something in common with your interests, somebody whose party pretends to represent your class. You may then put that person in office and get a bone.

Moon, you are changing the point of what I have said again, while throwing out personal attacks. I didn't say that they shouldn't talk about these small issues because that's what they know will win votes. I never said I knew more about how to win votes. It doesn't matter who I am, what social-economic "class" I am in, nor does it matter my reasoning for whom I vote for.

Yeah politics is dirty, generally meaningless during the campaigns because they have to try to get elected so they can do what they want anyways. The only people who get "a bone" are the interns (haha get it? :p) and the lobbyists that threw money at them. The only reason the average citizen gets any benefit from that is because it just so happens their interests align with the lobbyist/special interest group/big money/etc. I am saying the issue that needs changing is how our two party political system works, because IMO it's not working to well right now.

You say I should vote for who "pretends to represent your class." Why? I don't want to vote for what they PRETEND to represent, nor do I want to vote for somebody that doesn't align well with my beliefs and goals. I will vote for the person I believe has the best chance at changing things for the better (at least to better my life, because that is the reason you vote for a person). I don't feel my two main choices will do that, but 3rd parties can't win in our current political landscape.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
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Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: Lothar
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: Lothar

Oh, and you can forget me voting for that moron Bob Barr that you guys nominated.
I'd take Obama over him any day of the week.

Just to make it clear, he isn't my pick, so "you guys" doesn't apply to me.

So does that mean that you won't be voting for him in this election or that you'll be taking the "lesser of three evils" approach?

I don't vote for evil.

Ah, I see. You don't vote.
 

NoStateofMind

Diamond Member
Oct 14, 2005
9,711
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Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: Lothar
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: Lothar

Oh, and you can forget me voting for that moron Bob Barr that you guys nominated.
I'd take Obama over him any day of the week.

Just to make it clear, he isn't my pick, so "you guys" doesn't apply to me.

So does that mean that you won't be voting for him in this election or that you'll be taking the "lesser of three evils" approach?

I don't vote for evil.

Ah, I see. You don't vote.

Wrong.
 

Xavier434

Lifer
Oct 14, 2002
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I don't believe in voting for the lesser of two evils. I believe in voting for the lesser of many evils. Often times, this means that I narrow the choice down to two though which is why the expression is changed.
 

imported_Lothar

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2006
4,559
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Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: Lothar
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: Lothar

Oh, and you can forget me voting for that moron Bob Barr that you guys nominated.
I'd take Obama over him any day of the week.

Just to make it clear, he isn't my pick, so "you guys" doesn't apply to me.

So does that mean that you won't be voting for him in this election or that you'll be taking the "lesser of three evils" approach?

I don't vote for evil.

So does that mean you will be writing Ron Paul's name on the Ballot or yours?

On a side note...
"All politicians are evil, but some politicians are more evil than others".
 

NoStateofMind

Diamond Member
Oct 14, 2005
9,711
6
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Originally posted by: Lothar
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: Lothar
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: Lothar

Oh, and you can forget me voting for that moron Bob Barr that you guys nominated.
I'd take Obama over him any day of the week.

Just to make it clear, he isn't my pick, so "you guys" doesn't apply to me.

So does that mean that you won't be voting for him in this election or that you'll be taking the "lesser of three evils" approach?

I don't vote for evil.

So does that mean you will be writing Ron Paul's name on the Ballot or yours?

Ron Paul.

On a side note...
"All politicians are evil, but some politicians are more evil than others".

I don't buy that. Evil is bigger Government, Government legislation of personal lifestyle or Government's intrusion to personal liberty.
 

Svnla

Lifer
Nov 10, 2003
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Originally posted by: Craig234
Well, I'd be interested to hear what you found was useful for you having opportunity here.

Democrats want to actually help the poor, not to have bad programs that do harm.

You say you 'stay out of pick one party'; the question I raised is why. When the differences are so clear, why do you not see one as better than the other enough to side with it?

One reason - and I don't get the impression you fit in it - is people who just don't bother to get informed at all.

I don't believe this thread is about me, so let just say I studied hard, kept my nose clean, went on to college with grants/scholarships/work study/part time jobs..blah blah blah..typical immigrant successful story.. <good paying job plus my own business and a tax paying citizen>.

I have no doubt that helping the poor is a good thing, no one will dispute that. But how long and how much are enough? Are we helping them or are we creating generations after generations of "helpless" government dependents? I don't understand how could immigrants <millions of us> like myself came here with nothing but within a few years <10 years or less>, we were able to achieve the American dream but native born US citizens and minorities could not do the same WITH THE SAME opportunities/resources that are available. Yes, life is not fair, racism is still alive and on and on, but what are you going to do about it or just shake a fist at it and won't do anything to better yourself with the land of opportunities known as the USA?

The differences maybe huge on paper/philosophy but in reality, I, and millions of independents did not see that <see my op about lobbists, money/big corporations, corruptions, self serving politicians on BOTH sides earlier in this thread>.
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
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Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
Originally posted by: Fern
-snip-
Also if we had a multi-party system, it's almost certain tha the winner would gain office with far less than 50% of the people supporting them.

Fern

Since only about 50% of the people even vote the winners already have less than 50% of the people supporting them. When someone is elected president you can assume that only about 20-30% of the entire voting eligible population supports them.

OK, I should have said that they'd get much less than 50% of the vote, which is what I meant.

Fern.