Would you vote for a third party or independent if they could win?

[Cecilie1200]

I don't vote for people based on whether they can win, so I've voted third party a few times.

No such thing as a wasted vote, despite what the partisans say.

True. The only wasted vote is the one that isn't cast.

 

[dblack]

I'll vote for the candidate who best supports my views. Period.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I'm voting my conscience, which in this case is 3rd party. Knowing full well they can't win.

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If people insist on only voting for the two major parties because "they're the only ones that can win", then they WILL be the only ones that can win.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Throwing the lesser evil dilemma and lack of winning independent/third party candidates out the window for a second, would you even want to vote for someone outside of the reigning parties if they matched your views more?

Many voters in both major parties will be casting ballots AGAINST the candidate they perceive as the greater evil next November. In fact, both Trump and Clinton are two sides of the same golden, corporate coin. If millions of voters choose between Green or Libertarian instead of Wall Street or Real Estate, the results could change US politics forever.

It will probably take a few election cycles, but if people start insisting on voting for "good" instead of "can win" or "lesser evil from major party", then eventually, we will either have a third party that can win, or we will see a change in how the major parties approach elections. Right now, all we do is encourage them to believe they can keep on with "same old, same old", because they know that when it comes down to Election Day, we can be buffaloed into falling in line with them.

 

[dblack]

I don't vote for people based on whether they can win, so I've voted third party a few times.

No such thing as a wasted vote, despite what the partisans say.

True. The only wasted vote is the one that isn't cast.

Actually, I think the only wasted vote is a disingenuous vote. Not voting is perfectly valid, either as a way to express lack of faith in the entire system, or when one has no preference in the matter.

 

[The Rabbi]

I'm planning on "Feeling the Johnson" this fall. The Libertarians,normally people who can't get out fo their own way, have picked the only serious ticket on the ballot. Both Johnson and Weld have actual experience as elected executives. While I disagree with a lot, I also agree with a lot of what they stand for. And they have the added advantage that neither is Hillary or Donald.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

t will probably take a few election cycles, but if people start insisting on voting for "good" instead of "can win" or "lesser evil from major party", then eventually, we will either have a third party that can win, or we will see a change in how the major parties approach elections. Right now, all we do is encourage them to believe they can keep on with "same old, same old", because they know that when it comes down to Election Day, we can be buffaloed into falling in line with them.

Not much of a choice really. Like many Americans, I don't vote for my candidate because my candidate is great, I vote to keep the worst candidate out. Throwing my vote away on anybody outside of the two parties is just a wasted effort. It's like trying to push a car down the road with four flat tires.

I'm not voting for Trump this year--I'm voting to keep Hillary out. The last two elections, I voted to keep DumBama out.

The only way we ever stand a chance at a third or fourth party is if both major parties piss off their electorate in the same year. This is the closest they have ever come to doing that this election cycle. So maybe we are on the right path.

 

[saveliberty]

I have voted third party as many times as I have voted for the main parties. I do not subscribe to the keeping the worst person out is a win theory.

 

[Cecilie1200]

t will probably take a few election cycles, but if people start insisting on voting for "good" instead of "can win" or "lesser evil from major party", then eventually, we will either have a third party that can win, or we will see a change in how the major parties approach elections. Right now, all we do is encourage them to believe they can keep on with "same old, same old", because they know that when it comes down to Election Day, we can be buffaloed into falling in line with them.

Not much of a choice really. Like many Americans, I don't vote for my candidate because my candidate is great, I vote to keep the worst candidate out. Throwing my vote away on anybody outside of the two parties is just a wasted effort. It's like trying to push a car down the road with four flat tires.

And that attitude right there is why you never have any choices except "This pile of shit" and "that bucket of slime". Why the hell should the politicians and pundits and people in power ever listen to you, when you telegraph to them every election that you can be stampeded into abandoning the things you claim to care about?

As long as you insist that any vote that isn't cast for one of the Big Two is "wasted", then that will always be the case.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. I say the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over because you can't recognize that it's the same thing.

I'm not voting for Trump this year--I'm voting to keep Hillary out. The last two elections, I voted to keep DumBama out.

You know why we get shady con artists looking to line their own pockets every election, instead of potential statesmen and leaders? Because we cast our vote for every reason under the damned sun EXCEPT quality, principles, and conscience.

As long as you consider those things to be luxuries, or even liabilities, that must be set aside "just this one more time", and once we win, THEN we'll get to care about them, they will ALWAYS be luxuries to be pursued "someday", and someday never comes.

The only way we ever stand a chance at a third or fourth party is if both major parties piss off their electorate in the same year. This is the closest they have ever come to doing that this election cycle. So maybe we are on the right path.

Yeah, now if we could pull our heads out of our asses long enough to figure out that "same shit, different package" isn't progress, we might really have something.

 

[Agit8r]

Jill Stein? Sure.

 

[Tehon]

Jill Stein? Sure.

Absolutely

 

[Divine Wind]

I have voted third party as many times as I have voted for the main parties. I do not subscribe to the keeping the worst person out is a win theory.

Agreed. Same here. I'm voting Libertarian this year. Voting for the "lesser of two evils" is not working.

 

[blackhawk]

Throwing the lesser evil dilemma and lack of winning independent/third party candidates out the window for a second, would you even want to vote for someone outside of the reigning parties if they matched your views more?

Yes my problem is so far I have found no third party candidate who really matches my views we might agree on one or two things but it seems to me third party candidates are still pretty much out on the fringe.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I don't vote for people based on whether they can win, so I've voted third party a few times.

No such thing as a wasted vote, despite what the partisans say.

True. The only wasted vote is the one that isn't cast.

Actually, I think the only wasted vote is a disingenuous vote. Not voting is perfectly valid, either as a way to express lack of faith in the entire system, or when one has no preference in the matter.

I'm not saying I think people should vote when they're too apathetic to even bother being informed. God knows, I think far too many people vote now that really shouldn't. However, I think being ignorant and apathetic is an enormous waste of one's rights and responsibilities as a citizen.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I'm planning on "Feeling the Johnson" this fall. The Libertarians,normally people who can't get out fo their own way, have picked the only serious ticket on the ballot. Both Johnson and Weld have actual experience as elected executives. While I disagree with a lot, I also agree with a lot of what they stand for. And they have the added advantage that neither is Hillary or Donald.

I honestly don't know yet. Yes, Johnson and Weld at least don't feel like an enormous practical joke on the nation, unlike the two major candidates, but they also feel like the Libertarians looked at a momentous opportunity, and decided to phone in the election once again.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I have voted third party as many times as I have voted for the main parties. I do not subscribe to the keeping the worst person out is a win theory.

Agreed. Same here. I'm voting Libertarian this year. Voting for the "lesser of two evils" is not working.

When you vote for "the lesser of two evils", not only do you still wind up with evil, but the NEXT time, both the evils you get to choose from are even worse than last time.

 

[The Rabbi]

I'm planning on "Feeling the Johnson" this fall. The Libertarians,normally people who can't get out fo their own way, have picked the only serious ticket on the ballot. Both Johnson and Weld have actual experience as elected executives. While I disagree with a lot, I also agree with a lot of what they stand for. And they have the added advantage that neither is Hillary or Donald.

I honestly don't know yet. Yes, Johnson and Weld at least don't feel like an enormous practical joke on the nation, unlike the two major candidates, but they also feel like the Libertarians looked at a momentous opportunity, and decided to phone in the election once again.

No they picked the most serious candidates they had. Who else? Austin Peterson? He is a Libertarian version of Trump. John McAfee? A drug addled murderer? No, Johnson/Weld is at least a ticket I can take seriously.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Throwing the lesser evil dilemma and lack of winning independent/third party candidates out the window for a second, would you even want to vote for someone outside of the reigning parties if they matched your views more?

Yes my problem is so far I have found no third party candidate who really matches my views we might agree on one or two things but it seems to me third party candidates are still pretty much out on the fringe.

At this point, I would vote for my high school Civics teacher over the two major candidates. At least he was a serious adult who understood how government works and should work. Unfortunately, high school was a long time ago, and he's probably dead.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I'm planning on "Feeling the Johnson" this fall. The Libertarians,normally people who can't get out fo their own way, have picked the only serious ticket on the ballot. Both Johnson and Weld have actual experience as elected executives. While I disagree with a lot, I also agree with a lot of what they stand for. And they have the added advantage that neither is Hillary or Donald.

I honestly don't know yet. Yes, Johnson and Weld at least don't feel like an enormous practical joke on the nation, unlike the two major candidates, but they also feel like the Libertarians looked at a momentous opportunity, and decided to phone in the election once again.

No they picked the most serious candidates they had. Who else? Austin Peterson? He is a Libertarian version of Trump. John McAfee? A drug addled murderer? No, Johnson/Weld is at least a ticket I can take seriously.

I think that's a big part of the problem with the Libertarians: they aren't exactly awash in serious candidate material.

 

[blackhawk]

Throwing the lesser evil dilemma and lack of winning independent/third party candidates out the window for a second, would you even want to vote for someone outside of the reigning parties if they matched your views more?

Yes my problem is so far I have found no third party candidate who really matches my views we might agree on one or two things but it seems to me third party candidates are still pretty much out on the fringe.

At this point, I would vote for my high school Civics teacher over the two major candidates. At least he was a serious adult who understood how government works and should work. Unfortunately, high school was a long time ago, and he's probably dead.

If he's still alive I will consider him hell at this point I would consider my yellow lab over the two current chuckleheads.