I’m going to preface this by saying: I was a Nader supporter. I know, boo hiss. But I also absolutely only voted for him for President because I lived in New York, where my vote would not cost the Dem the presidency.
I believe in third parties. I voted for Bernie in WI because I wanted the DNC to get the message that they need a more progressive agenda. I have been tired of corporate politics for a long time now, and it’s only gotten worse since Citizens United.
But PLEASE people, we have a two party system in this country, and that is that. Third parties push and pull how our two major parties work – honestly, the Tea Party has been more successful at making a wreck of the two party system than any other – but we have to elect Clinton. We just do. Electing Trump will not cause a fucking revolution. What it will cause is what Dan Savage points out here:
Disaster will come. And the people who’ll suffer are not going to be the pasty white Green Party supporters — pasty white Jill Stein and her pasty white supporters. The people who’ll suffer are going to be people of color. People of minority faiths. Queer people. Women.
I’m going to add this: there are a lot of reasons to want to vote Third Party. It’s cool, for starters. I’ve always had a boner for that kind of fuck you to the establishment. But there’s nothing radical about it. The ideas, the conversations, the motivation and energy they bring are awesome. The actual electoral results? Not so much. I saw Ross Perot do it, I’ve seen Nader do it, and if Jill Stein does it we are all going to be very, very sorry.
There, I’ve said it, inspired by Dan Savage (start at 21:40 if you want to listen), who is as frustrated as I am right now, sounds like. But Trump & his boys are a fucking disaster for everyone, and WE NEED TO STOP HIM.
We’ll see if you post this…I vote my conscience, which is to say, a liberal, a classical one. I wouldn’t vote for trump as he’s a narcissistic psychopath. Hillary is a paranoid one and a criminal in my mind. The lesser of two evils is still evil and I won’t do it. If Bernie had won, I could see myself voting for him because I do believe he’s about as honest as they come for someone to get this far. He walks his talk and even if I disagree with him, I can still respect him. I can’t say that for the other major party candidates. I’m also not a once issue voter like many and I don’t vote for anyone’s or any group’s approval. What others think of me is not important. To that end I am voting for Johnson. He’s the closest to my principles than the others (they have none other than power, money and prestige). In your world, I’d have to chose between a crazy PT Barnum or Nixon x 10 in a pantsuit. I’ll pass. I have other choices and so does everyone else in this country.
No, we really don’t. Endless choices for car & type of mustard, burgers and hand lotion, but only 2 that count for president. Welcome to oligarchy.