(Untitled)

[gunslnger]

Why I Refuse to Vote for Barack Obama

I am not a purist. There is no such thing as a perfect political party, or a president who governs in accordance with one's every ethical judgment. But some actions are so ruinous to human rights, so destructive of the Constitution, and so contrary to basic morals that they are disqualifying. Most of you will

Comments

[hikarugenji]

It really is a quandary, one that I posted about on this forum before. I am 100% certain that Obama supports my views and positions better than Romney does, and that I would vastly prefer an Obama second term to a Romney presidency. I don't agree with this "they're both the same" stuff you sometimes see from third-party supporters. On the other hand, the platform of the Green party comes closest to my ideal political ideology than any of the other platforms. I think that both sides have merit -- the idea that I would be giving a vote or half-vote to Romney if I voted for Jill Stein, and the idea that I should vote my conscience if I honestly think a third party represents my interests better.

I already sent in my absentee ballot (I'm overseas) but I ended up going with Obama -- I would have voted Green for more local elections that they actually had some chance of winning but no candidates were running in them. I wasn't completely happy with the decision, though.

[yes_justice]

Its a first across the finish line winner take all race. Third party is not viable. Its just a protest vote.

If you vote 3rd party, you may feel good, but ultimately it will have little effect other than to split the vote for the candidate who is closest aligned to you.

I think 3rd party can work, but from the bottom up, not top down.

[allhatnocattle]

In other words...
We don't vote for third parties because they can't win.
Third parties can't win because we don't vote for them.

C'mon! I thought USA had a sports culture where fans would cheer for the Detroit Lions/Cleavland Browns/Chicago Cubs/Toronto Maple Leafs/etc no matter their chances of actually winning.

[yes_justice]

Well, Ross Perot thought so.

Jesse Ventura 2016!

[allhatnocattle]

Defeatist attitude is not encouraging.

[abomvubuso]

Jesse Ventura / Alex Jones 2016!

[yes_justice]

[yes_justice]

I've concluded, and I could be persuaded otherwise, that the bottom up approach is the most viable for third parties.

IRV could be a good thing, but it too has inherent flaws.

[underlankers]

Only one third party has ever come in ahead of a major party: the Bull Moose Party a century ago. It had mitigating circumstances, not the least of which was Theodore Roosevelt....

[gunslnger]

The Republican Party used to be a third party. It's only a modern myth that third parties are not viable.

[yes_justice]

Well, disprove it. Calling it a myth is too easy. Show me.