Do this before you vote

cwaggoner07 · October 2012

http://2012election.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004491

Really interesting to see where you stand.
Now my problem is, do I vote for my #1 candidate, who is NOT Romney or Obama?
Or do I vote for one of the powerhouses?

RamonaFlowers · October 2012

I've never even heard of my #1 or #2 candidate results ...

Unfortunately, this is just really furthering my decision to not vote this year, since I already know that regardless of what I and the majority of my state do in the voting booth, the electoral college can just say "That's nice, here's who we think you all really meant vote for"

kmmssg · October 2012

Well, there is one I would never vote for and one that I will be stuck voting for if I want my vote in a pool that counts. I'm not going to vote for someone who doesn't have a snowball's chance of winning because I feel like that is throwing my vote away. I hate this election.

cwaggoner07 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:86f9e6cc-014c-422d-8d25-a1b47c424a95">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Do this before you vote : It's this type of thinking that perpetuates this though. A 3rd party candidate will never win because too many people are like you and assume that if they vote third party they're throwing away their vote. If more people were willing to go out on a limb a 3rd party candidate could win.
Posted by LingerLonger1[/QUOTE]

It's crazy to me that everyone on this post doesn't have Romney or Obama as their #1. That is scary to think about the thinking that has gotten us to this point. Like, no one is really voting with who they agree with.
I'm going to go ahead and vote for my 'alternative' candidate, but if I were in a swing state I would really have to think about it. While I agree with you, Linger, with such a close election it's a hard decision.
Ultimately, I vote in Texas soooo my vote really won't count. But I do it anyways.

I'm very interested if anyone else ends up getting a third party candidate as their top choice.

GoodLuckBear14 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:2dd8f7cf-e269-4b21-baab-542f4083112e">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Do this before you vote :It's crazy to me that everyone on this post doesn't have Romney or Obama as their #1. That is scary to think about the thinking that has gotten us to this point. Like, no one is really voting with who they agree with. I'm going to go ahead and vote for my 'alternative' candidate, but if I were in a swing state I would really have to think about it. While I agree with you, Linger, with such a close election it's a hard decision. Ultimately, I vote in Texas soooo my vote really won't count. But I do it anyways. I'm very interested if anyone else ends up getting a third party candidate as their top choice.
Posted by cwaggoner07[/QUOTE]

Well you have one now. And someone may want to tell the creators of this quiz that there cannot be any more amendments added to the Bill of Rights which are the first ten amendments. There can only be more amendments to the Constitution.

As for third parties, we have had third party candidates in the past like Ross Perot who have done well and their movement has died out. When alternative parties are truly needed, they survive. If they didn't we would still be talking about the Federalists and Democrat-Republican (anti-Federalists) parties.

As for not voting, as far as I'm concerned, if you don't vote, you lose your right to b*tch about anything. Growing up where I did, my vote "didn't matter" in any election except the Presidential and the US Senate elections because my county and city were so skewed to one party. I still voted.

brittany634 · October 2012

Why doesn't your vote count in texas? Because its predominately republican?

I feel like voting for the lesser of two evils is just sad, that instead of supporting a canidate we have to think about who is the lesser of the evils.

cwaggoner07 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:21f615c2-f694-4b0a-bfe3-0074331fbeba">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE] As for not voting, as far as I'm concerned, if you don't vote, you lose your right to b*tch about anything. Growing up where I did, my vote "didn't matter" in any election except the Presidential and the US Senate elections because my county and city were so skewed to one party. I still voted.
Posted by GoodLuckBear14[/QUOTE]

I completely agree! My parents used to make me come home from college (4 hour drive) to vote in all elections as soon as I turned 18, or they would stop paying for my tuition. My mom was an elected official in my small country for a LONG time, so I would NEVER not vote. I vote in every single election, especially local. Dallas County is pretty liberal for Texas, so those elections are a lot tighter.
I just meant that one could make the argument that voting in a state like Texas can be frustrating.
And I have actually used that exact line before that you lose your right to complain if you don't vote. I'm voting tomorrow :)

ETA: I actually tend to be more passionate about people voting in general, as opposed to a particular political party. I convinced two coworkers this year to register to vote, who are in their late 20's who have never voted.

GoodLuckBear14 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:71d3decd-6437-4653-ba68-400f9b2cd9dc">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]I've never even heard of my #1 or #2 candidate results ... Unfortunately, this is just really furthering my decision to not vote this year, since I already know that regardless of what I and the majority of my state do in the voting booth, the electoral college can just say "That's nice, here's who we think you all really meant vote for"
Posted by RamonaFlowers[/QUOTE]

The majority of voters decide the electoral college for most states. There are a couple where it is proportioned between the candidates. So the electoral college is not going to go against the decision of the majority.

RamonaFlowers · October 2012

When a candidate can lose the popular vote and still become president, I fail to see how people who didn't vote are the ones that lose the right to complain. When the electoral college is done away with, and every vote actually counts for something, I will gladly vote.

But for now, essentially what I'm being told is that my options are:
1) Vote for a candidate based on picking the lesser of 2 evils, because "it's the right thing to do"

2) vote for a candidate that I do believe in, but it won't actually matter, because the electoral college is going to pick whichever mainstream candidate they want no matter who the majority of my (or any) state actually votes for, or

3) exercise my right as an American citizen to not be forced to vote ... and then not be allowed to "b!tch" about the problems with this country because 1 and 2 are the only socially acceptable options in this country ... even though one of the problems in this country is that the voting system is incredibly screwed up, and that my vote does not in any sense actually matter on a national level, and it's going to be a long time before anything gets done to change that ... if it ever happens.

I have no problems with voting in general. I like voting. At face value, I think voting is a wonderful thing. I vote in local and state elections all the damn time (And will be voting for such things this year as well). Hell, I vote for the school boards in my town, and I don't even have kids!

However, when it comes to national elections, until the electoral college is done away with and every candidate is on the ballot in every state (Therefore actually giving a 3rd party a legitimate chance at winning), I just do not see why my vote (Unless it was for one of the 2 major parties) actually matters.

Ali092011 · October 2012

I also got a third party candidate through that quiz. I agree with Linger that people who are afraid to "waste their vote" voting for a third party candidate are only going to make it that much more impossible for a third party candidate to ever win. I am going to look into this candidate more to see if I truly should vote for her. I don't want to listen to only one quiz, although it was pretty comprehensive, so thanks for sharing, Swag!

I remember the atmosphere on my campus during the Bush vs. John Kerry election. Everyone was saying "DON'T vote for Ralph Nader, a vote for Ralph is a vote for Bush!" I thought that was bull and I voted for who I wanted to vote for, end of story.

RamonaFlowers · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:e8c2a617-87dc-4bc4-a3d7-cd1e83160971">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Do this before you vote : They typically don't but they absolutely can. There's nothing to say they have to follow the majority. I think that's what Ramona was getting at.
Posted by LingerLonger1[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Linger, yes, that was exactly my point. The electoral college can decide to go against the majority if they so choose. Is it fair? No, but they totally can.

The electoral college was designed during a time when it was impossible to count every single vote of every single person in a reasonable amount of time. It was genius idea in it's time, actually. But now that we can count every vote in a matter of just a day or 2? Why does this even exist anymore? Why count every vote if every vote does not actually count?

Ali092011 · October 2012

Ramona, have you ever watched this (click) George Carlin clip about voting? You reminded me of it.

GoodLuckBear14 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:e8c2a617-87dc-4bc4-a3d7-cd1e83160971">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Do this before you vote : They typically don't but they absolutely can. There's nothing to say they have to follow the majority. I think that's what Ramona was getting at.
Posted by LingerLonger1[/QUOTE]

When is the last time they've done this? If it happened there would be holy hell to pay and lawsuits out the ass.

cwaggoner07 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:3b20bcce-d69e-4ec1-b55f-807057116e09">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]I also got a third party candidate through that quiz. I agree with Linger that people who are afraid to "waste their vote" voting for a third party candidate are only going to make it that much more impossible for a third party candidate to ever win. I am going to look into this candidate more to see if I truly should vote for her. I don't want to listen to only one quiz, although it was pretty comprehensive, so thanks for sharing, Swag! I remember the atmosphere on my campus during the Bush vs. John Kerry election. Everyone was saying "DON'T vote for Ralph Nader, a vote for Ralph is a vote for Bush!" I thought that was bull and I voted for who I wanted to vote for, end of story.
Posted by Ali092011[/QUOTE]

You're welcome! I wasn't trying to start a debate, and I know the quiz isn't all-inclusive, but I thought it was really interesting and informative. Especially since it's so easy to get distracted and forget why we vote in the first place. So many people vote for the same party year after year without doing any research and thinking about what they truly believe in (I've been guilty of this, too!).
I think sometimes between the debates and the campaign commercials (which are kind of dirty IMO), we just want to boil down key issues that matter to us and stop listening to hot air, which ALL politicians are guilty of.

lls31 · October 2012

Thank you so much for posting this! I was completely unsure of who to vote for and actually considered not voting because of this. The results from this quiz were all pretty close for me, but they (as well as everyone's posts) helped me decide. I too, was on the fence about voting for a 3rd party. Sending in the form for my absentee ballot at lunch today!

Edited for clarity.

RamonaFlowers · October 2012

In Response to Re:Do this before you vote:[QUOTE]Ramona, have you ever watched this click George Carlin clip about voting? You reminded me of it. : Posted by Ali092011[/QUOTE]

Omg, I've never seen that before! Thanks for the early morning laughs :D

GoodLuckBear14 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:adfc7dfd-4dcb-477f-8065-408b1e854cc5">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Do this before you vote : You did see the word typically, right? There has been more than one election in which the candidate that won the popular vote did not win the election. As long as the electoral college is in place individual votes do not matter.
Posted by LingerLonger1[/QUOTE]

Yes I saw the word typically and it still doesn't matter. Point me to just one time in modern history where the EC did not go with the majority of voters. Individual votes do matter because they decide the electoral college for each state - hence why candidates can flip states. Personally, I'd prefer all states follow Maine and Nebraska and split their EC votes but until that happens we have winner take all.

The whole idea of why vote if it doesn't matter is a cop out and BS. Like I said, I grew up in a county that was ruby red. Never stopped me from voting, in fact, it made me join campaigns. I'm proud to say that I was on a campaign staff of seven that got the first Democratic County Commissioner elected since JFK was in office. Not voting didn't make that happen. Getting off my ass and doing MORE than voting did. You don't like that your state is majority one party then do something. Not doing anything never changed an damn thing.

*eta - seven volunteers. I was not paid.

GoodLuckBear14 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:62e8d4c7-b52a-4023-b50b-e46ef03f04b7">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]Just took the quiz and I actually ended up with Obama as my #1 choice, which makes me wonder what the other candidates are actually running on, since I'm generally FAR more liberal than Obama. And total golfclaps for GLB. Sitting around complaining never changed anything. Doing something did.
Posted by StageManager14[/QUOTE]

I tend to be more conservative than he is so I have the same question.

danielleper03 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:71d3decd-6437-4653-ba68-400f9b2cd9dc">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]I've never even heard of my #1 or #2 candidate results ... Unfortunately, this is just really furthering my decision to not vote this year, since I already know that regardless of what I and the majority of my state do in the voting booth, the electoral college can just say "That's nice, here's who we think you all really meant vote for"
Posted by RamonaFlowers[/QUOTE]

Yes. I still vote because it's my right to, but I don't think my vote counts for anything in truth because of this. The electoral college sucks.

But that quiz was neat. Not exactly the result I thought I'd get but within 5% of what I expected. Thanks for that :)

Ali092011 · October 2012

Stage, I see where you're coming from regarding the third party candidate thing, but I hate when people have the attitude that voting for a third party candidate is throwing your vote away, while also stressing the importance of voting. I don't see how you can have it both ways. You either exercise your right to vote for who you support no matter what party they belong to because you believe that person will do the best job, or you don't vote at all because you don't think it will make a difference. To say that someone who votes for a candidate who will never win is throwing her vote away makes it seem like that person should either not vote at all, which no one wants, or should vote for someone she doesn't truly support. I'm not going to vote for Obama just because Jill Stein/Gary Johnson/whoever will never win if I truly don't want Obama to be the president. That seems like more a waste to me than voting for the person you truly believe should win. I refused to vote for John Kerry in the 2004 election. I don't care if I "gave" a vote to Bush or "threw away" my vote. To me, voting as an informed, educated voter is never a waste.

ETA: I'm sure you can guess this, but I feel the need to stress that I did not vote for Bush. Ever.

Ali092011 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:1ea53fe5-57d7-43f7-b0ca-b3aec5401be8">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]Ali, I don't have an issue with who people vote for, and I don't go around discouraging others from voting for 3rd party candidates. My response was in direct reaction to those (like Linger in this case) who come across as morally superior because they vote for a 3rd party candidate. However, the fact remains that if your cadidate has literally zero possibility of winning, then it is in fact comparable to not voting at all. That's not an opinion, it's logic and life. The right to vote does not guarantee us the right to have a candidate that 100% represents our views. If that's all that made anyone vote, NO ONE would win because we'd have 672 different candidates all running and getting votes. I am not a huge gung ho Obama supporter. He's too conservative for my taste on most things. However, I vote for him because based on the realistic choices I am offered, I do think he will do much better for the country than Willard. Saying you won't ever vote for someone who you don't completely support and that's why you vote 3rd party is (in the case of this election at least) EXACTLY the same to me as saying you won't ever vote for someone who you don't completely support and that's why you don't vote at all.
Posted by StageManager14[/QUOTE]

I just have a hard time swallowing that first bolded part, I guess.

And to the second part--why not? There are people who 100% agree with every single thing that Obama says. There are also people who are willing to concede a few major or minor things to vote for Obama because they feel the way that you do. Then there are people who are unwilling to compromise on Obama when there is another candidate out there who better represents their views. Why would I vote for the candidate I like less? I used to be a proud Ralph Nader supporter. When he talks or writes, I nod my head along with his views. What made me laugh was people telling me voting for Nader was like voting for Bush. Guess what? John Kerry might as well have been George Bush. His views were only slightly more liberal than Bush's, aka super conservative. Why would I have wanted to vote for him?

GoodLuckBear14 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:b73e6941-c555-4d39-bd8c-ae81e6a38e29">Re: Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Do this before you vote : I just have a hard time swallowing that first bolded part, I guess. And to the second part--why not? There are people who 100% agree with every single thing that Obama says. There are also people who are willing to concede a few major or minor things to vote for Obama because they feel the way that you do. Then there are people who are unwilling to compromise on Obama when there is another candidate out there who better represents their views. Why would I vote for the candidate I like less? I used to be a proud Ralph Nader supporter. When he talks or writes, I nod my head along with his views. What made me laugh was people telling me voting for Nader was like voting for Bush. Guess what? John Kerry might as well have been George Bush. His views were only slightly more liberal than Bush's, aka super conservative. Why would I have wanted to vote for him?
Posted by Ali092011[/QUOTE]

I have never met any of these people.

I definitely did not agree with a lot of John Kerry's positions but my opinions were a hell of a lot closer to his stances than Bush's. Same with Gore in 2000. I don't understand the logic of voting for someone whom you know doesn't have a snowball's chance of winning just to prove a point if you are in a state where it is close (like Florida in 2000 or Ohio in 2004). A vote for Nader then and there was the same as a vote for Bush - I don't know many Republicans who would be chomping at the bit to vote for Nader. If Connecticut is ever in a tight race, I hope you reconsider your position on this.

RamonaFlowers · October 2012

So basically, if I exercise my right to not vote, I've done something wrong. If I exercise my right to vote for a 3rd party candidate that I believe in, because "they won't win anyway", I've done something wrong.

BUT if I get pressured by society to vote for a candidate based on picking who I determine to be the "lesser of 2 evils" from 1 of the 2 major parties, I've somehow done the right thing?

Awesome. God bless America and democracy.

RamonaFlowers · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:9c34f5bf-00c5-4a78-9e09-445db9a4a32a">Re:Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re:Do this before you vote : Are you being purposefully obtuse or did you take a dumb-down pill today, Ramona? Where did I say it was "wrong" to vote for a 3rd party candidate or not vote at all? Where? Seriously, I don't know how many ways to say that there is nothing WRONG with voting for a 3rd party candidate, or even abstaining from voting, so long as you a) realistically understand that said candidate has no chance of success and b) don't act like it somehow makes you smarter or better than those who vote for mainstream candidates. It's really simple. I don't care who you vote for, but don't sit around blaming others because you are unhappy with the outcome.
Posted by StageManager14[/QUOTE]

Did you use the actual words "voting for a 3rd party is wrong"? Absolutely not. But "voting for a third party is throwing your vote away" because it is logistically impossible for them to win anyway definitely implies that you feel voting for a 3rd party is "just as bad as not voting" (Also your words) in your opinion. Considering that you think these things are "bad", of course it's not that much of a stretch to feel as though you think they are "wrong".

But I guess that's just my "dumb down pills" kicking in again <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-undecided.gif" border="0" alt="Undecided" title="Undecided" />

GoodLuckBear14 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:8b4c0a05-f57d-4707-96e6-53b4f7b74c26">Re:Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]So basically, if I exercise my right to not vote, I've done something wrong. If I exercise my right to vote for a 3rd party candidate that I believe in, because "they won't win anyway", I've done something wrong. BUT if I get pressured by society to vote for a candidate based on picking who I determine to be the "lesser of 2 evils" from 1 of the 2 major parties, I've somehow done the right thing? Awesome. God bless America and democracy.
Posted by RamonaFlowers[/QUOTE]

Nobody said this. You just lose the right to bytch and complain about the way things are.

RamonaFlowers · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_do-this-before-you-vote?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:c308e78e-cc60-4424-855a-a4dafcfb2099Post:2b6ff1e2-bf97-4c84-86a3-62860072ff17">Re:Do this before you vote</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re:Do this before you vote : Yup according to the responses here you have it right.
Posted by LingerLonger1[/QUOTE]

Awesome. Just wanted to be sure I had the gist of it all.

Ali092011 · October 2012

I apologize in advance for lack of paragraphs. Stage, I was responding to what you said about voting for a 3rd party candidate as being equivalent to throwing your vote away. That is what I have a hard time comprehending. I know that a candidate has to win the EC to win the presidency. I didn't say that I only vote for candidates I agree with 100 percent. Sometimes I have to vote for the "lesser of two evils" just like everyone else. However, if I agree with one candidate over another, why wouldn't I vote for that person. I just don't really understand the vote wasting mentality. To me, voting for someone you don't support as much as you support another candidate makes much less sense. I am not completely sure who I'm voting for yet, TBH. I still need to do more research. But I am going to vote for the candidate I support the most, regardless of his or her party. I think that's the only logical way to vote. You're right, though, GLB. I don't live in a swing state and I am absolutely sure that my opinion on this is partially influenced by that. I pretty much know CT will stay Blue no matter how anyone votes. So maybe someday I will change my voting ways and vote for a major party even if I like a 3rd party candidate better. But for now, I will vote for who I agree with the most.

shannyb41 · October 2012

Interesting link..thank you for sharing!
I just went through it and my #1 was Obama...which is who I was planning on voting for.
Well....I've been back and forth but mostly an Obama supporter.

Ali092011 · October 2012

I have a hard time comprehending it I guess because I think the whole point of voting is to use your voice, to use your vote as the representation of what you want and truly believe. I mean, it sounds like what you're saying is that if somehow magically, say, George Bush ran as a Republican and Sarah Palin ran as a Democrat, you'd be forced to vote for one or the other because no one else could ever win anyway. I understand that the electoral college will not be electing a third party candidate anytime soon or ever. I still have to respectfully insist that if you vote for who you genuinely believe in, you're doing it right. If you want to compare it to writing in someone's MIL and not taking the election seriously at all, then I guess that's your opinion.

Ali092011 · October 2012

Okay, so I now realize that you were commenting statistically and not philosophically. Sorry about that. I see your point that voting a candidate with no chance of winning makes as little difference as not voting. However, I do also know that third parties want to know how many people voted for them and how much support they do have in a particular area so they can try and get people involved. CT has a pretty vocal Green Party and when I like their candidates, I vote for them although we have never had a Green Party candidate in a major office. I am curious about at what chance of winning you believe it's "okay" to vote third party though. As I mentioned in a PP, I voted for Nader. Twice in fact. Did I wish him to become president over Bush and then Obama? You bet. But I don't think he ever had much of a chance, especially in 2008 when he ran passively and didn't do any campaigning. I mean, you said in a PP that you don't think people shouldn't vote for a third party, but you seem to be saying, "Go ahead and vote third party if you don't want your vote to matter." Do you think third parties serve a purpose in today's politics at all? I'm curious because we are very much a twoparty system at this point and you seem to think there's not a snowball's chance of someone who's not a Democrat or a Republican ever winning.

Ali092011 · October 2012

Sorry, just saw your ETA. And I know that you are not saying I'm doing it "wrong." I was just saying that I think people who vote for who they believe in are doing it right. That's all. I feel like I know you well enough on TK now to know that you're not saying I'm doing it "wrong" and I didn't mean to give the impression that I thought that.

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Re: Do this before you vote

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