mommydama | (no subject)

(no subject)

Is it worth it to vote for a third party? Because I'm seriously thinking about it. I feel like it is sort of a "lose the battle to win the war" kind of thing. I want to vote. I feel guilty not voting. But I just CANNOT bring myself to vote for one of the two major party candidates. But I could vote for a third party. I'm not telling who or which one. I don't want to get into the debates and ugliness on LJ. But I've found a candidate I could get behind. Is it worthless? I know it will make no difference in THIS election. But the more people are willing to vote their conscience and support third parties the stronger they will become. It seems like they get stronger every election.

I WANT to vote for someone for the first time in months. Should I do it?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(deleted comment)

Same.

I realized that my goals would not be accomplished if I took my vote out of the "red" column and added it to the "other" column. It would essentially be allowing the blue column to be unchallenged. I would rather vote for a candidate I like less and accomplish some of my ultimate goals than vote for the person I liked the best and yet have none of the things important to me be accomplished.

if only more people would see it this way.

Agreed.

I say vote for whichever candidate you would like to see in the presidency, whether you think s/he would actually make it or not. :)

I think it is worthwhile because you are participating in the democratic process while maintaining your personal integrity. I can't see what the negative would be when you've accomplished both of those things.

I am having a bit of a major personal crisis with this, as I increasingly want to see Obama win but am too conflicted by his extreme abortion stance to be able to stomach voting for him.

But me as a person who read all those harlem rennaissance books, and so much slave-time historical fiction, and grew up in a VERY racist family...I'm SO HYPED to see a black man become president.

And me as a person who's seen only cynical, critical views on this country for years, I'm so ready to have a uniting force the media will back and other countries will admire and poor and gay people will even like.

Me as an environmentalist, me as a pacifist, all kinds of things. I am crossing my fingers...

But I just can't vote for him, I get sick to my stomach about it. I am ashamed of not voting but I don't feel like I, in good conscience, can.

(deleted comment)

Plus there's the fact that Obama's family history has about as much to do with American slavery as mine does with Russians.

Thanks for the Huntley Brown article :) I found it moving as well. Voting for anyone based on the color of their skin is racist, no matter how well intentioned you are about it. Skin color has nothing to do with someone's ability to lead effectively.

Even if he wasn't pro-choice, I wouldn't vote for him, because I don't agree with most of his policies (I lean Libertarian). And I want our troops to come home, Obama doesn't. He is not the anti-war candidate that the media paints him, his voting record shows this as well has his own words explaining how he wants to funnel the troops from Iraq into a new war with Pakistan. Sigh.

dude you so don't want him for president. You have children, that alone ought to be reason enough.

Just because he is black does not make him a good person.

He has children, too.

I can totally understand why you don't want him to be president, even though I disagree. But I don't really understand why you think he's a bad person.

Edited 2008-11-03 05:39 (UTC)

because he is for infanticide and partial birth abortion.

Which is evil and murder, even you pro choice types know that birthing a baby stabbing it in the head and sucking its brains out is murder.

I don't think you have any idea whether or not I am pro-choice.

I've been trying really hard to NOT be inflammatory about this. And you don't have to respond, but, at the risk of really bugging Dama, I feel I MUST say this, and that she will understand:

Your comment here truly and deeply offends me. Please do not EVER assume to know my beliefs based on my Livejournal icon EVER again. Your wording "you pro-choice types" is demeaning and belittling, not to mention judgmental and EXTREMELY presumptuous.

I just had to get that off my chest, and I hope that I did so in a respectful way.

It is always worth it to vote your conscience and your beliefs. Always.

I also believe that unless people vote third party, we'll never break out of current two party system.

For for whoever you think you want for President.

There is lots of thoughtful helpful stuff here.

well, I already voted (absentee ballot) and it was hard. there were people who I knew I didn't want to remain in office so those were easy but yea, the president, hard. I ended up voting for the party I most represent. I really didn't want to vote for either but felt I had to.

Vote! It is extremely unlikely that I will ever get to vote in my adult life if I remain in Singapore. Jim, as a citizen has never voted in an election because our opposition is so tightly controlled and blocked, we're essentially a one-party country. Voting is an extraordinary right.

If you're in a swing state, vote for the party that you think will create a better world for your children. That's what it should come down to, not taxes.

But if you're not in a tight race, then a third party vote means that you help make a third party candidate *more* viable in four years' time. It's a lot harder to dismiss Ron Paul these days, after all.

The one thing that has me shying away from a third party candidate is that, as it exists now, the electoral college all but guarantees the maintenance of a two-party system. Unless a third party candidate has massive support and a huge number of votes, they aren't going to get any electoral college votes, and legitimacy doesn't mean much if you're never truly in the running for office.

Third party votes are far more effective on the local level, and that's where I think the change will come from. As undecided as I am, I really can't see giving my vote to a moot candidate when I think of the larger picture and the needs of every citizen. I can't just vote for who I'd want for president - that seems a little too...insular. And self-serving. As much as I don't like to admit it, it seems to me like I should prayerfully decide which of these men will be a better leader for the country and vote that way, rather than trying to give a show of support to the third party.

JMHO.

I think you should vote. You are intelligent, kind, good hearted, and have honest feelings and intelligent thoughts behind your opinions. I don't have to agree with all of them to see that. You are JUST the kind of person who should vote. I don't think it matters as much for whom you vote (in your case, not in general) as much as that you do vote. There is no room for complaint among those who do not participate in the process.

Hmmm...that doesn't sound right because it makes it sound like I think you'll complain. And that's not what I am saying. BUt you know what I mean?

Vote for someone you support. You'd be wasting your vote more if you vote for someone you dislike than if you vote for someone who has no chance.

IT IS SO WORTH IT....

As a fellow Orthodox Christian to another...I can't morally bring myslef to vote for either of the two major candidates...
my answer to those who say I'm 'waisting' my vote is that I am enjoying my freedom to vote the way I want...and there has not always been just these two political parties...and there never will be more unless people are brave enought to step up and let there vote be heard that we really do want a change.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only