Originally
posted by
Heston:
For decades voting, especially in california, has been for the lesser evil. This is more relevant today than ever for everyone in the usa. It comes down to NEVER HILLARY CLINTON and fluff BERNIE at all costs. There is too much at stake. You want to die a slow painful death or get a kick in the face with some golf shoes? I pick the golf shoes.You pick the guy selling rainbows and end up with a slow painful death. Thats how you helped to elect obama. My friends that voted third party last election, will not this election, you shouldnt either. But hey, at least your precious conscious remains intact if you vote for johnson or whoever. You are clearly open to throwing your vote away...there is no reason not to vote for trump or at least contemplate it.
Logically weigh the consequences of your actions this election.
Logically weighing the consequences of my actions is exactly what I am doing.
There are a number of reasons that I do not believe casting a vote for freedom equals "throwing my vote away".
As I've mentioned before, I live in Washington state. I can see absolutely no scenario where my vote for someone honest could directly result in a victory for HilLiary Clinton. The last time my state gave it's electoral votes to a Republican was in 1984. Seeing as I was only 13 then, my vote for President has NEVER been heard. Being from California, you're in a similar position. Not since the first Bush has your state gone to a Republican. If either of our states are going to go red this year, it will be because the election nationally is a landslide Republican victory. And seeing as how Trump's personality is just about the polar opposite of the last person to achieve that feat (Reagan) I don't see that being realistic. You could vote for your dog and have as much effect on this election as if you voted for Trump. Your dog would actually probably make for a better President, too.
I'm also not convinced that the Libertarian candidate will pull disproportionately higher numbers away from the GOP candidate. Democrat voters who identify that way because of their views on social issues match up quite well with the Libertarian party. Not every Democrat is a socialist (thank God). Just like not every Republican is opposed to or gives a damn about gay marriage. It very often comes down to choosing your "side" based on which issues you care more deeply about - which issues you believe have a more direct impact on you or the people you care about. I know it doesn't seem like it most times, but there are Democrat voters out there who would prefer a freer market. They just don't care as much about it as they do about the other "marquee issues"
I believe that in deep blue states like yours and mine, a vigorous and well publicized Libertarian candidacy could even possibly pull more Democrat voters than Republican voters.
I could go on and on about why I believe the best choice for me is the Libertarian candidate, but in the interest of being a little less long-winded, I'll close with this one: I no longer believe that the Republican party represents my views. We had 8 years of out of control spending and massive increases to the national debt.. and then we got Obama. Republican politicians claim to care about the things I care most about, but their actions don't match their words. In 2010 they PROMISED that if we gave them the House, they'd stop Obamacare. The reneged on that promise. They also caved on spending and the debt. It seems the only issues that Republicans are willing to go to the mat on are things I really don't give a damn about. They lost me in 2011 when they proved that they really didn't mean what they were saying.. And Boehner confirmed that for me when he openly admitted after stepping down from office that they never had any intention of following through.
They're not getting me back now by nominating a circus clown. If they want me back, they're going to have to PROVE, through action, that they really do want to start to tame the monster that our Federal Government has become.
