"I'm voting for Nader!"

[furtech]

This is bound to ruffle the feathers of many people. Everyone's all about, "Vote for Kerry because he isn't Bush." I have yet to see any good reasons that Kerry would make a good president.

I won't vote for someone just to vote against someone else: to do so is a perversion of what I see as the spirit of what a democracy is. I need to have a reason to vote *for* someone; not having a good chance to win is poor reason to -not- vote for someone. I could just as easily vote for the Libertarian or Green candidate-- is that just as bad? Our political system is built around *choice*. You can choose to vote for whomever for whatever reason-- but don't denigrate me for exercising my right to choose.

Two further things: the election is almost half a year away and a lot can happen between now and then. Second, I never reveal whom I voted for. I've voted in every single election since I could vote and I vote for the people I believe in. That's more than a lot of people can say.

Comments

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I completely agree with what you said, especially regarding the two-party system and independents.

Unfortunately, that catch-22 is complex and has multiple facets: the best time (IMO) to vote for the independents is *exactly* when they can affect an election. If they were a non-factor, who would listen to them? This is the time when the indies actually have a chance to gain influence, in actual offices they can be elected to (as happened in Germany with the Green Party and recently in Japan with the Socialists). On the other hand, if the party they most threaten makes some fundamental changes before the election, maybe people might return to support them. I'm more of a "believe it when I see it" guy: they've had four years to make or push for changes and virtually nothing was accomplished. I won't fall for that, "If you vote for me now, this time it will be different," BS.

[shadowolf.livejournal.com]

I have to thank Cargo for the link, and it's appropriate to the discussion. A story about Republicans in Oregon pushing to get Nader on the ballot:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&e=3&u=/ap/20040625/ap_on_el_pr/nader_convention

I'm pretty sure the Democrats would be doing the same if it were a moderate Republican, too.

Excellent points... all

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Look how long (some 60 years) it took to get the prevaling party out of power in Mexico... and we've got TWO prevailing ones here... but it *can* be done.... if fewer people we're voting as disappointed followers, and more as the kind who realize *we* the voters should be the government.