Third-party candidates

[hikarugenji.livejournal.com]

I wonder if any people who voted Dem or Rep in the last election here are considering looking for a third-party candidate next time (especially for Congress).

A typical reaction is that voting for a third-party candidate is either a wasted vote, or the equivalent of a vote for the "other side". I can see where this idea comes from, but I've never fully agreed with it. It seems to me that in the two-party system we have, voting for a third-party candidate is basically the only means that the average voter has to show the major parties that they're unhappy with the party.

Personally, I'm not fully happy with the democratic party, or any of the incumbents. But I can never bring myself to vote for the Republican party; I disagree with too many of their fundamental positions. So as long as the Democrats can count on my vote every 2 years, if only because I don't like the Republicans, what motivation do they have to actually listen to anything I would have to say? They would have to change a whole lot for me to consider the Republicans a better vote.

Any other thoughts on this? I've never really considered a 3rd party candidate before.

Comments

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

In local elections and smaller scale elections, it is a much better chance of having a real effect. In major elections, you have a dichotomous choice and one of two people is going to win and everyone else is going to lose, period. Voting third party is voting for someone who is going to lose and not helping one of the two first place people. If you don't care who wins, you might vote third party as a statement, but if you really think that a certain person will cause harm by being elected, you may still want to vote against them. Until we have some sort of election reform, thems the brakes.

[paedraggaidin.livejournal.com]

I hate to sound cynical, but what would be the point, for me personally? I live in such a heavily Religious Right, conservative district that any vote for a non-Religious Right conservative (whether Republican or Democrat...this is Arkansas, after all) is essentially a wasted protest vote. Some of my classmates fought strenuously to get a Green Party candidate on the ballot in 2010, but to what avail? Even had he got on, he might have gotten 1% of the vote on a good day. The same goes for Libertarians, Constitution Party, and Reform Party candidates.

Our two-party system is so utterly locked in at this point that a viable third party is more or less a joke. The Reform Party had the last good chance of it, back in 1992, and all it did was split enough of the conservative base off of George H. W. Bush to allow Clinton a win. This is why I can't see either the Tea Party or OWS movements resulting in a real third party; people in both major parties remember what happened the last time a third party had a solid chance, and they'll be damned if they'll let it ever happen again.

It's all rather depressing.

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

There is no such thing as a wasted vote. Always vote your conscious. Never give up!

ONWARD, INTO THE BREECH!


etc.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

There is no such thing as a wasted vote. If you voted for who you wanted to win, then it's not a waste, it's putting in your preference. Voting for who you think is going to win is the wasted vote. It isn't a horse race and you win nothing by having voted for the winner.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

If you live in a place that is going to elect someone you don't agree with with a certainty then you have more opportunity to show your preference. In FPP voting, in a close race, I would hold my nose and vote for the lesser of two weevils, but if the race isn't close then vote and the stink bomb is going to get in anyway, then you may as well vote green (or whatever) to tell The Man that there's people out there interested in their ideas and who aren't happy with the status quo. A vote for Dems or Reps who have no chance of winning is saying "I agree with what you and your party have been doing of late". I find it hard to believe anyone could think that.

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

Here is my typical voting pattern:

3rd party/independent

any Political newbie who leans more center than right (only chance a moron of the GOP would get my vote, besides the one below this one)

a vote 'against' the ultra-christian right wing (vote for opponent)

a vote against an incumbent.

I can only hope that one day people will follow this voting pattern and purge the system of the two-headed demon known colloquially as "bi-partisanship"

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

With preferential voting you could do all of that on the one ballot :)

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

I remember during the latest local elections, some idea was floating around here: vote for the minor parties, so neither of the major ones could get a clear majority in the local parliament. That would force them to negotiate about forming coalitions, make compromises, and all in all, hurt them politically. Disperse the vote as much as possible and see what happens. Of course that can't happen when voting for president, but on a local level it could have some noticeable results.

The idea is pretty dumb, though - "make them hurt". As if that'd somehow put a dent in their pockets, amirite?

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately that doesn't work in the US. There's no sort of need for clear majority.

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

Until our electoral system is changed to one that doesn't foster a two-party system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duverger%27s_law), there's no point.

ETA: possible solution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y3jE3B8HsE

[vnsplshr.livejournal.com]

"A typical reaction is that voting for a third-party candidate is either a wasted vote, or the equivalent of a vote for the 'other side'."

The majority of the time.

"...the only means that the average voter has to show the major parties that they're unhappy with the party."

E-mail, write letters, hold rallies... but don't use your vote as a message when it will be largely ignored.

"But I can never bring myself to vote for the Republican party"

But would you hand them a free vote by voting for a lefty 3rd party?

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

No.

Also he's a crazy man.

[pastorlenny.livejournal.com]

I think it would be an excellent idea to vote for me.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

We have a two party, one Satan system of politics. But you know, this is the nature of the world and of the beast. Not much you can do about it at this point. Babylon is Babylon, always will be Babylon, and reforming the window curtains of Babylon is well... just a silly thing to do.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

I voted 3rd party in 2000, write-in in 2004. The first time I ever voted major party for a statewide-or-higher office was 2008 because I was that worried about Obama. I don't regret it at all.

As I've gotten older, I've seen the value of voting third party diminish considerably. I've found more benefit in trying to support people within the Republican Party that stand for my values - or stand closer to my values, I should say - rather than lodge a protest vote. It does more to have other conservatives and Republicans know that a godless heathen can still find some common ground as opposed to simply be someone who's ignored by everyone.

[devil-ad-vocate.livejournal.com]

I'm just glad the Republican field has been narrowed down to a choice between Romney and Gollum.

[raichu100.livejournal.com]

Sadly, because of the plurality system we use to tally votes, a vote for a third party really is a throw away. Sure, it may voice that your unhappy with dems and pubs, but unless a large enough number of people decide to voice that at once it won't really do anything. =/

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

unless a large enough number of people decide to voice that at once it won't really do anything

That's a feature of democracy, not a bug.

[lions-wings.livejournal.com]

I've voted third party because I didn't like the contenders and knew which one was going to win anyway. It was less a sign of wanting to show disfavor and more a sign of wanting to draw more interest to the issues; I thought if it looked bigger, the two main parties were likely to pay more attention to its issues.

[oportet.livejournal.com]

Third Parties would fare better if we scrapped the Electoral College and switched to a Borda count.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

I'm registered Green Party but will vote for their candidates when they find one that's not morally ambiguous at best or insane. I'm in fact registered Green solely so I don't have to sign up with the Democrats and GE or the Republicans and the Kochtopus.

[sealwhiskers.livejournal.com]

Proportional representation in a multi-party system is IMO superior to the two party system of the US, and also far more democratic in its dynamics.

In the US system there is little practical use of voting 3rd party due to the lack of proportional representation, unless it is on a very local level with dynamics in place to support a win of some form.

[raichu100.livejournal.com]

Fully agreed.

[msretro.livejournal.com]

I won't vote for a third party candidate for a federal office until the country sees electoral reform. The current winner takes all model creates a situation where minor parties cannot get a foothold. If instant run-off voting were the law of the land, I'd be much more open to voting for someone outside the two major parties.

Unfortunately, I do not have much opportunity to vote for minor parties locally, since they don't seem to bother much in my area. When I've had the opportunity in the past, however, I have chosen Green candidates.

[caerfrli.livejournal.com]

In most cases in the US, a vote for a 3rd party candidate is a vote for the one you like least.

[kardashev.livejournal.com]

I hate both left and right horse and buggy era ideologies. I hate both parties. I hate third parties. Political parties and ideologies are for linear thinking suckers and the con artists that prey on them.

I vote in such as a way as to promote government gridlock. Since I know that politicians will make things worse, I want to at least make it harder for them to do so.