My last “third party” vote was for Nader in 2000. I should have quit voting then instead of waiting until 2016. Some of us slower thinkers need more time, I guess.
John, I campaigned hard for Nader/LaDuke and lost friends because of it..."stealing" votes and all that. When I would ask, "Would you vote for him?" Answer, "Of course, but he can't win!" The stupidity of people is astounding.
I've voted for Nader every time since then (with the exception of being snookered by Obama in 2008; no more), and will continue until he's ill or dead. Possibly the most articulate and knowledgeable I've ever seen on the Left.
Voting third-party and write-ins sends messages, and those messages can certainly have psychological impact if they grow over time. The only truly "wasted votes" are those swallowed up in the sea of drone-voting for "lesser evil" candidates, or completely opting out, which only makes protest invisible. Nobody cares about how low a turnout is; it has no impact either within or outside the system.
I also voted for Nader…. & would do it again! Are vote did matter then ..the corporate machine didn’t have a full grip on our government yet..& the BS “laws” state by state against 3rd parties were not in place at that time.. if more people would have realized they actually did have the power (at that time) we could have possibly prevented Citizens United & our current kangaroo court !
our votes have not mattered for a very long time. Much longer than most people seem to realize. I doubt they have mattered much since the end of the second war for sure, and possibly before that.
They don't matter precisely because people do not vote their conscience. They listen to Big Brother, and vote instead for the "lesser evil" "who can win".
It doesn't matter if people vote according to their conscience. That does not change the fact that the entire system is not being run by who we see. Even if the very best person got voted in, they would never be allowed to make real, progressive changes that would benefit the people. They would be made to look corrupt and probably would be corrupt in a fairly short time.
"That does not change the fact that the entire system is not being run by who we see."
If all people voted their conscience, the powerful would see right quick there's a problem. More importantly, so would the rest of us.
If the "best person" was not permitted to act, people should go to the streets, en masse. The U.S., however, appears to have *the worst* political insouciance of any ostensible democracy.
"They would be made to look corrupt and probably would be corrupt in a fairly short time." -- Not if people pay close attention. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure these things out.
The problem, simply, is peoples' comfort, subservience, and herd behavior. Not the opportunities that political slimeballs take advantage of.
They don't vote for who they think who could best do the job. They vote for who will win, or who their friends want or think will win or should win, because they want to be part of the in (power) - group. In other words, they're too comfortable to spend time seriously considering the long-term damage they collectively risk doing by not voting for the person they think will do the best job. They'd rather virtue-signal than heavy-lift. They'll tell you silly things like "I don't want to waste my vote."
I'm voting for Jill Stein again if there is an election in November. That "protest vote" is easy for the machine to understand.
My last “third party” vote was for Nader in 2000. I should have quit voting then instead of waiting until 2016. Some of us slower thinkers need more time, I guess.
John, I campaigned hard for Nader/LaDuke and lost friends because of it..."stealing" votes and all that. When I would ask, "Would you vote for him?" Answer, "Of course, but he can't win!" The stupidity of people is astounding.
I voted the same as you did that year.
US voting is a national opinion-poll, 2 steps removed from the "elections".
I try to clearly express my opinion. I have not "picked a winner" yet (since 1976).
I've voted for Nader every time since then (with the exception of being snookered by Obama in 2008; no more), and will continue until he's ill or dead. Possibly the most articulate and knowledgeable I've ever seen on the Left.
Voting third-party and write-ins sends messages, and those messages can certainly have psychological impact if they grow over time. The only truly "wasted votes" are those swallowed up in the sea of drone-voting for "lesser evil" candidates, or completely opting out, which only makes protest invisible. Nobody cares about how low a turnout is; it has no impact either within or outside the system.
Yeah O'bomber snookered me too...twice. That's when I decided to stop voting. Of course, George Carlin's rant in his "Jammin' in New York" helped.
I also voted for Nader…. & would do it again! Are vote did matter then ..the corporate machine didn’t have a full grip on our government yet..& the BS “laws” state by state against 3rd parties were not in place at that time.. if more people would have realized they actually did have the power (at that time) we could have possibly prevented Citizens United & our current kangaroo court !
our votes have not mattered for a very long time. Much longer than most people seem to realize. I doubt they have mattered much since the end of the second war for sure, and possibly before that.
They don't matter precisely because people do not vote their conscience. They listen to Big Brother, and vote instead for the "lesser evil" "who can win".
It doesn't matter if people vote according to their conscience. That does not change the fact that the entire system is not being run by who we see. Even if the very best person got voted in, they would never be allowed to make real, progressive changes that would benefit the people. They would be made to look corrupt and probably would be corrupt in a fairly short time.
"That does not change the fact that the entire system is not being run by who we see."
If all people voted their conscience, the powerful would see right quick there's a problem. More importantly, so would the rest of us.
If the "best person" was not permitted to act, people should go to the streets, en masse. The U.S., however, appears to have *the worst* political insouciance of any ostensible democracy.
"They would be made to look corrupt and probably would be corrupt in a fairly short time." -- Not if people pay close attention. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure these things out.
The problem, simply, is peoples' comfort, subservience, and herd behavior. Not the opportunities that political slimeballs take advantage of.
If that's not their conscience then what is? Are you saying they actually think differently? Are you sure?
They don't vote for who they think who could best do the job. They vote for who will win, or who their friends want or think will win or should win, because they want to be part of the in (power) - group. In other words, they're too comfortable to spend time seriously considering the long-term damage they collectively risk doing by not voting for the person they think will do the best job. They'd rather virtue-signal than heavy-lift. They'll tell you silly things like "I don't want to waste my vote."
So, what's inaccurate about that description?
Remember what mark twain said, if it mattered,they wouldn’t let us do it.
No, "the machine" doesn't care.
"Care" and "interpret" are different statements.
It is a message, not a plea.
Me too