I remember the 2000 Election. There were enough votes for Ralph Nader to hand the election to George W. Bush.
I remember the 2016 Election. There were enough votes for Jill Stein to hand the election to Donald Trump.
In 2024 the Green Party is running Cornell West. Let’s not repeat this history, friends
Your vote is not a marriage. You’re not choosing a life partner. It’s a chess move for what’s best for the country and the world.
They aren't mutually exclusive. It is speech, it is expression, but it's more than just an opinion: it has implications beyond other kinds of speech or a mere political opinion.
We shouldn't vote just to be heard, but because the net result will sway government to best match our wants and needs.
Love your point, but isn't that what he is saying too?
"[Voting is] a chess move for what’s best for the country and the world."
Sounds like governing to me.
It pains me to have to say this (because for God’s sake people should know this) but you also should not reject a candidate because you think they are “unlikable”!
I could not believe how many people justified not voting for Hilary on that basis.
Always bothers me when the answer to "why are they politically viable?" is "related to a famous or powerful person".
Like with the Bushes, the Kennedys, and yes, the Clintons.
But oh boy was she preferable to the alternative.
I agree, although in Hilary’s case I think her connection to Bill actually hurt her. She is a genuinely brilliant woman but the right spent decades smearing her and Bill’s foibles were unfairly thrown at her.
Yet SHE WON the popular vote. 😀
tbf it was more the DNC for rigging the vote in her favor in the first part. She was incredibly unlikable and her entire campaign was basically “it’s my turn to be president”. They couldn’t have picked a worse candidate if they wanted to.
I'm not sure they "rigged" anything so much as threw support behind the Democrat and not the guy who was not part of the party. It wasn't a conspiracy.
I always find it interesting the same people who push for a European multi party system, don’t know that the party insiders pick their candidate, there are no voter primaries.
This has me pining for two things:
1. Primaries for sitting presidents, because Biden's numbers are terrible right now, and I'd like to see West running on the democratic ticket.
2. Ranked-choice voting which would resolve the issue completely and remove the stigma / dilemma in voting third party.
Everyone who wants third (and fourth) parties needs to get them elected on school boards and city councils. Make them sheriffs and judges and mayors. Build up to Congress and President and stop shooting yourselves in the foot
Third parties are not going to be viable until you end the electoral college system, which Republicans will fight like hell for because if they didn't, they would have to change their platform to attract more people.
A new excuse every election cycle on why people can’t vote for people who represent their ideals and values. It’s ridiculous. #VoteGreenParty #CornelWest2024
It's called pragmatism. You can do the vote of consciousness if that's what you think is right. However, I would argue that you would help the Green Party by destroying the system that prevents them from being a viable option.
No, it’s your mindset that is flat out wrong.
Nader was wrong, and I was huge supporter of his.
It is a duopoly at the fed level. One party is a fascist party that will destroy US democracy, the other is the dems. /1
Third parties are refusing to do the hard work and bypass all of the messy local elections.
The reason is simple. It’s easier to run at the federal level. Less work, less organizing, more grandstanding.
It’s a sad reality, but it is reality. /2
Refusing to see it is only going to hand the election to the GOP and if you think that after 2024 there will ever be any hope of a viable third party, let alone a democracy then it’s you that needs your head examined.
Yep. The General election is one of 2 parties. The rest are there for ego, grift or to be a spoiler. The 2024 election is voting for democracy or autocracy. If you don’t vote, or vote third party, you’re voting for Fascism.
I remember a chucklefuck old schoolmate voted Jill Stein and posted on Facebook not to blame her for Trump, because she voted Jill Stein and I face palmed myself so hard. People really don’t understand voting 3rd party is a vote for the bad guy.
My favorite election analogy is: your vote is a bus, not a taxi -- take the one that gets you closest to your destination, & don't pass up the ride just because it doesn't drop you at your doorstep.
I'm in California. My state's electoral votes go Democrat whether I vote third party or not.
But in a swingable state (pretty much anything between NJ and Texas), it'd be irresponsible to vote 3rd party, much as the Dems need some guidance about the future.
Yes, the Dems need lots of fixing, but we can worry about that when there's no longer a Trump mob in office attempting to set the entire country on fire and our only protection is their incompetence.
not sure how i feel about that tbh. to me, a vote is an indication of support. the chess moves are done by the parties, and the moves made by the democratic party threw 3 elections and now threaten to throw a fourth
