Voting for Third Party

Do you believe that voting for a third party candidate is "wasting your vote?"

In some ways I can see this thought, but do not fully agree with it. I've always been taught to stand up for what you believe in. That means voting your conscience and not your "pragmatism."

What do you think?

 

Nope

 

It depends. There is no "one size fits all answer." Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

Standing up for what you believe in and voting your conscience does not always lead to a third party vote, even if that third party is the one you have the most in common with. Sometimes your conscience needs to be trained to more than our simplistic idealism. There is more at stake than that. We can do great harm by unwisely casting votes for third parties.

 

We can also do great harm by voting for the mainstream parties while excusing their flaws and error.

 

That was not my intent to infer that. The matter of conscience can apply to the major parties as well.

What my question relates to is that some of the radio commentators (Rush being the main one) have said that a third party vote is always wasted, since they have no chance of winning.

With this attitude the system will never change. It is stacked against any "new players."

In my life, I've voted democratic, republican and some third parties. I never feel my vote was wasted, even though I came out on the "losing" end.

 

The only time I could vote for a third party would be when I could not in good conscience vote for either major party. In this case, if I didn't vote for the third party, I wouldn't vote. Therefore, it would not be any more wasted than the alternative.

 

Good point.

In 2004 I could not in good conscience vote for either major candidate. My vote was less wasted in voting for 3rd party than not at all.

Thanks for the perspective Stefan!

 

No. The only wasted vote is one that isn't cast.

 

There's no such thing as a wasted vote. Even if you write in "Mickey Mouse", it's not a wasted vote.

I have personal isues with many of the third parties, but those are strictly my personal issues, and I'd never discourage someone from voting their conscience.

The problem often lies with third party voters who try to get me to vote their conscience instead of my own.

 

I also believe that a vote for a 3rd party is not a wasted vote. I have said this many times already that we as Christian's should vote with our hearts and a great deal of time, my heart has told me to vote for the 3rd party.

Some Repulicans, Democrats and 3rd party candiates alike as corrupt. Vote for person that most represents your values. If you do that and look, you will find it's NOT always with one party or the other.

I believe this is where people go wrong, when they can't see the true person because of the party they are attached to.

Jamie

 

I have not yet found a third party candidate I could vote for in good conscience.

Joseph Botwinick

 

I agree completely with this, and a vote for anyone but Bush in 2000 by a believer, was a wasted vote. Fortunatly there were enough correct votes.

 

I'd love to support a third party candidate but I don't see one able to arise before the Lords return, So: I think all those who desire a third, correct thinking party, should instead throw their efforts toward righting the GOP.

 

As others have said, the only wasted vote is the one that is either not made at all, or is made for someone who's principles go against your own. As Christians we should always vote for what is right, even if what is right doesn't stand a chance of winning. John Quincy Adams said: "Duty is ours; results are God's"

In 1996 I lived in North Carolina, there were no third party candidates on the ballot that I knew about, so I left the presidential part of my ballot blank. In 2000 and 2004 I voted third party and plan on doing the same in 2008. Many people have told me that I am taking votes away from the GOP by doing this, but they don't seem to understand that just like in 1996, if the GOP doesn't have a strong conservative candidate I can support I will just leave that part of the ballot blank if there is not a third party candidate I can support, so since my vote didn't belong to them in the first place, by voting third party they are not loosing my vote.

 

The same money owns the Rs and the Ds. Vote Libertarian and sleep with a clear conscience.

www.lp.org

 

I doubt I could sleep with a clear conscience by voting Libertarian. Why I am all for smaller government and protecting our personal liberties, I could never support the LP with their lack of morals on issues like gay marriage and abortion. I consider the CP to be the closest you can get to the LP, but with morals!

 

The electoral college decides who is President, anyway, so if you vote your conscience for a Third Party candidate, they won't win, but you will have voted your conscience. Which is what I did, knowing Tennessee electoral college votes would go for Bush, so the GOP won and I won, because I voted my conscience. :D

 

Not a bad choice. I've voted Libertarian for president twice myself. To go along with voting Democrat once, GOP three times, Constitution Party once, and once I wrote in Jack Kemp.