I agree with Charley on this. You speak of wasting a vote by going with one of the 'big two,' but in point of fact, those are the ONLY votes that aren't being pissed away. In local elections, where minor party candidates can actually have a shot at winning an election, it is a whole other story, and I encourage folks to go for the candidate that best represents their views. At the national level, it is a forgone conclusion that one of the 'big two' will win, and in today's environment, rightly so.
A third party candidate elected to the presidency would be worse than Jimmy Carter in his ineffectiveness. The power bases inside the Beltway (politicians, news media, lobbyists, etc) control what becomes law, not the president. A minority party president would be "ganged up" on by both major party apparatii (apparatuses?) and virtually everything attempted would be buried through overridden vetos or spiked legislation. A minor party president would be a nightmare in today's environment.
If you want a "feel good" vote, do it for your local offices. If you want to see Libertarian ideas and ideals be advanced on a national level, it must start at local levels and build to the higher levels. The math of a vote for a third party is simple -- it takes away a vote for either of the two people with a chance to win, and multiplies the effectiveness of the smaller number of votes going to Bush or Gore. Thus, a smaller number of people will decide who will win the election.
The next Prez will fill 2-4 anticipated openings on the Supreme Court. The choice, IMO, is more critical now than at any time since FDR's second term. If Algore wins, his justices will 'interpret' laws to reflect their own Marxist opinions, and bend the words of the Constitution to fit those beliefs. If Bush wins, he has promised (for whatever that may be worth) to appoint judges that will reflect what the Constitution actually says, not what they WISH it said. If you think big government and socialist ideals reflect your Libertarian ideals, Algore's your man. OTOH, if like me, you want to slow the encroachment of socialism, there is really no other choice than Bush, whether you like him or not. A "feel good" vote for any 3rd party is not only wasted, it subtracts from whichever "lesser evil" is sure to win.
As a sidenote on the Supreme Court appointments, consider what would happen to any appointments by a third party president in the Senate Confirmation Hearings.
If I came across too strongly in this post, I apologize. I just want folks to understand how critical this election is, and how important their vote is.
jim |
