| Sure, that's the classic argument, save the "steal" part. So, do you think algore (look it up) would have been close enough to Bush to cause a controversy if Libertarian Harry Brown hadn't been on the ballot? Different question, same point. Your point is that a wasted vote comes about when a Nader or Browne vote in fact affects the outcome. Despite the fact that perhaps most Nader voters would prefer Gore to Bush, and most Brown voters would prefer Bush over Gore (though I'm guessing not by so great a margin as with Naderites for Gore), we've just described a situation in which these third party votes mattered. Wasted? No, they mattered, even if in the short run, the result painted seems to go against the judgement some of the Nader or Browne voters....but wait, surely many of these voters themselves really didn't care if their votes hurt Gore of Bush. Presumably, they simply prefer who they prefer, voted their minds. It is east to see that as a result everyone knows courting them is valuable. Wasted votes? Tell it to this lonely percentage who votes their beliefs as I do. Let more people get smart like us and ignore your sort of classic argument that there can be such a thing as a wasted vote, THEN by god the courting to MY interests AND the Nader voter interests, would continue in far greater earnest (and accomplishing this sort of thing is exactly what we know we really need, if our oft felt "lost dreams" of true change, are to become reality) REGARDLESS the winner. |
