this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2024
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[–] MarjorineFailureGroan 9 points 10 hours ago (3 children)

I too will vote Harris, but I think it's important to understand that voting out of fear is not going to fix our extremely broken two party system. Voting third party is not a vote for Trump, I think it's often a vote born of a broken two party system.

Despite knowing that I can't bring myself to vote third party out of fear that I may not get another chance to vote if Trump takes power.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

That is the system though. Democracy isn't really about getting what you want. That's impossible under any system other than a dictatorship where you are the dictator. Parasocial psychology has lead a lot of people thinking that Trump getting what he wants is what they want. But that won't work out well for anyone.

Democracy is really about removing the worst people from power and preventing them from getting power in the first place. Over many years in something akin to natural selection you can have progress. But like evolution, it goes slowly.

Voting third party isn't a brave choice, it's just a fantasy. Even in a proportional representation system, it's still a fantasy, just you'd see maybe a few powerless people sitting in a legislature complaining on C-Span (which nobody will watch) instead of on social media.

Politics is about power and compromise. Vote for a representative that has a reasonable chance of winning, and write to them to encourage them to compromise closer to your position on things. That's actually effective, people that go on about a fantasy world where they just tick a box and whatever they want will happen are just being silly.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 hours ago

Voting is the feedback part of the system. If people aren't voting honestly, politicians will take the wrong feedback. For example, democrats thinking they should move to the center to reach more republicans, rather than moving the the left to reach more third party voters.

[–] MarjorineFailureGroan 3 points 8 hours ago

I've written to many of my state and federal legislators over the span of 20+ years. it's not effective. We need campaign finance before, we need to overturn citizens United, and we need to change our two party system.

I understand your perspective but I disagree on some points.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

The only way things change is if more people are informed and active. Do what you can to help implement ranked choice voting.

[–] MarjorineFailureGroan 1 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

The state of Florida outlawed rank choice voting

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Which is the exactly why you should be working to overturn such an undemocratic law.

[–] MarjorineFailureGroan 1 points 6 hours ago

Agreed. I've voted in every election I've been able to for 20 years, and I try to have reasonable conversations about things like this with people on the other side of the aisle. It becomes a bit demoralizing and I'm a bit disillusioned.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Last map I saw like half of the states have banned it.

[–] MarjorineFailureGroan 2 points 5 hours ago

Makes sense. There two party system is vehicular to the existing two parties. Why give a third option.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

It literally exactly is a vote for trump. We have shown you morons the math a million times by now, you're just being willfully resistant to acknowledging what you're doing to endanger the republic.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Is that based on the assumption third party voters would vote democrat otherwise? If I would either not vote or vote third party, how does my vote help trump?

Maybe the democrats shouldnt count votes they don't have?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Because under FPTP no vote or a third party vote is identical to a vote for the opposing candidate.

Maybe you should stop trying to justify being a fucking traitor.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

So just saying that out loud makes it true, got it. You've convinced me I'm wrong.

[–] MarjorineFailureGroan 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Settle down and re-read what I wrote. I'm not voting for Trump. I don't think it's hyperbolic to say a third party is crucial for our Republic.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

The math has been explained to you endlessly. You can't escape voting for either Harris or Trump because you want to pretend you're above it all and superior to us who have to live with the consequences of supposed good people like you standing there and doing nothing.

[–] MarjorineFailureGroan 3 points 5 hours ago

I again think you need to settle down. I am not voting third party because I like you apparently will just view out of fear.

That said, The math had not been explained to me so show it to me. post it for anyone who agrees with me. Show me the math.

Next you've decided that I have some feeling of superiority. I don't. I simply think the two party system has failed us and needs to change. People in power have a stake in keeping a two party system for their own benefit, and it infuriates me.