• Socialist Mormon Satanist@lemmy.worldOP
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    2 months ago

    Something has to change, no doubt. Both major parties always promise big reforms, but once they get in power, nothing really changes. Personally, I’m voting third party. I respect and support everyone’s right to vote however they want, even if it’s for the current duopoly. But that’s not the path I’m choosing.

    • vinniep@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Unfortunately, that means that you’re taking a vote away from the candidate from the two main parties that is closest to your views, which helps the candidate you oppose the most.

      The two party system is truly problematic, but when it comes to November you have two options currently and voting for a 3rd party has the same impact as not voting at all. Voting for the candidate that you oppose the least lets you put a finger on the scale to at least try to avoid the worst possible outcome relative to your beliefs and values.

      • Socialist Mormon Satanist@lemmy.worldOP
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        2 months ago

        I get what you’re saying, but for me, voting for the “lesser evil” still means supporting a system I fundamentally disagree with. Voting third party is about pushing for real change, not just settling for what’s handed to us. If enough people stop treating third parties like a wasted vote, we might actually break the cycle of just choosing between the “least bad” options.

        • vinniep@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          I understand your viewpoint, but don’t subscribe. Voting isn’t about supporting a system. The system exists, with or without your participation. Shy of a full blown civil war (which is more likely to make this worse than better), the only way to change the system is to use the system to change itself. The general election in November every 4 years is the last stage of a long process that starts with local parties and elections, weaves through the primary process, and culminates on election day. We need more people that are dissatisfied with the candidates to get more involved, not less, and to go to the early phases where a smaller number of active participants can have an outsized impact on the whole system. To me, one of the many alternative voting systems would be a huge improvement (I have preferences, but honestly just about every one of them is better than the First Past the Post system we use), so advocating for that and supporting local candidates that can push those ideas forward is where my energies go.

          Both parties actively try to give voters from the other party reasons to be dissatisfied and disengaged. Don’t play into it.

          Also

          If enough people stop treating third parties like a wasted vote,

          People might if any of the third parties had a serious candidate and a serious governing platform. Each of them is fundamentally flawed in one way or another, and a few of them are flawed from top to bottom. I get that you’re dissatisfied with the status quo, but which one of these 3rd parties would be able to actually govern and not make a complete and utter mess of everything? Could you imagine if one of the major 3rd parties actually won? It would be an unmitigated disaster.

      • Skvlp@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        Considering Trump has indicated he aims to abolish elections there is no upside at all in voting anything but Democrats.

              • nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de
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                2 months ago

                I’m a straight white married dad and I’m not afraid for me. But I have LGBT relatives who I absolutely fear would be at the very least more discriminated against, not by trump directly, but by the fucking douchbag Christian right who think they’ll be running the place.

                The problem with Cheeto Mussolini is that he’s only worried about his own outcome, and if it doesn’t affect him, he’ll let whichever group he owes the most do whatever they want. And they have a plan this time since last time he wasn’t supposed to win either.

              • aubeynarf@lemmynsfw.com
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                2 months ago

                The statement “He has no chance of winning” is demonstrably false, it is not a matter of opinion. arguably, the statement about third parties is demonstrably false as well

                  • aubeynarf@lemmynsfw.com
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                    2 months ago

                    You really don’t think it’s your personal vote that is the issue here?

                    If you have decided how you will vote, and it is a personal matter only, why have you posted 75+ articles making noise about fringe party candidates’ ballot access?

                  • pooperNickel@lemm.ee
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                    2 months ago

                    he won’t win

                    Gee I wonder why you have full confidence that the guy won once, almost won again, and led in the polls for a while, won’t win. It is a fucking mystery. Definitely not that you’re lying. Nope. Thank you!!!

              • pooperNickel@lemm.ee
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                2 months ago

                I actually don’t think the opinion that lying is okay is okay. It actually seems pretty fucking awful. ThAnK yOu!!!1

          • Skvlp@lemm.ee
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            2 months ago

            He has a very real chance of winning. He has laid groundwork, like the Supreme Court. He has people around him that are working towards their shared goal - it’s by no means a one man operation. And they have prepared. So there’s a real chance this might be the last time you get to vote.

      • TheTechnician27@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        the candidate you oppose most

        Look at their comment history; 1600+ comments and nearly 800 posts in 29 days, all supporting a known Russian plant whose entire job is to siphon away leftist votes so Trump can win in swing states. The candidate they oppose most is whichever they get paid enough rubles to oppose, and that isn’t Trump.