So how many Supreme Court picks will Gary Johnson get? Oh, zero.
So here's the thing. There are two and only two choices on your menu: cheeseburger and chili dog. Both are unhealthy for you. Both taste bad to you. You would prefer a healthy low fat chicken salad sandwich but you can't have it because its not available. All the complaining in the world isn't going to add to your menu. You either get a cheeseburger, a chili dog or starve.
You can't go anyplace else because they have worse choices.
You do not get to choose the Supreme Court that Gary Johnson or Ron Paul would choose. You get the court that Romney or Obama will choose.
Now choose. And if you don't choose, someone else is going to choose for you. So which would you like, cheeseburger or chili dog?
Now I know my metaphor is a false dichotomy, but your choice of president is not. You have the luxury of living in a state where your vote doesn't matter. So do I.
But you are telling someone, somewhere whose vote DOES matter to throw his vote in the trash, literally or figuratively. And a vote in the trash is a vote for Obama.
I know it's somewhat relieving to say you're not part if the problem. I certainly am not getting the government I voted for. But that is of little consequence and of no consolation when you have to eat what you are served.
By all means influence policy, but be mindful of what your vote and your words end up contributing to. This would have been a better day to decry the fall of liberty than to take a potshot at a past president who couldn't have anticipated this. And how many times was Roberts on your side? Remember eminent domain?
Calling something a fallacy doesn't make it a fallacy.
Yes, my individual vote won't make a difference in a national race (although if I lived in Florida in 2004 it would have come damn close). But if enough people vote for a third party candidate it willmake a difference. See Perot, H.R. and Nader, Ralph. In both cases their supporters tilted the election away from what was in their minds the lesser of two evils and towards the greater evil.
Ok, say you currently have a choice between Fascists and Commies. Those have been your ballot box choices for more than 150 years.
With the passage of time, there has been less and less difference between the Fascists and the Commies, but the Fascists are seen as pro-business and the Commies are seen as supporting the little guy. In reality, all they do is line the pockets of their supporters with money taken from the little guy.
But because of these perceived differences, however slight, voters will go to the wall to support the Fascists against the Commies, or vice-versa. After all, those have been their only choices for quite some time.
One day, a real option appears. Let's call them the Democrats. They believe in limited government and human rights. Leaving people alone. Ending Corporate Cronyism. Ending the wars. Releasing the Drug War POW's. Getting the Commie and Fascist boot off the neck of the voters. Etc, etc, etc.
I really do believe that people would continue to vote for either the Commies or the Fascists for no other reason than tribal loyalty and habit. Change really does hurt that much. Plus, it's terrifying.
More than likely, in 2012, the Democrat tribe will continue to vote for the guy who has quadrupled the number of drone strikes, gotten us into Pakistan and Libya, kept Gitmo open, imprisoned a record number of black guys for weed, and carefully maintained all of Bush's spying programs. The Republicans will vote for the Godfather Of ObamaCare, an active opponent of gun rights, who is Pro TSA, Pro bailout, and on and on and on.
Seriously. Did anyone even dare to dream that Obama would be this much like GW Bush? Does anyone ever look at how much the debt increased under "small government" presidents named Reagan and Bush?
And BTW, which president nominated John Roberts???
There. Is. No. Real. Difference.
You can change how you vote or you can watch us spiral closer and closer to the drain.
I'll grant that there is little difference between the two main political parties. (Although I will argue that there are a few differences that may, in fact, be meaningful - compare Paul Ryan's budget with obama's, for example. But that's a discussion for another day.)
But IMO it's a waste of resources to hype a third-party candidate that has no chance of winning, and very little chance of changing anyone's thinking. Instead, start at the grass roots and work up. Look at the Tea Party. Agree with them or not, but they are influencing national issues to a greater extent than the Libertarian party.
To borrow from the greenies, think globally but act locally.
8 comments:
This is also what happens when the country elects idiots.
No, wait, this is what happens when idiots vote.
In any event, there is plenty of blame to go around.
So how many Supreme Court picks will Gary Johnson get? Oh, zero.
So here's the thing. There are two and only two choices on your menu: cheeseburger and chili dog. Both are unhealthy for you. Both taste bad to you. You would prefer a healthy low fat chicken salad sandwich but you can't have it because its not available. All the complaining in the world isn't going to add to your menu. You either get a cheeseburger, a chili dog or starve.
You can't go anyplace else because they have worse choices.
You do not get to choose the Supreme Court that Gary Johnson or Ron Paul would choose. You get the court that Romney or Obama will choose.
Now choose. And if you don't choose, someone else is going to choose for you. So which would you like, cheeseburger or chili dog?
Now I know my metaphor is a false dichotomy, but your choice of president is not. You have the luxury of living in a state where your vote doesn't matter. So do I.
But you are telling someone, somewhere whose vote DOES matter to throw his vote in the trash, literally or figuratively. And a vote in the trash is a vote for Obama.
I know it's somewhat relieving to say you're not part if the problem. I certainly am not getting the government I voted for. But that is of little consequence and of no consolation when you have to eat what you are served.
By all means influence policy, but be mindful of what your vote and your words end up contributing to. This would have been a better day to decry the fall of liberty than to take a potshot at a past president who couldn't have anticipated this. And how many times was Roberts on your side? Remember eminent domain?
http://freedomkeys.com/myvcrider.htm
And how well did that work out for CA?
Calling something a fallacy doesn't make it a fallacy.
Yes, my individual vote won't make a difference in a national race (although if I lived in Florida in 2004 it would have come damn close). But if enough people vote for a third party candidate it willmake a difference. See Perot, H.R. and Nader, Ralph. In both cases their supporters tilted the election away from what was in their minds the lesser of two evils and towards the greater evil.
Hot Sam - reading your posts of late, you are well on your way to replacing me as house troll. Nicely played, sir!
CenTexTim - you are not far behind!
I doubt we see eye to eye on a lot, but both of you make valid comments.
Dr. Ralph - thanks ... I think... ;-)
Ok, say you currently have a choice between Fascists and Commies.
Those have been your ballot box choices for more than 150 years.
With the passage of time, there has been less and less difference between the Fascists and the Commies, but the Fascists are seen as pro-business and the Commies are seen as supporting the little guy. In reality, all they do is line the pockets of their supporters with money taken from the little guy.
But because of these perceived differences, however slight, voters will go to the wall to support the Fascists against the Commies, or vice-versa. After all, those have been their only choices for quite some time.
One day, a real option appears. Let's call them the Democrats. They believe in limited government and human rights. Leaving people alone. Ending Corporate Cronyism. Ending the wars. Releasing the Drug War POW's. Getting the Commie and Fascist boot off the neck of the voters. Etc, etc, etc.
I really do believe that people would continue to vote for either the Commies or the Fascists for no other reason than tribal loyalty and habit. Change really does hurt that much. Plus, it's terrifying.
More than likely, in 2012, the Democrat tribe will continue to vote for the guy who has quadrupled the number of drone strikes, gotten us into Pakistan and Libya, kept Gitmo open, imprisoned a record number of black guys for weed, and carefully maintained all of Bush's spying programs. The Republicans will vote for the Godfather Of ObamaCare, an active opponent of gun rights, who is Pro TSA, Pro bailout, and on and on and on.
Seriously. Did anyone even dare to dream that Obama would be this much like GW Bush? Does anyone ever look at how much the debt increased under "small government" presidents named Reagan and Bush?
And BTW, which president nominated John Roberts???
There. Is. No. Real. Difference.
You can change how you vote or you can watch us spiral closer and closer to the drain.
We've danced this dance before.
I'll grant that there is little difference between the two main political parties. (Although I will argue that there are a few differences that may, in fact, be meaningful - compare Paul Ryan's budget with obama's, for example. But that's a discussion for another day.)
But IMO it's a waste of resources to hype a third-party candidate that has no chance of winning, and very little chance of changing anyone's thinking. Instead, start at the grass roots and work up. Look at the Tea Party. Agree with them or not, but they are influencing national issues to a greater extent than the Libertarian party.
To borrow from the greenies, think globally but act locally.
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