A WASTED VOTE?

[pirateron]

An interesting read: I especially like the last paragraph.


A Wasted Vote
by Chuck Baldwin
October 10, 2008


When asked why they will not vote for a third party candidate, many people will respond by saying something like, "He cannot win." Or, "I don't want to waste my vote." It is true: America has not elected a third party candidate since 1860. Does that automatically mean, however, that every vote cast for one of the two major party candidates is not a wasted vote? I don't think so.

In the first place, a wasted vote is a vote for someone you know does not represent your own beliefs and principles. A wasted vote is a vote for someone you know will not lead the country in the way it should go. A wasted vote is a vote for the "lesser of two evils." Or, in the case of John McCain and Barack Obama, what we have is a choice between the "evil of two lessers."

Albert Einstein is credited with saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result. For years now, Republicans and Democrats have been leading the country in the same basic direction: toward bigger and bigger government; more and more socialism, globalism, corporatism, and foreign interventionism; and the dismantling of constitutional liberties. Yet, voters continue to think that they are voting for "change" when they vote for a Republican or Democrat. This is truly insane!

Take a look at the recent $700 billion Wall Street bailout: both John McCain and Barack Obama endorsed and lobbied for it. Both McCain and Obama will continue to bail out these international banksters on the backs of the American taxpayers. Both McCain and Obama support giving illegal aliens amnesty and a path to citizenship. In the debate this past Tuesday night, both McCain and Obama expressed support for sending U.S. forces around the world for "peacekeeping" purposes. They also expressed support for sending combat forces against foreign countries even if those countries do not pose a threat to the United States. Neither Obama nor McCain will do anything to stem the tide of a burgeoning police state or a mushrooming New World Order. Both Obama and McCain support NAFTA and similar "free trade" deals. Neither candidate will do anything to rid America of the Federal Reserve, or work to eliminate the personal income tax, or disband the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Both Obama and McCain support the United Nations. So, pray tell, how is a vote for either McCain or Obama not a wasted vote?

But, back to the "he cannot win" argument: to vote for John McCain is to vote for a man who cannot win. Yes, I am saying it here and now: John McCain cannot win this election. The handwriting is on the wall. The Fat Lady is singing. It is all over. Finished. John McCain cannot win.

With only three weeks before the election, Barack Obama is pulling away. McCain has already pulled his campaign out of Michigan. In other key battleground states, McCain is slipping fast. He was ahead in Missouri; now it is a toss-up or leaning to Obama. A couple of weeks ago, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida were all leaning towards McCain, or at least toss-up states. Now, they are all leaning to Obama. Even the longtime GOP bellwether state of Indiana is moving toward Obama. In addition, new voter registrations are at an all-time high, and few of them are registering as Republicans. In fact, the Republican Party now claims only around 25% of the electorate, and Independents are increasingly leaning toward Obama.

Ladies and gentlemen, Barack Obama is headed for an electoral landslide victory over John McCain. John McCain can no more beat Barack Obama than Bob Dole could beat Bill Clinton.

I ask, therefore, Are not conservatives and Christians who vote for John McCain guilty of the same thing that they accuse people who vote for third party candidates of doing? Are they not voting for someone who cannot win? Indeed, they are. In fact, conservatives and Christians who vote for John McCain are not only voting for a man who cannot win, they are voting for a man who does not share their own beliefs and principles. If this is not insanity, nothing is!

So, why not (for once in your life, perhaps) cast a vote purely for principle! Vote for someone who is truly pro-life. Someone who would quickly secure our nation's borders, and end the invasion of our country by illegal aliens. Someone who would, on his first day in office, release Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean and fire U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton. Someone who would immediately, upon assuming office, begin leading the charge to dismantle the Federal Reserve, overturn the 16th Amendment, expunge the IRS, and return America to sound money principles. Someone who would get the US out of the UN. Someone who would stop spending billions and trillions of dollars for foreign aid. Someone who would prosecute the Wall Street bankers who defrauded the American people out of billions of dollars. Someone who would work to repeal NAFTA, CAFTA, GATT, the WTO, and stop the NAFTA superhighway. Someone who would say a resounding "No" to the New World Order. Someone who would stop using our brave men and women in uniform as global cops for the United Nations. Someone who would stop America's global adventurism and interventionism. Someone who would steadfastly support and defend the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

"Who is this person?" you ask. Go here to find out:

http://baldwin08.com/

As John Quincy Adams said, "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."

[stinkymcdoober]

I panicked towards the end when i thought it was going to turn into an Obama article. Personally I've never heard ofthis Baldwin guy, looks interesting though.

I do find it hilarious that we do vote for the lesser of two evils because we feel a 3rd party vote wouldn't do anything. But what if all that thought that did actually vote 3rd party?

Oh well, great article :-)

[Morel42]

I actually voted for Ross Perot.. It was voting for a keebler elf.. but damn the dude made sense about money..

Of course everything else was a bit.. er.. goofy.. lol

[Exbiker]

Sounds wonderful in theory but as a practical matter it`s BS. If the election was a certain landslide it would be one thing but it`s so close that third party votes could cost the GOP the election then we are faced with Satan as president.

Plus the article was written by somebody that has a dog in the fight.

[er2006]

What exbiker said. Voting for a candidate who can not win isawaste. I am a Libertarian, and I vote Republican since they are usually closer than the Democrats on the issues I like.

Ed

[sluggie24]

What exbiker said. Voting for a candidate who can not win isawaste. Ed

That is the attitude that got this country into this problem in the first place!

[Exbiker]

That is the attitude that got this country into this problem in the first place!

No that attitude is realistic. If you waste your vote and Obama is elected you will be taking three giant steps back. Now just to get back to what you were willing to give up will be a monumental feat,
The change will NOT come from the national level anyway. If you really want the change that you claim to be taking a stand for by throwing away your vote then be involved at the local level. That`s where the ground swell starts.
Third party voters in a presidential elections are a joke and only get any consideration in close elections.

PS: Other then throwing your vote away now how involved are you in local politics? How many city council meetings have you attended? How many meetings of the local Libertarian Party of other political parties have you attended? I thought so.

[Ozone]

I NEVER saw or heard anyone put Republican and Socialism in the same sentence before...odd!

[sluggie24]

No that attitude is realistic. If you waste your vote and Obama is elected you will be taking three giant steps back. Now just to get back to what you were willing to give up will be a monumental feat,
The change will NOT come from the national level anyway. If you really want the change that you claim to be taking a stand for by throwing away your vote then be involved at the local level. That`s where the ground swell starts.
Third party voters in a presidential elections are a joke and only get any consideration in close elections.

PS: Other then throwing your vote away now how involved are you in local politics? How many city council meetings have you attended? How many meetings of the local Libertarian Party of other political parties have you attended? I thought so.

Boy you are on a high horse aren't you. Your better than thou attitude is not helpful to anyone. Your attitude on voting "for the guy that you think has a chance" rather than voting for the best person for the job IS what turned this country into the mess it is becomming. I guess I have people just like you to thank for that.

Job well done.

My REALISTIC attitude is that people like you will continue to participate in group think ideals like this one and further usher this county's drop from first world status.

[pirateron]

Sounds wonderful in theory but as a practical matter it`s BS. If the election was a certain landslide it would be one thing but it`s so close that third party votes could cost the GOP the election then we are faced with Satan as president.

Plus the article was written by somebody that has a dog in the fight.

Actually it was written by THE Dog in the fight. Anyway, spoken like a true Republican, or Democrat, whatever, since they are interchangable. "Don't vote for a third party because then our candidate might lose." If your candidate had anything in common with my beliefs, he'd get my vote. I am sick of voting for the "Lesser of two evils" and I REFUSE to vote along any "Party" lines.

What exbiker said. Voting for a candidate who can not win isawaste. I am a Libertarian, and I vote Republican since they are usually closer than the Democrats on the issues I like.

Ed

So, in reality, my friend, you are a Rebuplican. It might be "en vogue" to say you are a "Libertarian", but if you vote Republican, then you ARE Republican. If you TRUELY believe in the Libertarian agenda, then you would VOTE libertarian.

No that attitude is realistic. If you waste your vote and Obama is elected you will be taking three giant steps back. Now just to get back to what you were willing to give up will be a monumental feat,
The change will NOT come from the national level anyway. If you really want the change that you claim to be taking a stand for by throwing away your vote then be involved at the local level. That`s where the ground swell starts.
Third party voters in a presidential elections are a joke and only get any consideration in close elections.

PS: Other then throwing your vote away now how involved are you in local politics? How many city council meetings have you attended? How many meetings of the local Libertarian Party of other political parties have you attended? I thought so.

So, if the change will not come at the National level, Why vote for your major party candidate? Why not send a message that if this third party can get XX percent of the vote nationally, imagine what he can get locally. The ground swell can start natioanlly, most sheeple don't even know there are other parties out there 'cause all the media covers is Democrat/Republican. If the sheeple hear about another party with a strong showing in a Presidential race, it might make a difference.

On another note, not sure who the "PS" was directed at, but I have attended my town council meetings, I even threw my hat in to become a member of the council. Didn't work, too many Republicans/Democrats (Republicrats) voting along party lines.