More than 15,000 people in Arizona have registered to join a new political party floating a possible bipartisan “unity ticket” against Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
While that’s less than the population of each of the state’s 40 largest cities, it’s still a number big enough to tip the presidential election in a critical swing state. And that is alarming people trying to stop Trump from winning the White House again.
The very existence of the No Labels group is fanning Democratic anxiety about Trump’s chances against an incumbent president facing questions about his age and record. While it hasn’t committed to running candidates for president and vice president, No Labels has already secured ballot access in Arizona and 10 other states. Its organizers say they are on track to reach 20 states by the end of this year and all 50 states by Election Day.
Ah, I remember when I thought voting third party would matter. Hey kids. Take it from someone who voted for Johnson in 2016. I get that voting strategically fucking sucks, and you want to make your voice heard, but it is not worth getting Donald Trump elected just to be part of the 3% that said “I don’t like either of these people.” With any luck, third parties won’t give the presidency to republicans next year, and one or two supreme court justices will die or retire in the next five years, allowing us to start repairing our rights. Because justices nominated by Biden will suck, but justices nominated by Trump (or God forbid, Desantis) will suck in the same ways and much, much worse.
Yes, exactly. Both of these things can be true at the same time:
Anyone who disregards point 2 because of point 1 thereby ends up materially supporting fascism. This is unfortunate but that doesn’t make it false.
“But I want to vote my principles!” Great! Is one of your principles “fascists should lose”? If so, then please make sure to take the steps that support that principle!
Currently in the US there are two parties that can credibly take the presidential election: the center-right party and the fascist party. This is unfortunate but that doesn’t make it false.
Vote third party in local elections. Elect a Socialist mayor or a Libertarian judge; a Green sheriff or a Communist dogcatcher. Build those local party networks. Support approval voting or other voting systems that actually make some mathematical sense. But please don’t let the fascists win because you’re pissed off at the voting system.
I’m sure third party voters aren’t turned off at all by people condescending them and calling them children.
I didn’t mean to call all third party voters kids, I was addressing people for whom '24 will be their first election. If it’s not your first election and you still haven’t figured out that third parties are a trap, I’m not even gonna try to convince you otherwise.
You mean a Republican who smokes weed? 🙄 If the libertarian party was your first choice, the GOP were your second, so by your own binary logic, that was a vote taken from Trump, not Hillary.
Nah, by the time November rolled around my choices were Johnson>Clinton>Trump
I was 18, not exactly the most politically intelligent kid
It seems that you and your responders have all forgotten what the electoral college is.
I remember when I bought into “voting third party throws away your vote.” Hey kids, take it from someone who grew up in a blue state. I get that thinking strategically fucking sucks, and you want to go with the herd, but it is not worth keeping the establishment party established just so you can be part of the 80% of people who say, “The actually good candidate wasn’t electable.” With any luck, solid states that show growing support for third parties will start applying the pressure that any incumbent party needs. Because the Supreme Court sucks not just because of Trump, but also because of Obama’s milquetoast policies before that, and another Justice’s refusal to retire when she knew the level of risk.
(Using your format limited my response, but the most important thing I’ve been learning lately is that voting is the token the government gives us so that our politics start and stop with the ballot. You can say “Why not vote and be politically active?” and I’d agree. But I’m concerned about how most people just forget to do anything after they vote.)
On the other hand, Trump might destroy America. Try to focus on the silver linings!
Yes it is
I guess if you’re conservative, the stacking of the supreme court was worth it. Our Nine Godkings will fuck up our rights for decades to come thanks to Trump.
I just don’t want to vote for two candidates and parties I don’t like. I’m voting the way everyone is supposed to.