#wasting votes on third parties

[tomorrowusa]

Joy Reid, a liberal constitutionalist, finds agreement with Robert Kagan, a conservative constitutionalist, on the danger of another Trump term.

Casting an idiotic "protest vote" for an impotent third party could put the country in the hands of Mein Trumpf.

[vintageseawitch]

a reminder that Russia is a huge problem still. they want trump back in charge. Michael Flynn was found guilty about his contacts in Russia & trump pardoned him.

jill stein is not a savior. she's a putin puppet. she has never attempted to get any position in local or state level. she's there to incite discord & division especially in key swing states. she's only there to make you feel good about yourselves meanwhile she gets money from Lockheed Martin. wtf.

then this horseshit? look at the nonsense in Georgia, Arizona, & other counties in swing states. they're obvious pro trump shenanigans. it's the GOP who are willing to cheat & will do so publicly & proudly. she's fucking lying here.

look, there are many who support freeing Palestine. it's understandable to want to speak up & hope for change. but to those who aren't voting at all, telling everyone who is truly vulnerable in THIS country that they can fuck off & that they're pro-genocide for preferring to have Kamala Harris as president, you're actually awful. truly. this little tweet collection from stein is a load of bullshit. why aren't you angry about this set of lies? are you gonna use this as some kind of messed up "proof" that you claiming both parties are the same, especially in this election, is true?

you solve nothing by wasting your votes on someone like this who is also a traitor. Project 2025 will make this place hell for everyone, including you, holier-than-thou protestors. mass deportations. no reproductive rights at all. no contraception. no Medicare or social security. NOAA will be disbanded because climate change "isn't real" (are you just as angry about this??? well why the fuck not????). anyone trump doesn't like will be sent to prison or deported like a good dictator would.

you say you don't want trump in office. well, voting for stein will help him get there. but hey, at least your conscience will be clear.

[thatdemiboymess]

My mom called me when she found out about the Trump assassination attempt and before hanging up the call she asked me to just...please be more careful. Proposed that maybe I should chill out with the pride pins and all, considering the political environment at the moment, just with how things are, ya know? But I can't. Not now. Shit is so fucked.

[intelligentchristianlady]

Food for Thought

You don't like trump, but you don't like Harris either. Or you just can't vote for a Democrat. Or you don't like her position on A, B, or C.

It is a fact that either he or she will win the election.

Voting for, or writing in the name of, a third-party candidate may make you feel righteous and superior, but think about which of the two you would rather see in charge of the nuclear codes. Because one of them will be.

Vote for that one.

[nyano64]

Just a reminder that a vote for no one is a vote for the opposition

[aquariumgirls]

god i do not know what to do when november inevitably comes around. i am going to HAVE to vote. my parents will nake me, but i don't want to vote for trump OR biden. jesus

[gargalesisandchins]

no offense but i will kill anyone who votes third party in this election with my bare hands!!!

[transboysokka]

Holy shit every time I see video of Joe Biden I get so concerned, like that man looks confused even walking into a room??

Nothing to be ashamed of, people age, but propping this guy up as president for four more years as he gets even older? Fuck

[hypernixation]

saying this as a guy who will be voting for the first time in november . does voting for a third party candidate actually help anything or is it a lost cause

[ivygorgon]

AN OPEN LETTER to THE PRESIDENT & U.S. CONGRESS; STATE GOVERNORS & LEGISLATURES

Implement Ranked-Choice Voting & Election Reforms For Vote Integrity

3 so far! Help us get to 5 signers!

I am writing to urge your immediate action on introducing and passing ranked-choice voting (RCV) and other vital election reforms at both the federal and state levels. As a concerned constituent and advocate for democratic principles, I believe that these reforms are essential to improving our electoral processes and ensuring fair and representative governance.

Ranked-choice voting has proven effective in promoting democratic outcomes by enabling voters to express their preferences more fully and ensuring that elected candidates enjoy broad support from the electorate. RCV mitigates wasted votes, reduces the spoiler effect, and fosters more inclusive and issue-focused campaigns.

In addition to advocating for ranked-choice voting, I strongly support comprehensive election reforms, including campaign finance reform, gerrymandering reform, and initiatives to enhance voter access and participation. These reforms are critical to strengthening our democracy and restoring trust in our electoral system.

The implementation of Ranked-Choice Voting is a crucial step towards enhancing our democratic process. RCV, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, ensures that elected officials have majority support, eliminates the spoiler effect, and encourages positive campaigning. This system is already in use in several U.S. cities and countries like Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. Alaska recently became the second state to adopt RCV for statewide offices, following Maine's lead. It is time to consider this reform at both federal and state levels to ensure our electoral systems reflect the diversity of our nation and empower all voices. Therefore, I urge you to introduce and support legislation that promotes RCV and other election reforms.

We must recognize that Americans are more than a two-party system. Let's take meaningful steps to ensure our electoral systems reflect the diversity of our nation and empower all voices.

Thank you for considering my perspective and taking decisive action to improve our electoral processes. I stand ready to support your efforts in advancing these important reforms.

📱 Text SIGN PMZPRT to 50409

🤯 Liked it? Text FOLLOW IVYPETITIONS to 50409

[tomorrowusa]

By voting for some impotent third party which has no chance of getting elected, you're telling the world that you're politically illiterate and would rather cast a vanity ballot than stop fascism in the United States.

People who claim to "vote their conscience" but do stuff to help elect Trump will end up with bad consciences. Voting for RFK Jr./Stein/West does nothing to deter fascism.

If just 539 Floridians who voted for Ralph Nader in 2000 had instead voted for Al Gore, we might have been spared two wars (one totally unnecessary, one probably avoidable), have prevented the Great Recession, not had TWO rounds of tax breaks for the filthy rich, and not suffered Samuel Alito and John Roberts being appointed to the US Supreme Court. Donald Trump has helped Americans forget what a horribly incompetent and anti-progressive president George W. Bush was. We have deluded people from 2000 to thank for Bush.

[vintageseawitch]

to those who are either protest voting (as in, not voting at all) or voting third party: i understand protesting & speaking out against the president. yes, absolutely they need to held accountable. that said... are you also protesting members of the Senate & the House? for being as knowledgeable as you claim you seem to think the president & the vp are monarchs & make all decisions themselves. please know that it is Congress who decides to go to war or not, etc.

are you voting locally? are you making sure these same ghouls who don't give a shit about what's happening to Palestinians & wants Israel to succeed don't get into office? or are you saying that your vote doesn't matter & you just choose not to? why are you surprised then that these pieces of shit are voted in if you continue to allow older generations to choose your representation for you?

genocide is evil. it's something everyone should be against, absolutely. but if your only solution is to vote only during federal elections (jill stein is a putin puppet & tbh it's weird that the problem that is Russia isn't more of an issue still. she doesn't get involved except during presidential elections & idk why that isn't sus to you) & to cause discord & division during an election that really isn't normal, it doesn't really feel like it's for change. it feels like the kind of change that you want needs to happen yesterday & fuck everyone else in this country.

you want things to be better? start by caring about what happens locally. younger voters are notorious about not voting in local elections. i don't want to victim blame but voting actually works & if you decide to not let your voice be heard then that's your choice but don't be surprised when people become pissed at your whining when you didn't show.

is there any outrage aimed at Congressmen? it's hard to tell since Palestine & protestor's anti-biden stance are the loudest about it but it just tells me you don't actually know how this government works & you need to make your local politicians held responsible, too. change starts at the local level. if you're not there then your voice just won't be heard.

Project 2025 is real, too. if you claim people voting for Harris in order to protect themselves & their loved ones are "pro-genocide" for it then don't be surprised they don't take you seriously. frankly it's vile to claim that stance. there's so much nuance here. it's complicated. i understand your anger but in the end stein has no real chance to get into office & it will be between Harris & trump. you will be governed by one of them whether you like it or not. trump promised Netanyahu anything & Harris has shown she is willing to listen. what will you choose? ignoring it won't make it better for you or anyone who isn't white, xtian, straight, cis men. just think about it for a bit.

anyways NEVER STOP TALKING ABOUT PROJECT 2025/AGENDA 47. please check your voter registration status often. talk to any friends, family, acquaintances, etc who are even THINKING about voting for Harris/Walz. it doesn't matter what party you're normally affiliated with; every voice matters in this fight for our democracy. vote early of you can or take PTO/call out sick if you can, just MAKE SURE YOU VOTE. good luck & stay safe, esp everyone in red & red/swing states 💙

[scientia-rex]

When I was in ninth grade I wanted to challenge what I saw as a very stupid dress code policy (not being allowed to wear spikes regardless of the size or sharpness of the spikes). My dad said to me, “What is your objective?”

He said it over and over. I contemplated that. I wanted to change an unfair dress code. What did I stand to gain? What did I stand to lose? If what I really wanted was to change the dress code, what would be my most effective potential approach? (He also gave me Discourses on the Fall of Rome by Titus Livius, Machiavelli’s magnum opus. Of course he’d already given me The Prince, Five Rings, and The Art of War.)

I ultimately printed out that phrase, coated it in Mod Podge, and clipped it to my bathroom mirror so I would look at it and think about it every day.

What is your objective?

Forget about how you feel. Ask yourself, what do you want to see happen? And then ask, how can you make it happen? Who needs to agree with you? Who has the power to implement this change? What are the points where you have leverage over them? If you use that leverage now, will you impair your ability to use it in the future? Getting what you want is about effectiveness. It is not about being an alpha or a sigma or whatever other bullshit the men’s right whiners are on about now. You won’t find any MRA talking points in Musashi, because they are not relevant.

I had no clear leverage on the dress code issue. My parents were not on the PTA; neither were any of my friend’s parents who liked me. The teachers did not care about this. Ultimately I just wore what I wanted, my patent leather collar from Hot Topic with large but flattened spikes, and I had guessed correctly—the teachers also did not care enough to discipline me.

I often see people on tumblr, mostly the very young, flail around in discourse. They don’t have an objective. They don’t know what they want to achieve, and they have never thought about strategizing and interpersonal effectiveness. No one can get everything they want by being an asshole. You must be able to work with other people, and that includes smiling when you hate them.

Read Machiavelli. Start with The Prince, but then move on to Discourses. Read Musashi’s Five Rings. Read The Art of War. They’re classics for a reason. They can’t cover all situations, but they can do more for how you think about strategizing than anything you’re getting in middle school and high school curricula.

Don’t vote third party unless you can tell me not only what your objective is but also why this action stands a meaningful chance of accomplishing it. Otherwise, back up and approach your strategy from a new angle. I don’t care how angry you are with Biden right now. He knows about it, and he is both trying to do something and not doing enough. I care about what will happen to millions of people if we have another Trump presidency. Look up Ross Perot, and learn from our past. Find your objective. If it is to stop the genocide in Palestine now, call your elected representatives now. They don’t care about emails; they care about phone calls, because they live in the past. I know this because I shadowed a lobbyist, because knowing how power works is critical to using it.

How do you think I have gotten two clinics to start including gender care in their planning?

Start small. Chip away. Keep working. Find your leverage; figure out how and when to effectively use it. Choose your battles, so that you can concentrate on the battle at hand instead of wasting your resources in many directions. Learn from the accumulated wisdom of people who spent their lives learning by doing, by making mistakes, by watching the mistakes of their enemies.

Don’t be a dickhead. Be smarter than I was at 14. Ask yourself: what is your objective?

[platosredhairedstepchild]

Trump winning the Whitehouse won't effect me much. For people who are non-white, LGBTQ, immigrant, non-Christian, woman under 50 years, etc it will probably be a death sentence. This election year is just like 2015/2016 where Millennials smirked, rolled their eyes and blew off voting for Hillary Clinton. Older women & other older lefties tried to warn them that Roe V Wade would be overturned, that all kinds of civil rights would be lost, and corruption & fascism would flourish.....none of them paid any attention to us. Instead they got distracted by emails and pizzagate and other bullshit. Same shit's happening now. You think "oh, I won't vote for Biden because of Gaza" like Trump, the dude who formally recognized Jerusalem (which was disputed as Palestinian territory) as the capital of Israel and stated that the American embassy would be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem really gives fuck all about Palestinians. For those of you lured in by write-in candidates & 3rd party candidates, I leave you this video of Dr Jill Stein (Green Party) in Moscow with a bunch of GOP / Trump supporters. Nothing suspicious there.

[calmyourstorms]

can't help but feel this would be perfect time for a normal average joe third party candidate to pop up