The case for a third-party vote

So far, each of the two major party candidates for president reflect the opposite sides of the culture war.  As an independent voter (I haven’t voted for the winner in a presidential contest in 24 years), my frustration with the major parties continues.  Our choice seems to be limited to the lesser of two evils.

 

I consider myself to be a right leaning moderate and would normally hold my nose and vote Republican.  But, if you believe as I do, that character matters, that leadership matters, that Trump’s failures during the pandemic and our racial strife are disqualifiers, it’s easy to declare yourself a never Trump-er.  On the other hand, I can’t say he hasn’t accomplished anything of value.  He has lowered taxes, reduced business regulation, confronted China, facilitated an historic peace agreement in the Middle East and begun to rebuild the military, all which appeal to this former Republican and much of which his opponent would reverse.   

 

Of course, anyone who believes all those achievements are positive developments would find it difficult to vote for a Democrat — any Democrat.  That difficulty is compounded by the casual way in which leading Democrats would toss our prosperity aside in pursuit of higher taxes, more mandates on businesses, expanded entitlements and government “investment” in green technology.  If you think Biden would govern as a moderate, check out the progressive wish list that forms his official platform.  

 

I am not alone in my view of the candidates.  Recently, the Gallup organization found that 37% of Americans think neither major party candidate would be a good president, the highest such percentage since the pollster started asking that question.  And, yet, an analysis by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics concludes in part, “[t]hird party candidates typically poll better than they perform.”  Perhaps that’s because many people believe, as one Democrat friend put it, a vote for a third-party candidate “is a vote for Trump.”  Or, perhaps it’s because disaffected voters who don’t live in swing states realize that no matter how we cast our ballots, our vote will go to the majority winner in our state – Biden here in deep blue New York.  So, we stay home. 

 

I vote third party because it helps me sleep at night to vote for something I believe in rather than the lesser of two evils.  So, on November 3^rd, I’ll cast my vote for the only woman running for president this year – Jo Jorgenson of the Libertarian Party (and for Kevin Wilson for Congress in NY-25).  If you think that’s a wasted vote, I would ask you to consider how the major parties would react if the 37% of us who disapprove of both Biden and Trump voted for someone else. 

 

WHO WILL LEAD?