Remember, You Have More Than Two Options

If you spend any time watching TV, surfing the Internet, or even checking your snail mail, you should be very aware that election time is right around the corner.  If you use these sources as your basis for research, it would be understandable for you to conclude there are only two choices... Democrats or Republicans... and it would be reasonable for you to conclude that both of these options suck.  I would like to take a moment to remind you there additional options.

While not every elected office may have third party candidates, a lot of them will, especially at the state and federal level.  Other parties include the Green Party, Libertarian, and independents, though others exist.  I strongly encourage you to do a bit of research before election day to see if there are other options.

Democrats and Republicans do a tremendous job of talking people out of voting for third party candidates.  They usually accomplish this goal by saying that voting for a third party is "wasting your vote," or claiming that you're a "spoiler" if you vote third party.  Saying that a vote that doesn't support a major party candidate is a spoiler or wasted vote is playing on the false choice fallacy.  The problem is that too many people buy into this lie, which paradoxically turns the lie into a truth... depending on your definition of wasted vote or spoiler.

I have a long history of casting my vote for third party candidates.  From my perspective, those who cry wasted vote and spoiler are failing to look at the larger picture.  As a voter, I have two concerns: 1) Does the candidate's platform align with my values?  2) Is the candidate qualified?  Notice that neither of these questions center of party or ability to win.

Let me use an analogy to make my point.  Let's say that I'm an employer looking for someone to fill an open position.  Why would I only accept applicants that graduated from an Ivy League school, (Yale, Harvard, etc.,)  when someone who attended an in-state university can do the job just as well?  Hopefully, you get that Ivy League in this analogy is Democrat/Republican and in-state university is the third party candidate.

Now, let's take a look at who owns the vote.  While the major parties seem to believe they're entitled, at the end of the day, it's my vote and my choice.  Republicans are chocolate cake.  Democrats are white cake.  (Maybe I should reverse that?!?)  Unfortunately for both parties, I like cheesecake.  Why should I settle for cake when cheesecake is an available choice?  I shouldn't!  I'd be settling.

I'd also like to note that every election offers the opportunity for a write-in.  In my opinion, this is the ultimate form of protest, and the ultimate exercise of free choice.  In this case, I am saying I don't want chocolate cake.  I don't want white cake.  I don't want cheesecake.  I want pie, and I'm going to drive to a different store to get it.  While you are virtually guaranteed to not get your way in the election, you are also saying that you refuse to compromise your vote... or conversely, that, while you agree to play the game, you are making a mockery of the generally accepted guidelines and exercise your right to protest by following the rules in a completely unexpected way.

Finally, I'd like to address staying home.  While I used to believe this is an unacceptable option, because every citizen has an obligation to participate in our representative government, I no longer believe that we have a moral duty to vote.  I say this because the establishment (IE the Democrats and Republicans) have broken the social contract.  Somewhere along the line, long before I became old enough to vote, the two major parties stopped putting forth the best candidates, instead choosing to advance people who toed the party line first and foremost, and who would perpetuate the power of the party.  If I don't like any of the teams playing in a football game, why should I go?

My point is this:  You have more than two choices.  Don't let the biggest kids on the block force you to play on their team because they suck least.  You can play on a smaller team, or you can keep your ball and stay home.