Sep 04 2008
You have more than 2 choices, people…
Sarah Palin aside, I’ve heard people say that they will never vote for Obama, and don’t really like the idea of voting for McCain. I can certainly appreciate this sentiment. Both Obama and McCain are for larger government and more power for themselves. One could argue that this describes every politician, but we’d have to agree to disagree on that one, since I don’t think any of us can say that we know every politician, personally.
Ultimately, however, I would like to remind everyone that there are more choices than just the two that the major parties in this country give us. You’re not really making a choice between the Democrat and Republican offerings. You are making the choice between several candidates running for President.
Yes…I’ve heard the “arguments” against voting for a 3rd party candidate, and ultimately, they have no merit. Let’s look at some of them:
1. “We have a 2 party system, whether you like it or not. End of story.” - Well, my friend, you’ve just stated the obvious. Congratulations on that…really. No one can state the obvious as well as you can. Rhetoric aside, have you considered just how asinine that is? 60 years ago, you could have said “negroes just can’t integrate with white society, whether you like it or not. end of story.” 90 years ago, you could have said “women just can’t vote, whether you like it or not, end of story.” And 140 years ago, you could have said “negroes just can’t vote, whether you like it or not. End of story.” Do you get my point?
Yes…right now we have a 2 party system. But we ought to consider whether the two false choices we’re given every year are the way things SHOULD be. If not, how can we change it? That brings me to the next argument.
2. “You have to vote for the lesser of two evils.” - Well, I don’t really have to refute this. It’s simple. Since you have more than 2 choices, you DON’T have to vote for the lesser of two evils. What’s more, in this election, I’m not certain I could peg which would be the lesser of two evils given the choices of the two main parties. But the answer to this argument is similar to how I answer the next point.
3. “A 3rd Party candidate won’t win, so you’re throwing away your vote if you vote for them.” - This is a self-perpetuating problem, here. If you always convince yourself that you’re throwing away your vote, how can we ever enact real change? If you continue to vote for the lesser of two evils, you’re perpetuating the problem, here. How can we ever have a valid 3rd choice if people are convinced that they can only vote for the candidate who has a chance of winning? What’s more, how can ANY candidate have a chance of winning if no one is going to vote for him. CREATE the chances for your candidate of choice, people!!! The chances of a candidate are not independent of the people voting for him or her! You are a factor in a given candidate’s chances.
Don’t be a part of the problem. Not satisfied with the “choices” given us? Do something about it. Don’t bend to their will. They rule by your consent!
I’m voting for Bob Barr. He was a rank-and-file Republican at one time, and voted for some crap I don’t like. However, since then, he’s left the Republican party. Now, because of YOUR weenie voting, that has virtually guaranteed that he’ll never hold office again. it was not a politically expedient move if his goal were to gain more power for himself. That’s dedication to liberty. He has recanted of his former positions, and is willing to stake his entire political career on it. For those who don’t know, Bob Barr is the Libertarian candidate, and he stands for freedom….real freedom. Research his positions. Figure out your own mind, people. Don’t let the Democrats and Republicans tell you for whom you’re going to vote!
You have more than 2 choices. Exercise your power. Vote for liberty, and for a return to governance by the Consitution. Vote against abuse of power by the government. Vote for the Constitution’s limiting powers on said government. Let’s return to the intent of the Founders, as evidenced by our governing document, the Constitution of the United States of America.
Don’t be a part of the problem…be a part of the solution. Vote for the candidate that you feel would be the best candidate, and sleep at night knowing that you did your civic duty for your country.
does Ron Paul support barr?
Yes and no, Steve.
To begin, Ron Paul has not “officially” endorsed any candidate. When I switched to Bob Barr from Ron Paul, I simply examined the statements of each of the remaining non-McBama candidates and decided that Bob Barr stood for freedom more than Chuck Baldwin, who is the Constitution Party candidate. (The Constitution Party wants to “get back to the values on which this country was founded”, which means Christian values. Essentially, they’re wanting to make their brand of Christian values into law.)
However, Ron Paul has recently held a press conference where he urged America to vote third party. He stood on the stage with Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, and Chuck Baldwin, and urged America to vote for one of them. He mentioned the three of them by name. There’s a little bit of a tiff between him and Barr, because at the last minute, Barr decided it wasn’t worth it, and told Dr. Paul that he wouldn’t be attending. Barr reports that he was threatened, but no one will confirm or deny that. I am sure Dr. Paul didn’t threaten Barr, but couldn’t say the same for the rest of the Campaign for Liberty staff. (For the record, I think the main reason Barr didn’t want to go to this event was that it was scattering the votes, and not an endorsement of sorts, and that it included two well-known socialists and Constitution-haters, Nader and McKinney.)
I support Barr’s decision, and am quite sick of the people who think that Dr. Paul can do no wrong. I would have voted for him if I still could, but he’s not Jesus Christ….he made a mistake with his press conference, in my opinion, by essentially stating that a vote for Nader or McKinney was a vote for liberty. It’s not.
So, even though Ron Paul did not mention Bob Barr’s name, Bob Barr is running for a third party, and if Dr. Paul is recommending that we vote for a third party, then Barr fits the bill. In addition, the Libertarian party does not stand for forcing a single religion on everyone else. I like that, so I’m voting for Barr.