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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: September 10th, 2023

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  • You’re repeating yourself.

    Supporting third-party candidates isn’t about splitting the vote

    …but that’s the practical effect

    —it’s about pushing for the reforms necessary to break the two-party monopoly that limits our democracy

    …which you expect to happen, if Trump wins?

    And no, I’m not a “republican muppet” just because I am not voting for your candidate. If I wanted to vote republican, then I’d vote republican.

    I don’t think you want to vote Republican. I don’t think you want a Republican government. I think you consider it an acceptable alternative to sacrificing principles. And therein lies the issue.

    The question at the heart of it all - and try to answer just yes or no - is this:

    Do you think Trump is preferable to Harris?


  • That’s a yes then.

    The point is that this isn’t just about conscientious voting. There is a strategic element to it. That’s the unfortunate reality, and standing on principles alone won’t change it.

    Support efforts to abolish the FPTP system to replace it with something like RCV, where you could then in good conscience vote Green first and Dem second. Support efforts at proportional representation to have Green members in the Houses. Support anything thay breaks up the two-party monopoly so that voting for a candidate who truly represents your values no longer becomes a political gamble.

    But if you’re saying “I’d rather split the left-wing votes and risk a Trump victory than vote for Harris”, people will rightly call you a Republican muppet, because you’d essentially prefer Trump over Harris.




  • You were shown a simple demonstration of the Spoiler Effect, which may cause Republicans to win the race if a third party manages to draw votes away from Democrats.

    You’re still endorsing voting third party, saying you don’t care.

    You’re endorsing helping Republicans.

    What the other poster is implying isn’t that Republicans may vote Green. On the contrary, it’s that Democrats may vote Green and split their vote, while Republicans will stand united.

    At the end of the day, when the votes are counted, your ideology doesn’t matter. Why you voted the way you did doesn’t matter. What matters is who wins the election, and if you’re consciously proposing an election strategy that may aid the Republicans, you’re contributing to their chances of victory.

    And if you’re helping Republicans, don’t be surprised if people call you a Republican.