[EBUCK]

Which is better than throwing your vote away on a candidate that will be elected but never support your values and principles how?

EBUCK

[Cincinatus]

All life is a compromise. I've never encountered any candidate who reflects all my "values" -- but I have found some that reflect most of what I believe in broad terms. The GOP tends to be on my side of things -- not always, but usually. Thus, I would rather vote for a candidare who is a member of a party that can form a governing majority than stand on "principle" and throw away my vote on a marginal candidate who belongs to a party that will never comprise more than a few percent of any elected body.

[GBA]

"Which is better than throwing your vote away on a candidate that will be elected but never support your values and principles how?"

Let's face the facts for just a second. Either the Democrats or the Republicans are going to win just about any House, Senate or Presidential race. Now...you are right that the neither those two parties' candidates is likely to fully support your or my values and principles, but which of the two MOST probable winning party candidates will come the closest?

In a tight race or one with national importance, I'd say it's better to get 60% to 70% of what I want, than 60% to 70% of what I don't want while having the moral superiority of voting libertarian. It's not a perfect world.