Posted on 11/01/2004 9:16:28 AM PST by SeasideSparrow
Dear third-party voter,
A tragedy is about to occur.
I am not talking about the tragedy, the unthinkable calamity that will befall America should John Kerry be elected president of the United States. That a person with a history of actual treason should become commander in chief of America's armed forces during wartime is more bizarre and terrifying than any "Manchurian Candidate" scenario Hollywood could concoct.
No, I'm referring to a different tragedy. The tragedy that idealistic, patriotic, constitutionally minded Christian Americans very possibly will be the ones that actually turn over this nation to Kerry – a man who opposes, and is intent on destroying, every one of their most cherished values.
How could this be?
By most accounts, the presidential race is a dead heat. The fact is, several swing states in the 2000 election were settled by just a few thousand votes. This time around the race looks every bit as close – so every single vote counts.
My friends, the hour is late and the stakes high, so let me just say it straight:
A vote for Michael Peroutka of the Constitution Party, or for the Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik – regardless of whatever personal virtues they possess, or those of their party's platform – amounts to a vote for Kerry. After all the high-sounding words have been spoken in justification of voting for either one, this is the undeniable fact that remains. It's the most basic mathematics possible, so I won't insult anyone by explaining it.
Furthermore, the "lesser of two evils" argument that I've heard 1,000 times – usually stated as "voting for the lesser of two evils is still evil" – is shallow and unworthy of those good folks who hold the Constitution and Judeo-Christian heritage so dear. This view, with its emphasis on personally choosing not to support any evil whatsoever, is held largely by religious people, mostly Christians.
But every Christian also knows he or she is a sinner – in a word, evil. Not totally evil, of course, but every human being – including you, me, Bush, Kerry, Peroutka, Badnarik and everyone else – has got a problem with evil. It's only the degree that is different from person to person.
If Bush is truly "the lesser of two evils" – which, put another way, means he is the greater good – then it's indefensible to vote for anyone else than Bush, since that would unquestionably help Kerry – the greater evil.
Let me restate this: If the object of your vote is to avoid supporting evil – and yet by your vote you end of electing the worst possible choice as president when you had it easily within your power to choose a better man – then you have indeed supported evil.
One of the many people who responded to my column on "Voting your conscience" informed me that by voting for Bush instead of Peroutka, I was operating from fear and not faith. We should just vote our consciences, he said (in this case, he was suggesting a vote for the Constitution Party candidate), and leave the outcome to God.
This is a mis-applied principle. Yes, we're meant to live righteously and not be overly concerned with the result. That means we're meant to speak the truth even if it makes us unpopular. We're meant to do the right thing, even if we lose a seeming advantage, even if it hurts, even if we lose our job. This is living from faith and leaving the outcome to God.
But when we have a clear choice between a better option and a worse option, and millions of lives will be affected by our choice, God doesn't require that we do the impossible and make a third option win out. Getting Peroutka or Badnarik elected president is impossible.
What God does hold us responsible for is to do the right thing, to act with wisdom. If America can have a safer nation with a more decent president – or be more endangered with an unprincipled, ambitious sociopath as president – and if we, you and I, are the ones who choose that president tomorrow, then we have a responsibility to choose the better man.
Not to do so will be a tragedy we will remember for the rest of our lives.
This is not an ordinary election. We are at war. That's not a metaphor, as Kerry's campaign says, but rather a real war. Millions of lives are at stake. America's security is at stake. The Supreme Court, America's sovereignty as an independent nation, the lives of the unborn, the sanctity of marriage, freedom of the press – all are at stake in this election.
As we reported in our special "REVOLT ON THE RIGHT" edition of Whistleblower magazine, there have been many times in American history when a robust third-party bid for the presidency has had a powerful and meaningful effect on the course of the nation. But tomorrow is not one of those times. Tomorrow is a time for good people to come together to stop a major evil from descending on this country.
In the last few days, Patrick Buchanan, who ran against Bush four years ago on a third-party ticket, urged Americans to vote this time for Bush. Why?
Likewise, WND's founder and CEO Joseph Farah – who did not support Bush in 2000, who has said for years he would be unable to support Bush in 2004, and who has been very favorable toward third parties – recently changed his mind and endorsed Bush over Kerry. Why?
Even Dr. John Hospers, America's first Libertarian Party presidential candidate, has urged Libertarians not to vote for their own party's candidate, but rather to vote for Bush. Why?
I'll tell you why. Because they realize what is truly at stake in this election. Do you?
Sincerely,
David Kupelian
Ohhhh - great idea! A FR Enemies List!
It'll come in handy later, during your Purge.
If I had the power to purge, FR wouldn't be as slow as it is today.
The most amusing part is after the election, when those same folks will scream, "The other guy would have been worse". C'mon. Get something positive to say about what your candidate will do or STFU. All you are doing is blowing smoke.
BS. If Bush loses, it'll be because he threw away his presidency on a failed gamble that was never worth the risk.
I'd rather be in a clown suit frolicking in the woods than to be demanding respect while on my knees servicing my 'man'.
Voting for a third party might make you feel good but it does NOTHING to change anything.
So, in 1992, GHW Bush lost the election because he failed to convince a majority of voters that he was the best man for the job?
Congratulations! You're one of the few Republicans who believe that Perot did NOT cause Bush to lose.
Just a question. After the election, when Bush wins (because I believe he will), will we be allowed to criticize anything or will we be told, "Kerry would have been worse"? Will we see total Bush supporters willing to admit that government has not shrunk at all? That things are not going as well as hoped? Or will there be more of the same shit about not bitching about Bush?
Amen. The GOP needs a wake up call. Ross Perot served as a warning signal in 92 but the RINO's didn't take it to heart. Instead they keep moving to the left.
The RNC has created the same problem the Democraps have had for years. A battle between the extremists and the centrists. But for the survival of our country, the centrists cannot continue to win.
So, what direction has the country moved since the Republicans took control of everything? Let's see:
- Is the government bigger or smaller?
- Is government spending bigger or smaller?
- Is the deficit bigger or smaller?
- Is the debt bigger or smaller?
- Education Dept. gone, as promised?
- Energy Dept. gone, as promised?
- Commerce Dept. gone, as promised?
- NEA gone, as promised?
- Out of Bosnia yet?
Want more?
The Republicans begged and pleaded for conservatives to ignore third parties, vote for them to get change, and give them a chance.
What have they done with that chance to run everything? Why would we want more of what they've done? They're so corrupted now that they don't even both talking about reforming government anymore.
Nobody here thinks things are going as good as they could be.
And nobody's been able to stop you all from criticizing him for the past five years; why would it stop now?
Unless, of course, you expect to be able to rant about Bush unchallenged; is that what you want? You want to be able to criticize him without anybody defending him?
"Again, if more people voted their comscience instead of being scared by scaremongers saying, (paraphrasing) "If you don't vote for who I want you to vote for it will be your fault if the person who I don't want to win does win and screws our country royally.", maybe we wouldn't have to cast a vote for the, "lesser of two evils"."
Your thought processes on this issue resemble nothing so much as the way hard left folks think. (Capitalism/globalism is evil and so I will always be against it even when it is engaged in battle against totalitarian or islamo-fascist regimes. I refuse to act responsibly bcse the world is not the way I wish it would be.) It's an infantile emotional temper tantrum disguised as political principle.
The smart conservatives assess the reality of the situation today and act strategically. Their decisions are not guided by some utopian mental construct where no one ever needs to make hard decisions.
Go ahead. Vote your lofty conscience, Just remember that the next president will appoint possibly 3 supreme court justices, locking in the direction in which this country travels for the next quarter century, If it's Kerry, your dream of a world where no one has to vote for the lesser of two evils will be deader than Hilary Clinton's eyes.
Why is that unfortunate?
I'm starting to come to the conclusion that it'll be much easier to force Kerry to fight terrorism than to force Bush to reform Big Stupid Government.
There will be a fight for the GOP either way, that much is assured. There are plenty of real conservatives who are sick and tired of the neocon RINO behavior of the GOP and they will be held accountable for this. Just so you all know, Bush plans to push the FTAA agreement through after re-election when you are all still drunk on his win. If that passes, our "fight to seal the borders" is OVER. There will be no more borders.
What to get rid of the terrorisism threat???
The dye is cast...if you're working to effectively get John Kerry elected, then *YOU* are the enemy...
BUMP
Jumping in and running for the top seat will not succeed. I f the third party wins, they will not have anybody to work with in Congress. (Look at what happened in Minnesota with Jesse Ventura as Governor.) Shutting out both of the big parties guarantees that they will always be a minority party.
Tired old fear tactic, pulled out every election by the Demopublicans to scare Americans into voting for the status quo. Ain't a dime's worth of differnce between these two Yale school statists.
Nov. 3rd, or the day after whatever day we know Bush is elected, but not until then. A lot of people's eyes have been opened and I have to believe the ranks of RINOs and CINOs are much less than they were.
It's Extreme Conservativism ONLY that can move this country back to viability long term, and more and more people are seeing what we are up against - World Communism Conspiracy, involving: Big Media, Hollywood, the UN, the DNC, "Moderate" "Republicans" like Chuck Hagel, Europe, etc...
Fantasyville people and elitist GOP power-trippers need to grow up and if it's never too late...or is it?
Then change the party, for crying out loud! You're not going to effect ANY positive political change by voting for a third party---in fact, in this election there's a fair chance you'll effect NEGATIVE political change. How in the heck does THAT serve your cause?
"Well, hey, changing the party is hard work, and would take a long time. We don't have that kind of time." Who would you be kidding if you said that? You're supporting a party with single-digit support. Third-party influence isn't going to work any faster than internal party struggles.
Sorry Hank, this is a tug-of-war. The rope has only two ends, and you've gotta choose a side and PULL. If you think the rope's going the wrong direction, you've gotta pull harder. You're just pulling sideways instead.
I'll tell you what, I for one would LOVE to see the Green party up at 10% or so. That would be GREAT for the Republicans.
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