Editorial: Don't throw away your vote by going with McCain or Obama

Charleston City Paper, Charleston, South Carolina ^ | 2008-10-22 | Jack Hunter

[rabscuttle385]

I have many Republican friends who are disgusted that I'm voting third party this election year. They believe stopping Barack Obama from becoming president outweighs all else. Meanwhile, I have many Democrat friends who are equally disgusted; for them, seeing John McCain defeated is more important than who wins. They are all wasting their votes.

Imagine a reckless teenager who constantly runs up his parents' credit cards, smashes the family car every Friday night, is failing in school, and has serious drinking and drug problems. Now imagine that no matter how reckless and dangerous that teenager became, his parents believed his behavior was worth tolerating simply because he was "their" kid. No reasonable person would consider this good parenting.

And yet this is exactly how otherwise reasonable people vote.

No matter how bad the Republican or Democrat nominee for president is, the party faithful support their own without fail. The message to politicians? They may lie, ignore their party's platform, and betray every supposed principle, but they will never be held accountable by most voters. Like the reckless teenager, there is simply no reason for them to stop their irresponsible behavior.

The greatest power the people have is their vote, and in supporting the lesser of two evils each election, voters ensure eternal evil.

[pollywog]

President Obama!!!’’

Iraq PULLOUT
Iran compromise
NO saluting flag
Higher Taxes
Death by abortion !!
Gay Marriage
and more importantly
A PERMANENT LIBERAL SUPREME COURT!!!

CONGRATULATIONS SIR...You have just voted in the worst President in our American History that may NEVER BE UNDONE!!!

IRREPAIRABLE DAMAGE!!!!!!

[Ron H.]

Both of the candidates are against our cause.

LOL. Spot on funny, but true none the less.

[pollywog]

Both of the candidates are against our cause.

One difference!!

One Candidate if elected, and he WILL BE if you vote for CB, WILL DESTROY the CAUSE forever!! can we say Supreme Court......... YOu are a FOOL to vote third party this year. Vote McCain and THEN WILL WILL COME AROUND and CREATE a THIRD PARTY next time around...if you don't get this one right, there will NEVER BE ANOTHER ROUND!! MARK MY WORD!!!!! CAN WE SAY " CUBA"??????

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

“I just can’t find any rationale to vote for McCain—and no one has yet offered me a compelling reason.”

For what it is worth to you, I am not happy about voting for McCain either. I am voting for the Republican ticket because of Sarah Palin. What I have seen and heard of her impresses me. I think she does have the potential to be a President in the mold of Ronald Reagan (or maybe even in class of her own). I may be wrong about that, but I am willing to put up with McCain to give her a shot at it.

[calcowgirl]

You won't get to Colorado by not going to New York.

Classic!

[Tax-chick]

I expect other people to be respectful about my decision to vote a certain way, and I believe I have to do the same for them. If a voter genuinely believes Mr. Baldwin (who was not on my ballot) or Mr. Barr (who was) is the best choice for President, then that’s how he should vote.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

The last two elections I had to do heavy searches to find out how the third party candidates did. If it wasn't for FR I probably wouldn't have cared at all.

Third party voters believe

bug > windshield

[rabscuttle385]

As long as the voter is scared and frightened into voting for the lesser evil candidate of their choice they will never get a decent, honest nor trustworthy candidate for any office that uses scare tactics to get you to vote for them and their cronies.

It's sad. The majority of conservatives, judging by what I see here on FR, believe that in order to save the Republic, they must surrender it to the very evil that they claim to be protecting it against. Driven by fear, they have given up reason for emotions, and as such, they have fallen into the trap set, not necessarily by the leftist Democrats, but by a power-hungry establishment that cares not a whit for their families or their future...and will willingly sell them down the river if it benefits the establishment.

The establishment of both parties will get exactly what it wants: more control and the continuance of the march towards utterly discrediting (in the public eye) the Constitution.

Voters get exactly what they deserve with the crooked morons they keep enabling every election cycle.

Yup. So true.

[Ron H.]

Bless you.

[pollywog]

What a complete list , Jim!!
I also came down hard on McCain during the primaries, but in the end we must take a tall look at what a “ protest vote” will do...

In this case....a vote for a third party will be the death of the Republic!!!
I signed up for the Constitution Party during the primaries. I was so angry at the Republican party for watering down and going with McCain...then I came to my senses when I took a tall look at Obama...I wrote a letter and asked to have my name removed from their list and explained that if they would come along side McCain for right now, that they would be doing ALL OF US a great favor in keeping America Free....CHuck Baldwin, and Alan Keyes need to go the high road....cast in their hats to the McCain camp!!
That would be a move of honor and integrity. Stubborness is not always a good characteristic... in this case is NOT!!

Okay...I am getting worked up again!!!!!!!
Polly

[Tax-chick]

Fortunately, I am not voting for McCain or Obama. I am voting for Sarah.

That's a suitable reason for voting, too, in my opinion. I voted for Sarah and that old military gent this afternoon, after I finished my campaigning shift for my State Representative.

I don't think this one guy's (or several like him's) votes are going to turn the election in South Carolina. I think his writing is sophomoric, though, and he ought to treat others' voting decisions with more courtesy if he expects the same in return.

[Ron H.]

I understand and happen to agree. I too say a person should vote their convictions and not be influenced nor persuaded by what anyone else thinks or believes no matter how well they may make their counter-point. A persons right to vote is sacred and should be treated and respected as such. Even when the two people don't agree on the candidate involved. Stand resolved and vote your beliefs and convictions every time.

[GBA]

I appreciate your attempts to teach me your opinions about the sins of this nation and your attempts to preach me into God's love and blessings (I'm sure you'll correct me as to what I should have said). However, my anger is directed at those who have earned it as much as it is at the one they follow, whether they know who/what they follow or not.

Otherwise, you and I disagree regarding the President's ability to destroy the nation, its Constitution and our way of life. Never underestimate the power of stupid people in high places and the groups who put them there. If 0bama is your guy, we have little in common. If you vote in such a way to aid in his being elected, we are not on the same side. We don't get perfect people in this world. Look what we did to the only One we've ever known and there hasn't been another.

We must vote so as to get the best result possible without fooling ourselves in the process. We can't look into the souls of those we vote for, but we can guess as to what they might do once in office. In comparing the only two viable choices, I trust 0bama not at all. McCain? So far, I like his pick for VP quite a bit and in that alone, he is way ahead of 0bama.

What I do know about this world is that evil, bad times, bad things and rotten experiences are like rain. They are a part of the world and fall on all of us, the good and the bad and the in between. With 0bama, I see some Cat. 5 level nasty weather heading straight at us. With McCain I see a better forecast. Best of luck to you.

[nevergore]

And what does ole’ Jack Hunter do between the elections? Does he work to change the Republican party? Does he actively work in party activities to help mold and change the party?

The answer would be no.......He just complains when the party or candidate doesn’t reflect exactly what he wants.....

There are two teams taking the field in November, choose one...

[Gondring]

It's called "principled behavior."

Many Republicans will talk a good game about "holding to your principles!" and then turn around and vote for big government instead of standing firm.

These same people will blame principled conservatives for losses, instead of blaming all those who didn't vote for the conservative.

As much as I love many things about our electoral systems, Duverger's law can't be ignored (though if we look at New York's system, we see that there could be systems that bypass Duverger (after all, if a two-party system were inevitable, why does NYS feel the need to bias the rules in favor of political parties?).

I will likely vote for the electoral slate that is supporting Governor Sarah Palinrealizing that in doing so, I am conceding damage to this republic--just a lot slower damage than if Obama-Biden get into office.

Though I admit, there are other compelling arguments...

:-)

[rabscuttle385]

There are two teams taking the field in November, choose one...

Only after Juan McCain stops playing for both.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Chuck is a very good man. I have nothing particularly bad to say against him.

I know that when Reagan won the GOP nomination of the GOP, the country clubbers and Ripon Society-types and moderates and RINOs got their Vice Presidential Choice (Bush 1) and more or less shut up and went along with the program.

I almost see a reversal of that this time. And it sucks. Big time..

I will continue to welcome articles, alerts and discussions on FR exposing John McCain on liberal issues, particularly ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

The fire must be kept to his feet day and night, 24/7 if he were to be elected.

It seems a long shot now that he will in fact be elected.

With Barack Obama as President more likely than not, I do not want to forfeit my right and position here on FR for the next four years to undermine him or complain about him and his policies; I will have lost that right were I do to anything personally to further his bid to the White House, either by action or inaction, word or deed.

At the end of the day, we all have our decision to make.

For me, it came down to:

Which of the three, as Vice President, are equipped with the executive/government/leadership experience on a large scale, who could take over in a disaster or national tragedy (very likely these days) as President of the largest power of world, and be the Commander in Chief of it's armed forces?

Governor Sarah Palin?

Attorney Darrell Castle?

Wayne Allen Root?

Combined with other factors, I have made my decision.

[Gondring]

Can you show me an election where a third party candidate won or didn't hurt the party they were most similar to by electing the party they were most against? Let me answer that for you. No you can't.

No need to...you provide one here:

In the elections I've voted in, Ross Perot voters helped Clinton get elected. Nader's voters always help the republican candidate. In those elections, they might have won their personal ideological battle, but they lost the war [...]

And that was followed up by the Republicans realizing that running to the left (George H.W. Bush) was not working...and that people wanted reform...and the Republicans gained the House of Representatives for the first time in FORTY YEARS!

Had 41 gotten re-elected, we would have been sending the message, "it's okay to lie about taxes" and "we love that New World Order stuff!" (Actually, I did vote for Bush in that election, though it was--like this election--a no-win situation.)

[GBA]

Instead of Bush 41 and his no new, new taxes (remembering that a President doesn't actually create the tax plans, just signs or vetoes them), we got Clinton who also reneged on his no tax promise and raised them a bunch. We sure won that time. Yeah, sure we did.

I sent Ross some money during the primary as I liked his message better than Bush's. But I voted for Bush because, though he was not my favorite candidate, he was better than Clinton and the Clinton crime family. I also voted for Pat Buchanan to send the Republicans a message and my vote helped him win Arizona during that primary, but voted for Dole because, though he was not my favorite candidate, he was better than Clinton and the Clinton Crime Family. Due to the weak campaign and their abandoning the Reagan conservative revolution, I gave up on the Republican party and have been an Independent ever since.

As someone from Arizona, McCain, though he was my Senator, is very far from being my favorite candidate now due to his betrayal (my opinion) of Reagan's example and philosophy.

However, between McCain and 0bama, McCain is most likely to listen to voices like mine than the faux-bama would and vote with us as he has for most of his political career. The Faux-bama has NEVER voted with us and WON'T listen to us longer than it take to ridicule us. The Faux-bama is NOT a friend of our military, while McCain definitely is. The Faux-bama will NOT appoint anyone to the supreme court that I would support, while McCain likely will. The Faux-bama WILL be a partner with Pelosi and Reid to advance their socialist agenda that will hurt us far more than anything McCain might do. (crossing my fingers on that one)

I could go on and on with examples to support my vote for McCain over 0bama, even though my primary vote would not have been for McCain. If you want 0bama, then vote for him or anyone other than McCain. I recognize your freedom to vote how you see fit, but realize that the primary elections are for your ideals, the general election is for real. You rarely get exactly what you want, but you can definitely get everything you don't want being idealistic.

[nevergore]

Cute dodge...but it doesn’t change the facts.....

Obama would be a nightmare for this country....

McLame is a one term (if even that) president and then we have Palin to look forward to.... During this time we can reshape the party back to Reagan times.