If Libertarians in theory were conservative and they were to throw their vote away on third parties who haven’t a chance in hell of winning an election, then they are indeed helping Democrats by not voting for the Republicans... If they were ever conservative.
If a Democrat thinks a Libertarian is a big liberal, and you vote your third party throw away vote, then from their view you did not vote for them and that benefited Republicans.
IMO Independents are mostly all liberals. They might like to hang out with conservatives and talk tough, but they seem to mostly vote like hippies or welfare recipients.
Here are the problems with this premise -
they were to throw their vote away on third parties who haven’t a chance in hell of winning an election
The suggestion that a citizen exercising his or her RIGHT to vote, can be described as "throwing their vote away" is akin to stating that it is pointless to vote and that the only voice a citizen has to show approval or disapproval of a candidate is pointless.
This line of reasoning is borderline unAmerican.
Furthermore, they are indeed helping Democrats by not voting for the Republicans... If they were ever conservative.
Suggesting that only the republican party can represent the positions of conservative independents is equally incorrect. One might only look back at the 6 years of gop control of the US government to see just how successful that approach was.
The correct answer to the "who is right" question, is - "neither" both positions are wrong. Voting for the candidate a citizen believes in, regardless of "electability" is the basic expression of individual liberty.
IMO Independents are mostly all liberals. They might like to hang out with conservatives and talk tough, but they seem to mostly vote like hippies or welfare recipients.
Interesting opinion, just how do hippies and welfare recipients vote? - and how do you know?