this is my response to a dear young friend today - he is former military - spent two months in iraq and has totally turned against the "establishment"
i need help in trying to explain the dangers of third party voting - this was a quick facebook answer i sent him (well, okay - not so "quick"...) and i'm afraid my wordiness will get the critical points i need to make get lost in the posts. so i need all of your help to pare down these arguments into something more easily digested and strong enough to change his mind!
HELP! below the squirrel is the post - and i really need your input!
hi, ian... as someone who has VOTED for a third party candidare (ross perot), i want to tell you that you couldn't be further from the truth with this post. as a 67 year old woman who was a member of the third party (liberal) for decades, my comments are based on cold reality.
in this nation, a third party can never WIN a presidential election. that was never the goal until 2000, when ralph nader ran his campaign. PRIOR to perot, the purpose of a third candidate who was serious was to raise awareness of neglected issues and push either the democratic candidate or republican candidate to consider those issues. when i voted for perot in a SAFE democratic state where perot would not influence by putting a republican (who held diametrically opposed opinions to what i wanted to see happen) into office, i did to to pressure clinton to consider the budget and it's impact on the nation. imho, clinton listened and balanced the budget (without starting any wars, btw).
third party candidates USED to throw their support behind a candidate just prior to the election to show the candidate they supported that they held an influential voting block (think "lobby" or "caucus"). when nader came along and the election was so close (and corrupted by a republican appointed supreme court APPOINTED george bush), nadar refused to back down. he laughed and took republican donated contributions while claiming dishonestly that there is no difference between the two parties.
those of us trying to convince third party voters in THIS close election are not angry or mad. we understand the consequences of those votes. we understand that since korea, every war we've engaged has been of questionable purpose - all started by republican presidents, especially the wars under reagan (granada), bush i (gulf war 1) and especially bush 2 (iraq on a lie and afghanistan neglected). romney is already sabre rattling at iran (with dick cheney, rumsfeld and other neocons advising him). he has stated that the "soviet union" is our "worst enemy" (soviet union?!? - it no longer exists!) and had made major gaffes regarding the palestinians, china and even england! he is a puppet that will be, as was george bush, manipulated by those who seek war and power.
IF the republicans should win because of the loss of several hundred votes (as did gore), would the goals of a third party be better served with a romney/ryan presidency that wants to destroy social security, medicare, repeal healthcare, burden the middle class and poorest by raising their taxes, sending their jobs to china, gutting their healthcare and schools ALL to give huge tax cuts to the 1% who don't NEED it?
so, my dear friend, let me expalin my feelings. it isn't anger, it is fear, and not for me. i'll be long dead by the time this nation experiences the full ramifications of another republican presidency bouyed by the tea party extremists. it is my fear for you and YOUR future - you mom's future - your kids' future.
you have a right to be cynical. your only real political experiences have been based on extremist republican policies, starting with reagan and continuing through today with the republican congress that vowed to block ALL of obama's policys and a congress that flatly stated four years ago (mcconnell and bohner) that their ONLY goal was to defeat president obama in 2012. they - the republicans who have voted over and over to prevent abortion even for saving the life of the woman. they've voted 33 times to repeal the affordable health care act. they have NOT voted on a single jobs bill except to reject it, including a jobs bill for returning veterans!
THIS is why your vote matters. you are in a swing state. colorado can go either way. every single vote matters!
yes, there are some things that i wish had been different, but you cannot base a vote on tunnel vision - on one or two single issues - you MUST look at the only two candidates who will be chosen and select the one who will move this nation closer to your ideals.
voltaire said it best: "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" - for the sake of those who will live and for those who will die if romney/ryan are elected.
i've not been on site much these last few weeks due to my "pony" becoming ill with three very serious, potentially life-threatening conditions. so far, we're hoping we caught it very early and he is doing well. i'll not be online for a long time this afternoon since i'll be headed out to the barn to give him his pergolide (for cushings) and feed him his low carb/low sugar hay (insulin resistance - yep, another diabetic critter in my life after my beloved mr. tee) and to check his tootsies (laminitis).
if you all have suggestions or bullet points directly aimed at explaining why third parties are now so dangerous, please help me out here. my friend thinks that those of us who oppose third party candidacies have "misplaced anger" and are "mad" for considering third party candidates spoilers. how can we reach these critical voters in time?
HELP!!!