“But if everyone who wanted a three-party system would all vote Libertarian in the election, things would change!”
Bullshit.
In fact, that doesn’t do the idea justice. Let me rephrase. Pure, rich, deep bullshit, shit from the very finest of Texas bulls hand-fed with the choicest of grains to ensure the most fragrant aroma and most jucy texture. Bullshit of the kind to make a grown man weep and children tremble. Bullshit of such magnificence as to make the strongest ofmen say, “Ayup, that’s bullshit, and I ain’t never seen its like afore.”
Bullshit. If everyone who wanted a three-party system voted Libertarian in the upcoming election, the Libertarian candidate might be thrilled and delighted to see that he’d bested all previous records and won a stunning four percent of the vote.
Now, I’m not saying there are not a whole lot of Americans who are dissatisfied with the two-party system as usual. There are. Just go to a Fundamentalist revival some time, and you’ll see that anger and disenchantment with two-party politics runs deep; there are many patriotic Americans who believe in their deepest of hearts that two party-politics means one party too many. Witness, for example, the Texas politicians warning their constituency in the direst of voices that if the Democrats win, “Bibles will be banned” and “men will no longer be permitted to marry women.” (Again, I swear I am not making this up.)
The fact of the matter is, most people don’t think about politics that much. They go to the polls (or, more often, stay away from the polls) every four years, hoping the guy with the best haircut wins. Anyone who’s waiting for the sudden backlash against politics as usual to usher the Libertarian into the White House on a sudden and unexpected wave of popular support had best not hold his breath.
You want to vote your conscience? You want to cast your vote for the person who best matches your ideas? Fine, but do so with your eyes open; we are all, at the end of the day, responsible even for the unintended consequences of our decisions. There’s a reason the Republicans are putting political opponents on the ballot: if you’re voting for a third-party candidate, you are part of the Republican strategy for winning this election. Cast your vote, but know what you’re voting for: four more years of the same.