Region of Selene

Full Version: Who are you supporting/voting for the US Elections?
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Pages: 1 2
I just wanna see how the candidates are faring in the forums
I like both Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, but Johnson surpasses her in terms of government experience. I see him having a better grasp of how government functions. I know that their policies are actually quite different, but I don't consider those differences to be so dramatic, based on my personal policy priorities. I don't mention any of the other two candidates because...well, let's be serious. Tongue
I miss Bernie. ;-;


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't claim this is exclusive to the US, but one thing I don't understand about its politics is why people seem to stop thinking for themselves when called to support abysmal candidates. By all standards Trump and Clinton would be deemed completely unqualified for the presidency (for their own particular reasons) save for the small fact that they have an R and D next to their names. Why is that enough for party supporters to suspend all legitimate criticism? If people are so disenchanted with the two-party system, they should do what people do in other democracies and just vote for another party with better values. The only reason those two parties are still dominant is because the people enable them.
(09-24-2016, 06:02 PM)Constantine Lambros Wrote: [ -> ]I miss Bernie. ;-;


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree totally. But, Clinton is better than a protest vote.
I've always found that argument really condescending. Many people supported Bernie for his policies, not because he decided to put a D next to his name. If they feel that either Johnson or Stein reflect their views better than Clinton, why should they not vote for either of them? Votes are ours to give, not a candidate's to demand.
Eh, it's FPTP. The system, for political minorities, is based on voting the least scary of the two into office. It's a shame, but hey, until we have some (impossible) electoral reform, we must choose the least threatening in an immature, flawed, bi-partisan democracy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I would sympathise with the protest vote argument if the US had runoff elections, wherein there really were only two choices. If the presidential election had a runoff exclusively between Clinton and Trump, I would understand the need to support the former over the latter, since there would genuinely be no other choice, and any blank or spoiled votes would be actual protest votes. Fortunately the US has a different system, and if Americans are set to end up with either Clinton or Trump as president, they only have themselves to blame. They have a politically progressive (albeit inexperienced) alternative in Jill Stein. They have a very experienced and moderate alternative in Gary Johnson. They have an abomination of a candidate in Donald Trump and the epitome of DC corruption in Hillary Clinton. To vote for them, even when one agrees that they are bad candidates, is to consent to the perpetuation of this flawed system.

I am well aware of the arguments that Trump is too great a threat to be voting for third parties, and I have carefully considered the pros and cons of this particular election, but the truth is there comes a point when that kind of fear mongering just doesn't cut it. The very fact that Clinton and Trump are considered legitimate nominees should be reason enough to vote for either third party. If your only reasons to vote for them are the letter next to their names or the fact that they are not the other person, then you shouldn't be voting for them anyway. It's as simple as that. Wasting your vote in flawed candidates when there are other options is a good way to forfeit the value of your democracy.

Edit:
Obviously this is all assuming you're someone who doesn't like either major party candidate. If you genuinely like Clinton or Trump, or just like them enough to vote vote them this time around, by all means carry on. My above argument goes for someone who's only planning to vote for them because "third parties can't win".
ShowVermin Supreme, obviously
Eh probably Jill Stein
I just go with Trump just for the memes. But I'm not old enough to vote yet. I still wouldn't vote for him though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Pages: 1 2