Green Blues

In my comments section, Richard Cody and Frank Paynter have a back-and-forth about the wisdom of voting for third party candidates. It’s a vexing issue on either side of the fence.

We are always going to have a two-party system. The legitimate role of the third parties is to push the major parties in one direction or the other. However, if an election is a cliffhanger, I strongly believe that the responsible thing to do is to hold your nose and vote to keep the smellier of the two guys out.

For those that say that it doesn’t make any difference, for example the Greens that didn’t vote for Gore, look at all the environmental regulations that have been decimated since Bush took over. Look at the tax cuts for the rich that are sending us headlong into monster deficits.

Withheld votes from Democratic Senate candidates could very well lead to GOP Senate control. That will likely culminate in another conservative ending up on the Supreme Court and tipping the balance to the anti-Roe-v.-Wade forces, and God knows what other travesties. Are you going to seriously suggest that there’s no difference?

When the election's over, you can get back to work on behalf of the third party that speaks to you, and help push one of the major parties closer to where it ought to be.