...   
      
    MM> Sadly it is a race between dumb and dumber this November.   
    MM> Since it is first past the post, third candidates such as   
    MM> Gary Johnson and Jill Stein will not get much votes because   
    MM> people will be fearful of the spoiler effect. However in   
    MM> states such as Arkansas, California, New York and Utah you   
    MM> can vote whoever you want and not have to worry that your   
    MM> vote can make a difference. I even got flack for voting for   
    MM> McCain in 2008, but a vote in California does NOTHING to   
    MM> affect an election.   
      
    You need to explain that. How does a vote *NOT* make a   
    difference?   
      
    MM> Also, by voting for Gary Johnson or even Jill Stein we can   
    MM> help break the party orthodoxy. Maybe the 2016 Democratic   
    MM> Party nominee will stop raiding marijuana   
    ...   
    MM> To be fair, 5% makes a difference this year.   
      
    Not to the winner. In 2000 Nader got enough votes to put Bush in   
    the White House. Look at it any way you want, if Gore had won   
    it's practically a certainty we would not have invaded Iraq.   
    That's hundreds of thousands not killed.   
      
    That's on Nader's head. Bush really was that bad.   
      
    The Libertarian party should start making alliances with the   
    party most willing to be accomodating. Last election in Toledo   
    the libertarian candidate dropped out and said all the right   
    wing candidates agreed those with the least chance would drop   
    out in favor of the one with the most chance of winning.   
      
    Aside from the fact I doubt his supporters thought they were   
    just supporting the "conservative with the best chance", he lost   
    anyway. Face it, if you are going to support the conservative   
    with the best chance you might as well vote the extreme right   
    wing republican. If you run a candidate with no chance all you   
    accomplish is to hurt the major party candidate most like yours.   
      
    OTOH, if you want a real chance to have a real impact, then   
    change your strategy. Don't try to run your own candidate,   
    emulate the third parties in the palimentary democracies. Make a   
    deal. Get some of what you want instead of all or nothing which   
    winds up nothing.   
      
    Get your heads screwed on straight, deal with the fact that you   
    won't get your president, or you will remain irrelevant.   
      
      
      
   BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn   
      
   ... "These are the tines that dry men's souls!!!   
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