| | Kurt,
I understand the difference between McCain and Obama, but to say, "McCain - status quo like most Presidents - no big deal" is to ignore that the biggest socialist move in dollars and government spending were under this current so-called conservative Republican. There is a great danger in forgetting how far from freedom we have come election after election and to accept, in effect, that status-quo and buy into the fear factor to vote the lesser of evils.
Ted,
You keep calling for concrete differences between the choices and I keep saying the choices include the Libertarian who is right there on the ballot. The concretes include the Libertarian positions. If you want to say they aren't concrete because he can't win, then I have to say, so, we are only to vote based upon some probability of a win exists, and the win this time takes precedence over a Libertarian win in the future? The reason he "can't" win this time, is only because he won't get enough votes - my approach is to argue for giving him more votes, not less. After reading Jeff's posts, I have moderated my language to reflect the fact that we are all acting on our principles but seeing the application of those principles differently. I'm not seeing that recognition from other posters.
Teresa,
If one projects your behavior as a trend, you are moving away from voting your choices to voting for less and less savory politicians. I'm trying to bring more and more effectiveness and more and more value out of voting for someone who actually represents our principles.
You talked about what if my Libertarian vote actually threw the election to the Democrats and that I wouldn't do that unless I were a "life hater" - that is so wrong. It is like saying a surgeon who willingly takes on risky surgery and knows that an amputation is needed is a life hater when he sees that real health is a long way down the line and that it won't be achieved by choosing between gangrene and the tumor.
If Obama wins, I will look at the positive aspect of that ugly situation: We can now have a clear target to pin the blame on. Out of crisis there is a better chance to move forward. The FUD factor requires a willingness to live with the status quo. Much better if someone like Obama is at the helm, than a half-assed supporter of a mixed economy, like McCain, when we tank. And tank we will, unless we turn around the educational level of the electorate. That isn't my goal, but like a surgeon, I know that there will be blood.
You said, "...the GOP honestly doesn't scare me, but them Dems do. Any kind of "Robin Hood Heroics" rhetoric scares me. To think that some of my fellows would throw us all to those wolves as a matter of "principle" is startling." I'm startled at your unwillingness to even see our point of view. We see you voting for this wolf or that when you could vote for someone who supports our principles. Your continued approach guarantees only one thing - that a Libertarian will never win because their supporters will talk about the principles, but not vote them.
It is only a protest vote because not enough people are voting to make it a spoiler vote and it would only be a spoiler vote because it didn't get enough votes to be the winning. And you don't get from protest vote to winning vote by going in the other direction.
When you say, "Those who vote the "protest ballot" only do so because they know they're safe... They know they're safe, because the rest of us will see to it that they are." That, my dear, is insulting and condescending. I have stood behind my principles under risks to my freedom and risks to my life - in the real world as opposed to cyberspace where people can be as idiotic as they feel. I've earned the right to say that your accusation is unwarranted, mean-spirited, and just plain bullshit!
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