The tragic thought process that keeps us mired in the status quo

[Bonobo]

can be summarized as follows:

1. Primary season: "I like what that person SAYS, but are they electable!?!?!? I want to vote for the most well-known candidate, the one that has the best chance in the General Election against those rat-bastard Republicans."

2. General Election: "I may not like everything they do, say or stand for, but that's our candidate and there's no WAY I'm voting for a "spoiler". It may stink, but remember the Supreme Court! (or Social Security, etc.)"

[dissentient]

1. And number two goes hand in hand with the reality that we keep being given crappy candidates to vote

for, so there isn't much of a choice, except between one evil and a lesser evil.

I don't think the United States has had a truly exceptional president since Kennedy, in my opinion.

That is all it would take to turn this Titanic around, one exceptional president.

[Rex]

2. Or 'we just have to wait until the perfect Congress comes along.'

Yeah...how is that working out fer ya?

[GoneFishin]

3. "I want to be part of the winning team above all, never mind if the winner actual represents

my interests. I would be nervous to vote for someone I thought would be a good leader, if they were not guaranteed to win."

[arcane1]

4. When they know our vote is guaranteed, there is no need to fight for us.

As if it's a sporting event and only the team matters, even if it's made up of players we hated when they were on another team.

[Bonobo]

6. I never understood the argument that a "no vote" is a wasted vote either. It makes no sense.

I would argue that an automatic vote has even less power.

If a vote is taken for granted (counted and pre-calculated) as "Democratic" but then it doesn't come, eventually someone will come and say "Hey, why didn't you give us your vote as you always do!? We NEEEED it! What can we do to get it back!?"

THAT is leverage.

[MohRokTah]

8. A no vote is tacit approval for the outcome regardless.

How people don't get that is beyond me.

[guillaumeb]

10. a no vote is also an "I do not care enough to vote"

because
a) I do not pay attention to what is going on
b) I am to busy complaining that the perfect candidate, who I would vote for, is not running, or
c) the candidates who are running do not agree with me on every issue that I care about, or


the excuses for not voting are endless. I share your "How people don't get that is beyond me." philosophy

[Bonobo]

14. You cannot answer the logic posed here about the automatic vote and its being taken for granted. nt

[Maedhros]

12. This is a basic fact of electoral politics that I have been trying to explaing for years.

Thank you for bringing it up!

Why would any elected Democrat go out on a limb to enact progressive legislation when they know they can play it safe, go along to get along, and vote for bad policy when they know the cheerleaders will line up to reelect them anyway?

[Bonobo]

13. Seems incredibly obvious to me anyway. nt

[Agnosticsherbet]

5. Sadly, on November 8, 2016 we will elect a Democrat or a Republican.

But it is not the thought process that keep us mired in the status quo.

It is the reality of our two party system that makes a third party candidate a spoiler.

Even Bernie Sanders is aware of the realities of our system.

If Bernie Sanders Runs For President, It Won’t Be as an Independent: “I will not be a spoiler

And, personally, I don't vote against rat bastard republicans. (Now why would you insult rat bastards by associating them with Republicans.) I vote for the candidate that I think is the best fit for my representative in an office. I have never found a Republican that was the best fit.

[libdem4life]

9. That last sentence...nailed it.

[MohRokTah]

7. The even more tragic thought process?

1. Thinking that there's anything other than two choices in a General Election so long as electoral politics on a national level remain as they are written in the constitution.

2. Actually believing that voting for a third party candidate could do anything other than destroy every last issue you support.

[Maedhros]

11. Then, when the luke-warm milk-toast Democratic candidate is elected,

and they start to enact horrible policies, we can't hold them accountable OR THE REPUBLICANS WILL WIN!

[Bluenorthwest]

15. I get a bit bored of hearing from Straight folks that there is no progress of any sort.

Reeks of privilege. Bores me senseless. The message is 'if it is not about straights and our money, it does not count at all!!!!!'