What do you say to a friend who wants to vote for Nader???

[SallyMander]

Grooooooan... all i can think is "AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!! That whole 'no differences between Democrats and Republicans' mantra is SOOOO eight years ago!" :banghead:


FYI, i have two friends in this boat -- one is a Pennsylvanian voter, the other is in Ohio! Double :banghead:

[skooooo]

1. How do they usually vote??

If they're republicans, don't worry about it.

[SallyMander]

5. No, would-be Dems

They consider themselves too lefty for the Dems, i guess. I imagine they'd say that they'd vote for Nader or not vote at all -- definitely not Republicans.

[skooooo]

9. What are their reasons for not voting Obama??

[SallyMander]

14. Protesting the two party system,

and feeling that their beliefs are more in-line with Nader. Which is how i feel in some cases too (e.g., gay marriage) but i would never throw away my Ohio vote.

[yardwork]

2. Yeah, at this point, my contempt for someone voting Nader in OH or PA

is close to my contempt for someone voting for McCain.

[CJCRANE]

3. Just compare the Clinton economy and the Bush economy nt

[demo dutch]

4. You tell him to consider the alternative which could be McCain, or did they actually enjoy

the past 8 years????

[SallyMander]

10. One says he's interested in "protesting the two party system"

To which i say FINE, vote for lots of Greens on the local level -- help them build the party that way!

[demo dutch]

54. Noble but unrealistic if you're in a battleground state, he'll just help McCain, & if McCain wins

Nader won't have ANY opportunity to advance his agenda. Nader is waging what's called "Pigeon Politics" He swoops in, shits all over the election (like 2000 in Florida) and disappears and leaves us with the crap.

[SallyMander]

55. I LOVE that analogy!!!

:rofl:

[lisa58]

6. I would start out by saying that they have to vote their conscience but...

...do they think a Gore presidency would at least have been better than a Bush presidency and are they willing to go down that road again?

[DavidDvorkin]

7. I have a friend who says he'll vote for Nader

I've started avoiding the issue and talking about other things.

[EFerrari]

8. Have your friends swap with someone

like me who is in a safe state. That way, they can hang onto their own belief and not help McTroll. :hi:

[skooooo]

12. I thought that was illegal..?

[EFerrari]

27. Is it? I never heard that, skooooo. I wonder how it would be illegal.

Maybe someone could help out.

[rucky]

11. I swear to god there's toxic stupid-fumes coming from Lake Erie.

[SallyMander]

18. Hey! I resemble that remark!

:dunce:

[rucky]

35. I'm downwind, too

Lake Effect

[BlueIdaho]

13. As them if they support four more years of the last eight years.

A vote is a terrible thing to waste - especially this year.

[damntexdem]

15. At least, don't vote for McCain.

That's what I say to anyone who says they won't vote for Obama.

[faithfulcitizen]

16. well, first of all you don't call him a friend.

just kidding. It sounds like you have to figure out what his/her issues are and explain how R & D's ARE different.

[SallyMander]

21. I just think if the last 8 years didn't convince them

then there's no way i can. Sigh. Guess i just wanted to vent!

[faithfulcitizen]

44. well, they don't sound like the sharpest tools in the shed...

but maybe you can dumb it down for them.

[randr]

17. Tell him he will needs a laxative

to shit his worthless head out of his ass.

[gateley]

19. We can't get every vote, and I'd rather see it go to Nader than to McCain. nt

[RoadRage]

20. What state are they in?

If it's CA.. just let it go. If it's OH.. beat the shit out of them and threaten to take dirty pitures of them and post them online if they don't vote for Obama. :evilgrin:

Just kidding!

Seriously.. i'd just ask them what it is about Nader that they like more then Obama. Then ask themselves what they like more about McCain then they like about Obama. If they can't answer the 2nd question.. then they shouldn't be voting for Nader at all.. because a vote for Nader is one less for Obama in that situation.. and McCain is really the threat here.

Good Luck

[SallyMander]

26. OH and PA

I mean, i understand wanting to vote your conscience -- during the primaries, whenever i took a "match yourself to a candidate" quiz, it was always Dennis Kucinich. I imagine Nader is also a pretty good fit with my worldview, i just don't let that overrule common sense!

[olkaz]

22. Simple, follow my surefire three step process:

1. Punch him/her in the face.

2. Punch him/her in the face again.

3. Punch him/her in the face one last time.

This always works. Print these instructions out and put them in your wallet/purse.

[SallyMander]

28. Hahaha

:rofl:


(they're both bigger than me though!)

[Starbucks Anarchist]

42. Seconded.

[frickaline]

23. I'd probably start by finding out why they plan on voting for him in the first place.

[SallyMander]

29. Protesting the two-party system

and just matching up with the candidate that best reflects their views. Nothing evil about it, just... frustrating.


BTW i love your sig line picture!

[frickaline]

37. Is that really the only reason?

They don't think there are any bigger priorities right now? I think I'd question along those lines. There are just bigger fish to fry imo.

p.s. about the pic, thx :) I had a ball making that.

[EnviroBat]

24. "It's time for your lobotomy now..."

[tigervalentine]

25. Had Nader not run in 2000 (and received all those votes in Florida)

there would be no Chief Justice John Roberts and no Justice Alito.

[Alter Ego]

30. I show them a picture of the returns from 2000

and go "Want Scalia deciding the President again?"

[TheKentuckian]

31. You have to break it down for them.

A protest vote is a vote for McCain and they will be responsible for the damage done.

Look at what they have done! We can't risk anymore of this. Bring it back to Reagan and come forward.

[crispini]

32. Ask them to think, long, hard, and seriously,

about what a Gore administration would have been like.

[Essene]

33. simply tell him if nader voters voted dem in 2000, we wouldnt have had bush

[WillyT]

34. "NO FUCKING WAY !!!"

:shrug:

[Tektonik]

36. Punch them

[Vinca]

38. Tell them to imagine where our country would be if the 2000

Nader votes in Florida had gone to Gore. Also ask them if they will feel responsible if McCain and Palin win. Damn - this is our last chance to get our country back.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

39. Explain that since Nader will not win, you must choose the person closer to your ideology.

Also explain to them that the point of a protest is to send a message. A protest vote in this, or any other election, will not be sending any kind of message that anyone will hear or understand. Point to 2000 as proof of that notion. Millions voted for Nader and what change did it have?

[SallyMander]

50. This is a really good point

What is the point of a protest if no one hears it?

:thumbsup:

[demokatgurrl]

40. "It's folks like you that put George Bush in the White House.

Do you want to be reponsible if McCain wins and our country goes deeper into HELL?"

[H2O Man]

41. "We'll catch you later.

Much later." -- Malcolm X

[Essene]

43. ALSO... tell him that parties are built from the ground up, not top down.

Voting for a 3rd party that doesnt have a single seat in congress is fruitless. It's some theoretically "symbolic" vote that means nothing.

VOting Green or whatever at the local and state level is VERY significant becauyse you're really building something and supporting somethign concrete.

Explain that to him... because i bet he's never thought about the local/state races.

[SallyMander]

47. Exactly -- what i wrote in post 10 above

I am all for voting third party in local races -- that's how parties get built to the point that they can run viable national candidates. :thumbsup:

[Barrymores Ghost]

45. "Do I know you?"

[graywarrior]

46. I just shake my head at this point.

The ones I know are really really out there and there's no coming back.

[ieoeja]

48. Ha-ha-ha.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Oh, sorry. Yeah, sure, you go vote :rofl: for that :rofl: Nadar guy.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Oh, gods. You serious? Well, whatever, dude.

[SallyMander]

51. ...

:rofl:

[slackmaster]

49. "Thin mint?"

:nuke:

[Buck Rabbit]

52. I would tell them to vote Barr if they want to make a statement.

That Nader is a GOP sponsored and paid for tool. His platform he takes from the left, his money he takes from the right. If they insist on making this statement against the 2 party system, a vote for Barr does this while also pisseing the GOP off because they will think it was a vote of theirs that got away.

A vote for Nader makes the GOP gleefully celibrate taking in another gullible liberal.

[SallyMander]

53. Ooh, i like this train of thought

Thanks! :hi:

[Liberalboy]

56. "So....have you enjoyed the last eight years?"

or "You honestly think a President Gore would have invaded Iraq?"

or "I'm sure a President Kerry would have let the economy be in shitty shape too..."

[TexasObserver]

57. I would say these 3 small words.

"Please kill yourself."

[gmoney]

58. Tell him Nader is pals with Ayres

[ShortnFiery]

59. If you're in a battleground state, please vote Obama/Biden - we will make sure that our voices

are with you with President Obama on the issues that truly matter to you and yours.

[CarlB]

60. Here's what I say:

Look, the way this election system works sometimes you have to compromise. That's just the reality. I know it sucks that you have to be afraid to vote for the candidate you may actually like more, but voting for him is not a way to fight that, and actually hurts your cause. And Obama's great anyway.

[DefenseLawyer]

61. I tell them they are voting for McCain, plain and simple.

They aren't sending a message, they aren't expanding the discussion, they are voting for McCain. Every vote that is cast for a 3rd party means one less vote McCain needs from somewhere else.

[WeDidIt]

62. Here's what I'd say

"You and I are no longer friends."*

* - actually said to a former friend who voted for Nader in 2000.

[4_Legs_Good]

63. Tell him/her that I voted for Nader in 2000

And I have one word to impart: WOOPS!

S/he can, too, learn from my mistake...

David