# Hey you idiot third party voters! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 11, 2008, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-you-idiot-third-party-voters/467465 "2008-10-11T13:51:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-you-idiot-third-party-voters/467465/141 "2008-10-23T17:16:26Z")
Here’s a [Libertarian’s argument](http://www.reason.com/news/show/129599.html) for Obama: > [@](#): > > While I’m not thrilled at the prospect of an Obama administration (especially with a friendly Congress), the Republicans still need to get their clocks cleaned in two weeks, for a couple of reasons. > > First, they had their shot at holding power, and they failed. They’ve failed in staying true to their principles of limited government and free markets. They’ve failed in preventing elected leaders of their party from becoming corrupted by the trappings of power, and they’ve failed to hold those leaders accountable after the fact. Congressional Republicans failed to rein in the Bush administration’s naked bid to vastly expand the power of the presidency (a failure they’re going to come to regret should Obama take office in January). They failed to apply due scrutiny and skepticism to the administration’s claims before undertaking Congress’ most solemn task—sending the nation to war. I could go on. > > As for the Bush administration, the only consistent principle we’ve seen from the White House over the last eight years is that of elevating the American president (and, I guess, the vice president) to that of an elected dictator. That isn’t hyperbole. This administration believes that on any issue that can remotely be tied to foreign policy or national security (and on quite a few other issues as well), the president has boundless, limitless, unchecked power to do anything he wants. They believe that on these matters, neither Congress nor the courts can restrain him. > > That’s the second reason the GOP needs to lose. American voters need to send a clear, convincing repudiation of these dangerous ideas. > [@](#): > > The truth is, unless you vote for a third-party candidate (which really isn’t a bad idea), you don’t have much of a choice this November. You can either endorse the idea of a massive, invasive, ever-encroaching federal government that’s used to promote center-left ideology, or you can endorse the idea of a massive, invasive, ever-encroaching federal government that’s used to promote center-right ideology. > > Sadly, if the GOP does lose, it’s likely to be interpreted not as a repudiation of the GOP’s excesses, but as an endorsement of the Democrats’. When the only two parties who have a chance at winning both have a track record of expanding the size and scope of government, every election is likely to be interpreted as a win for big government—only the brand changes. > > Voting yourself more freedom simply isn’t an option, at least if you want your vote to be taken seriously (and I’m not denigrating any third parties here; I’m just reflecting reality). > > Which brings me back to why the Republicans need to get throttled: A humiliated, decimated GOP that rejuvenates and rebuilds around the principles of limited government, free markets, and rugged individualism is really the only chance for voters to possibly get a real choice in federal elections down the road. > > Of course, there’s no guarantee that’s how the party will emerge from defeat. But the Republican Party in its current form has forfeited its right to govern. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-you-idiot-third-party-voters/467465/142 "2008-10-23T18:39:11Z")
I think that the “idiot third party voters” are going to likely be more on the republican side this year. Ron Paul was a darling of the conservatives and a lot of folks I’ve seen, haven’t given up on him yet. Bob Barr, who defected from the republicans to the libertarians has also been taking votes away from McCain. I think that most lefties have given up on Nader. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-you-idiot-third-party-voters/467465/143 "2008-10-30T06:42:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Well then what specifically is your program? Look up the Peace and Freedom Party, they’re pretty close to it. > [@](#): > > What are you doing to overhaul society? US society, not much I can do these days since I live abroad. I’m involved full time in politics in my adopted country though. > [@](#): > > Is it working? Do you have reason to believe it will work? I’m not optimistic. But I _know_ voting for Democrats won’t achieve it. Speaking of Democrats, one other point worth making is that your casual assumption that they are “better” than the Republicans, from the left’s point of view, isn’t strictly true in all respects. Most respects, perhaps, but some of the exceptions are whoppers. Democrats often tend to be even worse on the Palestinian question, for example (consider Obama’s comments about Jerusalem). It was Democrats got us into most of our wars in the past century. And Clinton brought in social welfare “reform” which was quite horrific from a left perspective, and which no Republican president would ever have managed to get through Congress. These are not minor issues, and it would be a serious breach of my principles to vote for Democrats knowing their track record on them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-you-idiot-third-party-voters/467465.md?page=7)